Morunasaurus annularis ( O'Shaughnessy 1881 )

Torres-Carvajal, Omar, Etheridge, Richard & Queiroz, Kevin De, 2011, A systematic revision of Neotropical lizards in the clade Hoplocercinae (Squamata: Iguania), Zootaxa 2752, pp. 1-44 : 33-34

Morunasaurus annularis ( O'Shaughnessy 1881)

Proposed standard English name: ringed manticores

Proposed standard Spanish name: mantícoras de anillos

Hoplocercus annularis O’Shaughnessy (1881:244) . Holotype: BMNH 80.12.8.54 (RR 1946.8.10.35), from “Canelos [Provincia Pastaza, 1°34'60''S, 77°45'W, 631 m], Ecuador ”; Boulenger (1885:200); Burt & Burt (1933:26). Morunasaurus annularis Dunn (1933:76) ; Peters & Donoso-Barros (1970:204).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from Morunasaurus groi by having a discontinuous row of enlarged vertebral scales (row absent in M. groi ), and caudal whorls of spiny scales separated by two (ventrally) and three (dorsally) transverse rows of scales (three and four in M. groi , respectively). Dunn (1933) stated that another difference between M. annularis and M. groi is that the tail is compressed in the former and circular (presumably in cross section) in the latter; however, we find that the tail in both species is nearly circular in cross section. M. annularis differs from M. peruvianus (character states in parentheses) in having usually two femoral pores on each leg (3–4); four postrostrals (five); two postmentals (four), a smaller body size (maximum SVL 137 mm versus 153 mm in males, 118 mm versus 121 mm in females); and in lacking dark streaks on throat in females (streaks present).

Description. (1) dorsal head scales smooth, not projecting dorsally, some occipitals granular; (2) posterior superciliaries not enlarged relative to adjacent scales; (3) scales on lateral edge of skull roof just posterior to superciliaries not projecting; (4) all pretympanic scales similar in size; (5) gular scales granular or flat and smooth, juxtaposed or slightly imbricate, not projecting ventrally; (6) dorsal neck scales heterogeneous in size, granular or large and conical; lateral neck scales granular, homogeneous in size; (7) some vertebrals between the scapular and pelvic regions larger than adjacent dorsals, forming a distinct but discontinuous middorsal longitudinal row of enlarged, elliptical, smooth, and unraised scales; (8) nuchal region without distinct middorsal longitudinal row of enlarged scales; (9) dorsals smooth and heterogeneous in size, with largest scales more projecting and abundant on posterior half of body; (10) discontinuous longitudinal row of raised, enlarged scales between dorsals and flank scales present; (11) scales on flanks heterogeneous in size, mostly granular with a few scattered enlarged scales; (12) ventrals smooth; (13) fore limb scales smooth or slightly keeled dorsally and ventrally; (14) hind limb scales smooth or slightly keeled dorsally and ventrally; scattered conical, sharply pointed, enlarged scales present dorsally; scales of pes heterogeneous in size; (15) caudals heterogeneous, with scales making up the posteriormost whorl of each segment modified as conspicuous spines ( Fig. 3 ); (16) tail nearly circular in cross section. Meristic and morphometric characters are presented in Table 1 .

Coloration in life ( Fig. 4 ). Adult males (QCAZ 7819): dorsum dark brown with a series of faint, cream dorsolateral blotches; sides of head yellowish brown; sides of neck orange; cream white vertical bar, bordered with dark brown anteriorly and posteriorly, extends dorsally from anterior insertion of fore limb to scapular region, where it becomes faint; flanks light yellow with a brown reticulate pattern anteriorly, and mostly light brown with scattered yellow and cream scales posteriorly; limbs light brown with scattered yellowish cream scales; chin light brown; gular region extensively covered by black mark that extends posteriorly as a wide midventral stripe that covers most of the ventral surface of body; venter light blue laterally; ventral surface of fore limbs brown with scattered yellow scales; ventral surface of hind limbs and pelvic region light grey; tail light cream ventrally and dark brown dorsally and laterally, with several grey projecting scales; iris copper brown.

Adult females: head dark brown dorsally, light brown laterally, and orange ventrally; cream stripe extends from mandibular angle to tympanum; posterior aspect of neck with a cream band bordered with dark brown, which extends dorsally over shoulder and is continuous middorsally; body cream ventrally and light brown dorsally, with five dark brown transverse bands that are wider middorsally; limbs dark brown dorsally and reddish-cream ventrally, with scattered cream flecks dorsally; tail dark brown dorsally and laterally, reddish brown ventrally ( Köhler et al. 1999).

Natural history. Based on observations in a premontane rainforest in eastern Ecuador, Köhler et al. (1999) reported that M. annularis digs burrows about 3 m long and 60 cm deep in the forest floor. They also reported clutches of 2– 4 eggs 28.6–35.1 mm long and 16.10–17.60 mm wide. The first author of the present paper collected two adult specimens, male (QCAZ 7819) and female (QCAZ 7820), nearby Bobonaza (Pastaza province, Ecuador) within a series of nearly 20 holes in a 10-meter high wall of compact soil next to a narrow patch of primary forest surrounded by pasture. Both specimens were in holes about 1 m above the ground, which had an opening diameter of approximately 20 cm. When approached, the female ran quickly about 80 cm into her burrow and locked herself strongly against the walls with her spinous scales, possibly by inflating her body. Two clutches were found 30 cm apart from each other in the female´s burrow; the first clutch contained four eggs 25.51–29.83 mm long (average = 27.38 ± 1.83 SD) and 17.13–17.74 mm wide (average = 17.37 ± 0.27 SD), whereas the second one consisted of five hatched eggs.

Distribution. Morunasaurus annularis occurs on the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjacent lowlands throughout Ecuador and southern Colombia at elevations between 400–1100 m ( Fig. 11 ). This species is known to occur in sympatry with Enyalioides laticeps in eastern Ecuador; E. praestabilis occurs at nearby localities.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Caudal segments from the anterior third of the tail of ten species of Hoplocercinae in lateral view. (A) Enyalioides cofanorum, (B) E. heterolepis, (C) E. laticeps, (D) E. microlepis, (E) E. oshaughnessyi, (F) E. palpebralis, (G) E. praestabilis, (H) E. rubrigularis, (I) E. touzeti, and (J) Morunasaurus annularis. Scale bars = 5 mm. Illustration by D. Paucar.

FIGURE 4. Photographs of live lizards representing twelve species of Hoplocercinae.

FIGURE 11. Distribution of Morunasaurus annularis (triangles), M. groi (squares), and M. peruvianus (dots).