Afroedura praedicta, Branch & Schmitz & Lobón-Rovira & Baptista & António & Conradie, 2021
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.97.57202 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A125EC81-050E-449A-8904-27674F5265EF |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FAECE4F2-AC75-4E57-8B78-D76FFA8C282D |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:FAECE4F2-AC75-4E57-8B78-D76FFA8C282D |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Afroedura praedicta |
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sp. nov. |
Afroedura praedicta sp. nov. Serra da Neve Flat Gecko Osga-achatada da Serra da Neve Figures 5C View Figure 5 , 8 View Figure 8 ; Tables 3, 6
Holotype.
NB 854, adult male, collected from Serra da Neve (-13.77354, 13.24825, 1944 m a.s.l.), Namibe Province, Angola, by Pedro Vaz Pinto, Ninda L. Baptista and Telmo António on 30 November 2017.
Paratypes.
ZMB 91607 (NB 853), NB 855, adult males, collected from Serra da Neve (-13.77354, 13.24825, 1944 m a.s.l.), Namibe Province, Angola, by Pedro Vaz Pinto, Ninda L. Baptista and Telmo António on 30 November 2017. ZMB 91608 (NB 1053), NB 1054, adult females, collected from Serra da Neve (-13.77354, 13.24825, 1944 m a.s.l.), Namibe Province, Angola, by Pedro Vaz Pinto, Ninda L. Baptista and Telmo António on 30 November 2017. NB 1055, juvenile, collected from Serra da Neve (-13.77354, 13.24825, 1944 m a.s.l.), Namibe Province, Angola, by Pedro Vaz Pinto, Ninda L. Baptista and Telmo António on 30 November 2017.
Etymology.
The specific epithet reflects the earlier prediction by WRB of the potential existence of an isolated population of Afroedura at Serra da Neve. We use the specific epithet " Afroedura praedicta ", the Latin participle meaning predicted or anticipated, formed in the feminine genitive to match the gender of Afroedura .
Diagnosis.
A member of the greater ' Afroedura transvaalica ' group as it possesses two pairs of enlarged scansors per digit and a strongly verticillate and flattened tail ( Jacobsen et al. 2014). Part of the A. bogerti -group which differs from other members of the ' Afroedura transvaalica ' group by having less than 78 mid-body scale rows (vs. 97-102 in A. gorongosa , 113-120 in A. loveridgei , 102-119 in A. transvaalica ); by the rostral bordering the nostril (nostril excluded from rostral in A. loveridgei ); by the anterior nasals always being in contact (separated by 1-3 granules in A. gorongosa ; always in broad contact in A. loveridgei ; usually in broad contact in A. transvaalica ~ 3-18%); and in having 12-15 scales between the anterior borders of the eyes (19-22 in A. gorongosa ; 15-19 in A. loveridgei ; 15-20 in A. transvaalica ) (comparative data fide Branch et al. 2017a).
Afroedura praedicta sp. nov. differs from other members of the A. bogerti -group by a combination of the following characters (see Tables 3 View Table 3 and 4 View Table 4 ): 73-78 (mean 74.4 mid-body scale rows (69-77 [mean 73.5] in A. bogerti , 76-88 [mean 79.3] in A. wulfhaackei sp. nov., 64-78 [mean 72.8] in A. donveae sp. nov., 73-86 [mean 80.3] in A. vazpintorum sp. nov.); by the anterior nasals always being in contact (similar to A. donveae sp. nov. and A. vazpintorum sp. nov.; ~ 33% of the time in contact in A. bogerti ; ~ 68% of the time in contact in A. wulfhaackei sp. nov.); each verticil having 4 ventral and 5 dorsal rows of scales (similar to the 4 and 5 in A. bogerti , 4-5 [mean 4.0] and 5-6 [mean 5.1] in A. wulfhaackei sp. nov.; but lower than the 5-6 (mean 5.5) ventral and 6-7 (mean 6.6) in A. donveae sp. nov. and 5-6 (mean 5.0) and 6-7 (mean 6.1) in A. vazpintorum sp. nov.); ventral surfaces grey with black specks on scales (similar to A. bogerti and A. wulfhaackei sp. nov.; immaculate in A. donveae sp. nov. and A. vazpintorum sp. nov.). Afroedura praedicta sp. nov. also differs from its sister highland species A. bogerti sp. nov. and A. wulfhaackei sp. nov. in that the nasals are always in direct contact (versus mostly separated).
Holotype description.
