Alinea berengerae (Miralles 2006) Hedges, S. Blair & Conn, Caitlin E., 2012

Hedges, S. Blair & Conn, Caitlin E., 2012, A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae) 3288, Zootaxa 3288 (1), pp. 1-244 : 32-45

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3288.1.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/39191A7F-0716-FFD1-2DA9-EABA7811F894
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Alinea berengerae (Miralles 2006)
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Alinea berengerae (Miralles 2006) comb. nov.

San Andrés Skink

( Figs. 12A View FIGURE 12 , 13A View FIGURE 13 , 14 View FIGURE 14 )

Mabuya berengerae Miralles, 2006:2 . Holotype: UMMZ 127884 View Materials , an adult (not sexed), collected 6 August 1967 on San Andrés Island (between Morgan's Cave and Punta Sur), Colombia, by C. F. Walker.

Material examined (n = 1). San Andrés Island , Colombia. UMMZ 127884 View Materials (holotype), an unsexed adult, collected on San Andrés Island, Colombia, by C. F. Walker, 1967. The only known specimen .

Diagnosis. Alinea berengerae is characterized by (1–2; the holotype, the only known specimen, was not sexed in the original description) SVL, 59.5 mm; (3) snout width, 2.55% SVL; (4) head length, 19.0% SVL; (5) head width, 11.9% SVL; (6) ear length, 1.43% SVL; (7) toe-IV length, 12.8% SVL; (8) prefrontals, two; (9) supraoculars, four; (10) supraciliaries, four; (11) frontoparietals, two; (12) supralabial below the eye, six; (13) nuchal rows, one (see Remarks); (14) dorsals, 59; (15) ventrals, 65; (16) dorsals + ventrals, 124; (17) midbody scale rows, 28; (18) finger-IV lamellae, 14; (19) toe-IV lamellae, 19; (20) finger-IV + toe-IV lamellae, 33; (21) supranasal contact, Y; (22) prefrontal contact, N; (23) supraocular-1/frontal contact, N; (24) parietal contact, Y; (25) pale middorsal stripe, N; (26) dark dorsolateral stripe, N; (27) dark lateral stripe, Y (weakly visible, anteriorly); (28) pale lateral stripe, N; and (29) palms and soles, pale ( Tables 3–5) .

Within the Genus Alinea , it is distinguished from A. lanceolata by having fewer midbody scale rows (28 versus 30–32), a longer head (head length 19.0% versus 16.3–17.8% SVL), longer toes (toe-IV length 12.8% versus 9.25– 10.8% SVL), an attenuate body shape (non-attenuate in A. lanceolata ), and absence of ventral striping. From A. luciae , it is distinguished by having supralabial six (versus five) below the eye, a higher number of dorsals (59

versus 54–57), an attenuate body shape (not attenuate in A. luciae ), and an absence of ventral striping. From A. pergravis , it differs by having fewer dorsals (59 versus 62–63), fewer ventrals (65 versus 70–73), and fewer combined dorsals and ventrals (124 versus 132–136).

Description of holotype ( Figs View FIGURE 12 . 12A, 14 View FIGURE 14 ). An unsexed adult in excellent state of preservation, without injuries and without an abdominal slit. SVL 59.5 mm; tail length, 28.8 mm (regenerated); HL 11.3 mm; HW 7.07 mm; SW 1.52 mm; EL 0.85 mm; and toe-IV length 7.62 mm; ear-opening medium in size and oval; toe length in the following order: I <V <II <III <IV.

Head scalation. Rostral wider than high, contacting first supralabials, nasals and supranasals. Paired supranasals in median contact, contacting anteriormost loreal. Frontonasal diamond-shaped, wider than long, laterally in contact with anterior loreal scale. A pair of quadrilateral prefrontals, separated medially, and in contact with frontonasal, both anterior and posterior loreals, first supraciliary, first supraoculars, and frontal. Frontal heptagonal, in contact with the second supraoculars and paired frontoparietals. Frontoparietals also in contact with one being the longest and largest. Four supraciliaries, the second the longest. Nostril in posterior part of the nasal. A small postnasal, bordered by supranasal, anterior loreal and first supralabial. Anterior and posterior loreals rectangular. Two upper and two lower preoculars. Eight supralabials, the sixth being the widest and forming the lower border of the eyelid. Five moderately enlarged scales behind eye comprising the postoculars; similar to temporal scales but smaller. One primary temporal, two secondary temporals, and three tertiary temporals; all imbricate, smooth, cycloid, not distinctly delimited from the scales on the nape and the sides of the neck. Eight infralabials. Mental scale wider than long, posterior margin straight. Postmental scale and one pair of adjoining chin shields in contact with anterior infralabials. First pair of chin shields in contact medially; second pair separated by a smaller cycloid scale.

