Gymnophthalmus cryptus Hoogmoed et al., 1992

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 : 391

Gymnophthalmus cryptus Hoogmoed et al., 1992

Distribution: Southwestern Venezuela in the Guayana region ( Recoder et al. 2018) and adjacent Colombia. In Colombia, it is known only from the east Orinoco River basin in the Vichada department ( Fig. 4E ).

Similar species: Gymnophthalmus cryptus can be distinguished from other sympatric species of the genus in Colombia in possessing 15 scales around midbody, rarely 14 (13 in G. leucomystax , and G. marconaterai ; usually 13, but rarely 15 in G. speciosus group); 3+2+1, temporal formula with the occipital scale in contact with the temporals of both the third and second rows (3+2+2, with the occipital scale in contact only with the superior temporal of the third row in G. leucomystax ); four or fewer inconspicuous femoral pores on each side in adult males (usually conspicuous with plugs in G. leucomystax and G. speciosus group). Furthermore, its color patterns also differentiate this species as it consists of a blue tail when intact (grey in G. leucomystax , salmon-pink in G. marconaterai , and reddish in G. speciosus group); incomplete dorsolateral stripe, extending only to almost the midbody (stripe extending from the supraocular region to the base of the tail in G. leucomystax , and from the supraocular region to beyond of the base of the tail in G. marconaterai ); darkened belly (white in G. leucomystax and G. marconaterai ); and dark upper lip (white in G. leucomystax and G. marconaterai , cream with dark spots or dark brown in G. speciosus group). For a more detailed description see Hoogmoed et al. (1992).

Remarks: One of the characteristics to differentiate G. cryptus from similar species of the genus is the presence of four inconspicuous femoral pores on each side in adult males. However, we consider that this character may not be easily distinguished since inconspicuousness may be a relative trait to distinguish species. The male revised in this study (IAvH-R 5390) agrees with the morphological diagnosis of the species, except the bluish coloration in the tail that we believe may be lost for the preservative. This is the first report of this species for 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.