Ichnotropis grandiceps Broadley, 1967

Pietersen, Darren W., Pietersen, Errol W. & Conradie, Werner, 2017, Preliminary herpetological survey of Ngonye Falls and surrounding regions in south-western Zambia, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 148) 11 (1), pp. 24-43 : 32

Ichnotropis grandiceps Broadley, 1967

Zambezi Rough-scaled Lizard

Material: TM 86237

A number of individuals were encountered in Baikiaea woodland in the vicinity of Park Headquarters ( Fig. 2d ). All observed individuals were judged to be adult based on their size, and were seen in April and May. TM 86237 has a snout-vent length of 49.6 mm and a tail length of 101.8 mm. The frontonasal is entire, the occipital does not project beyond the parietals, and there are five supralabials anterior to the subocular, which borders the lip. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled and overlapping, and arranged in 47 rows at midbody. In all these characters our specimen closely resembles the type description by Broadley (1967). Furthermore, there are 14 femoral pores present on each thigh. In coloration, the specimen and photographed individuals closely resemble the holotype ( USNM 163989, available: http://inaturalist.ca/ taxa/35953-Ichnotropis-grandiceps; Accessed 5 December 2017). All individuals are similar in coloration with the head and back pale grey-brown to olive-brown anteriorly, becoming olive-yellow posteriorly, usually with scattered darker spots throughout. The limbs are reddishorange, with small pale spots sometimes present on the hind limbs. A rust-red lateral stripe originates just behind the eye and extends for the entire length of the body, fading on the base of the tail. Below the lateral stripe the flanks are light grey, frequently with large white spots. The tail is uniformly grey-brown to pinkish, with a series of paired dorsolateral dark and white spots. The ventrum is white. This is the first record of this Data Deficient species in Zambia ( Turner 2010), and these are the first specimens reported since Haacke (1970).

Figures

Fig. 2. Selection of amphibians and reptiles photographed in the vicinity of Ngonye Falls, south-western Zambia. (A) View of Ngonye Falls from the eastern side of the Zambezi River. (B) Mapacha Grass Frog (Ptychadena cf. mapacha, VMUS 5990), Sioma Ngwezi National Park Headquarters. (C) Long-tailed Worm Lizard (Dalophia longicauda), Sioma Ngwezi National Park Headquarters.(D) Zambezi Rough-scaled Lizard (Ichnotropis grandiceps, TM 86237), Sioma Ngwezi National Park Headquarters. (E) Barotse Blind Legless Skink (Acontias jappi, TM 86232), Sioma Ngwezi National Park Headquarters. (F) Eastern Black-lined Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus intermedius), Sioma Ngwezi National Park Headquarters.