Body and limb scalation. One row of paired nuchal scales. Other scales on nape similar to dorsals. On lateral sides of neck, scales slightly smaller. Dorsal scales cycloid, imbricate, smooth, 59 in a longitudinal row; ventrals similar to dorsals; 65 in a longitudinal row; 28 scales around midbody. No distinct boundaries between dorsals, laterals and ventrals. Scales on tail and limbs similar to dorsals, except smaller on limbs. On regenerated portion of tail, one enlarged row each of middorsal and midventral scales and lateral scale rows on each side similar to dorsals and ventrals. Palmar and plantar regions with small tubercles, subequal in size and delimited by a surrounding region of flatter scales. Subdigital lamellae smooth, single, 14 under finger-IV and 19 under toe-IV. Preanal plate with scales similar to ventrals. Enlarged median subcaudal scales on regenerated portion of tail.

Pattern and coloration. Dorsal ground color medium brown with medium-sized dark brown spots, uniformly distributed on head, body, tail, and limbs. Dark dorsolateral stripes absent, although longitudinal rows of thin (onehalf scale) dark stripes faintly evident on dorsum. Dark lateral stripes very faintly present (trace), dark brown, extending from loreal region to midbody. Pale middorsal stripe absent. Pale dorsolateral stripes absent. Pale lateral stripes absent. Ventral surface of body without pattern. Palmar and plantar surfaces unpigmented. No information is available on color in life of the holotype.

Variation. No other specimens are known. Measurements and other morphological data for the holotype are presented in Tables 3–5.

Distribution. This species is known only from the holotype, collected at an imprecise location, between Morgan's Cave and Punta Sur, on San Andrés Island (map not shown). Morgan's Cave is in the middle of the island, and Punta Sur is at the southern tip.

Ecology and conservation. No ecological information is associated with this specimen. But given that its closest relative, Alinea pergravis , on Isla de Providencia appears to be arboreal (Dunn & Saxe 1950), and both species have morphological traits associated with scansorial habits (attenuate body, long toes), A. berengerae is likely scansorial as well. Unfortunately for a tree-dwelling species, the tropical rainforests of San Andrés that once covered the island are "now almost completely destroyed," being replaced with agriculture (especially coconut palms) and cattle farming ( World Wildlife Fund 2007). Heavy use of pesticides and expanding urbanization stemming from tourism are cited as severe threats to the biodiversity. Moreover, brown rats are present on San Andrés in abundance ( World Wildlife Fund 2007).

Based on IUCN Redlist criteria ( IUCN 2011) we assess the conservation status of Alinea berengerae as Critically Endangered (CR A2ace). It faces a primary threat from habitat alteration and a secondary threat from introduced predators. Studies are needed to determine if the species still exists, the health of any remaining populations, and threats to the survival of the species. Captive breeding programs should be considered, if the species still exists. It has not been seen in 44 years and only one specimen is known.

Reproduction. No data on reproduction are available for this species.

Etymology. The species name ( berengerae ) is a feminine genitive singular noun referring to the first name of the spouse of the describer, Bérengère ( Miralles 2006a).

Remarks. In the description of this species, Miralles (2006a) provided a definition of nuchal scales, giving the total nuchal count of A. berengerae as 5–6, which if correct would be the highest number in the subfamily. However, we have examined the holotype and score that specimen ( Figs. 3G View FIGURE 3 , 12A View FIGURE 12 ) as having a single row of nuchals (see Materials and methods for discussion of nuchals counts in Mabuyinae ).