Gymnophthalmus leucomystax Vanzolini & Carvalho, 1991

Diago-Toro, María F., García-Cobos, Daniela, Brigante-Luna, Giovanni D. & Vásquez-Restrepo, Juan D., 2021, Fantastic lizards and where to find them: cis-Andean microteiids (Squamata: Alopoglossidae & Gymnophthalmidae) from the Colombian Orinoquia and Amazonia, Zootaxa 5067 (3), pp. 377-400 : 392

Gymnophthalmus leucomystax Vanzolini & Carvalho, 1991

Distribution: Disjunct distribution, including north of Amazonia of Brazil and adjacent Guyana, and the east Orinoco River basin in Colombia ( Recoder et al. 2018; Medina-Rangel et al., 2019). In Colombia there are records from Arauca, Casanare and Guaviare departments ( Fig. 4E ).

Similar species: Gymnophthalmus leucomystax is mainly distinguished from its congeners of the region based on coloration pattern, which consists of a white upper lip (black in G. cryptus ); white or cream belly (dark in G. cryptus , and dark with white reticulations in G. speciosus group); vivid dorsolateral stripe that extends from the supraocular region to the base of the tail (inconspicuous stripe that fades away towards the midbody in G. cryptus and G. speciosus group, continuously extending beyond the base of the tail in G. marconaterai ); and grey tail (bluish in G. cryptus , salmon-pink in G. marconaterai , and reddish in G. speciosus group). Furthermore, G. leucomystax may also be differentiated in having a temporal formula 3+2+2, with the occipital scale in contact only with the superior temporal of the third row (temporal formula 3+2+1, with the occipital scale in contact with the temporals of both the third and second rows in G. cryptus and G. marconaterai ). For a more detailed description see Vanzolini & Carvalho (1991).

Remarks: Gymnophthalmus leucomystax was recently reported for the first time in Colombia, in San José del Guaviare, Guaviare ( Medina-Rangel et al. 2019). Here, we include three additional locations for this species and extend its current distribution ca. 525 km NE to the previous northernmost known record in Colombia.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Distribution maps for the cis-Andean microteiid lizards in Colombia (Alopoglossidae + Gymnophthalmidae). Circles are examined specimens, while squares are records from literature (see Supplementary Files for specific references). Red arrows indicate new records for Colombia. Black arrows show a zoom in to regions where several records overlap. The light green shadow indicates the Orinoco River basin, and the dark green the Amazon River basin.