Adult male; SVL 51.6 mm; tail 37.0 mm (regenerated tail, except for the first verticil), with a small mid-ventral horizontal incision for the removal of liver sample. Measurements and meristic characters of holotype presented in Table 6 View Table 6 . Head and body dorsoventrally compressed; HL 12.9 mm, HW 7.9 mm, broadest at posterior level of eye and 1.6 times longer than wide. Eye large (2.6 mm wide), pupil vertical with indented margins; circumorbital scales small and smooth, elongated at upper anterior margin, the most upper posterior scale with very small upward pointing spines. Snout rounded, 5.0 mm long, slightly larger than the distance between eye and ear openings (4.2 mm). Scales on top of snout slightly granular and elevated, rounded, mostly equal in size, with no intervening minute granules. Scales on snout slightly subequal in size to those on back of head or nape, which in turn is irregular in size and mostly smooth. Scales on eyelids larger than those on the crown, six scales deep from circumorbital scales to crown. Circumorbital scales are separated by a row of smaller scales from the larger scales on eyelid. Nostril pierced between rostral, three nasal scales; 1st supralabial in contact with nostril; the supranasal being much larger than the subequal postnasals and are separated from each other by two smaller scales. Nostrils slightly elevated. Rostral roughly rectangular, but with its upper edges elongated due to extensions into the nostril. Eight supralabials on each side, the labial margin flexing upwards at the rictus (approx. mid-orbital position), with 2-3 minute scales proximal to the flexure. Nine infralabials on either side, with a small scale proximal to the flexure. At the lip, mental slightly narrower than adjacent infralabial, only three quarters the width of rostral and in contact with three distinctly elongate postmental scales. Scales on throat much smaller than those on belly; scales touching infralabials larger. Twelve scales across the crown at level of front of eye; 9 scales between nostril and front of eye; 16 scales from ear to eye; 74 scales around mid-body. Ear opening deep, oblique and roughly round, backward pointing, nearly equal as long as wide (0.7 × 0.6 mm). Scales on dorsum smooth, non-overlapping, largest at mid-body, smaller on nape and tail base. Sales on ventre flattened, not overlapping, more-or-less ovate at mid-ventrum and twice the size of lateral granules and 1.5 times those along backbone. Tail regenerated, except for the first verticil, with obvious lateral constriction before regenerated tail start; first verticil comprising 5 imbricate rows of scales dorsally and 4 imbricate scale rows ventrally and with ventral scales approximately twice the size of those on the dorsal surface. Limbs well developed, hindlimbs slightly longer than forelimbs, both without obvious mite pockets at posterior margin of limb insertions, mite pockets present at anterior margin of hindlimbs. All digits with a large pair of distal scansors, separated by a large, curved claw and followed after a large gap (twice the length of terminal scansor) by a smaller pair of scansors; infero-median row of digital scales enlarged transversely, particularly towards the scansors, where the terminal scale adjoining the first pair of scansors may be medially constricted, swollen and scansor-like; 9 enlarged scale rows under 4th toe. Precloacal pores 8.
Paratypes variation
(see Table 6 View Table 6 for more measurements and scale counts of type series). SVL varied from 46.0-51.6 mm; head length 1.09-1.46 times head width; snout 1.71 times diameter of eye. The supranasals always in contact; the first supralabial enters the nostril (except for ZMB 91607 and NB 855) and rostral always enters the nostril and the width of the rostral at the lip margin is always wider than that of the mental; 2-3 postmental scales; supralabials 8-10, infralabials 8-9; scales between anterior edge of eye 13-15; scales between nostril and anterior edge of orbit 9-11; scales between ear and eye 13-16; scales around mid-body 73-78; subdigital lamellae on 4th toe 9-11; dorsal scales per tail verticil 5; ventral scales per tail verticil 4; precloacal pores 8.
Colouration.
In life (holotype NB 854, Fig. 5C View Figure 5 ). Dark grey above with random yellow-olive scattered scales, with six irregularly-spaced, darker grey to black W-shaped crossbars, first one broken up into three blotches, each crossbar anteriorly bordered by a row of light white to yellow scales; head mostly grey with scattered darker grey and yellow scales, dark black bar from nostril to posterior of eye, continuing anteriorly of the eye to ear opening; no thin pale white canthal stripe; upper and lower labials dark grey with diffuse lighter grey edges; lateral sides of the body with a mix of dark grey and yellow blotches; limbs darker grey above with scattered yellow scales; tail (regenerated) with dark black blotches and irregular white to light grey mottling; iris dark brown to golden with a narrow black elliptic pupil with crenulated edge and black reticulation; ventre uniform greyish with scattered black specks; ventral surface of limbs with scattered black specks, more prominent than on the ventrum. In preservative (holotype NB 854, Fig. 8 View Figure 8 ): dorsum with five distinct, irregularly-spaced, dark grey W-shaped crossbars anteriorly, with beige intervening blotches, the posteriorly crossbar on the nape are broken up dark grey blotches; dorsally, the arms and legs are beige with irregular darker grey blotches; tail (regenerated part) with light grey to white mottling on darker grey to black background; dorsally, the head has mottled dark brown scales, dark grey bar running from the nasals through eye to anterior of the ear opening; supralabials dark brown-edged ventrally; infralabials scattered with dark brown markings dorsally; ventrum uniform greyish with scattered black specks; ventrally, limbs with scattered black specks, more prominent than on the ventrum. Variation: Similar colouration and patterning as the holotype (preserved) and paratype (life). Dorsal dark W-shaped crossbars number 5-6. Regenerated tails with fine dark brown to black mottling. Juveniles with more sharply-defined pattern and darker colouration.
Natural history and habitat
(Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ). A rupiculous species found inside deep crevices and fractured rocks in large boulders of extrusive origin. All specimens were found on one site between 1,900-2,000 m a.s.l. The surrounding vegetation included altitude dwarf miombo and montane elements. Found in syntopy with Cordylus phonolithos at Serra da Neve.
Distribution and conservation.
This species is known only from the alkaline mountain complex of Serra da Neve (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).
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