Alinea luciae ( Garman 1887 ) 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 : 51-54

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3288.1.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/39191A7F-073B-FFC8-2DA9-EDB17DCDFC1F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Alinea luciae ( Garman 1887 )
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Alinea luciae ( Garman 1887) comb. nov.

Saint Lucia Skink

( Figs. 12C View FIGURE 12 , 13C View FIGURE 13 , 16 View FIGURE 16 )

Mabuia luciae Garman, 1887:51 . Holotype: MCZ R-6046, collected by Samuel Walton Garman on Saint Lucia in April, 1879. Mabuya agilis luciae — Boulenger, 1891:353.

Mabuya luciae — Barbour, 1914:322.

Mabuya luciae —Barbour, 1930:105.

Mabuya mabouia — Barbour, 1935:129 (part).

Mabuya mabouya mabouya — Dunn, 1936:544 (part).

Mabuya mabouia — Barbour, 1937:147 (part).

Mabuya mabouia — Underwood, 1963:83 (part).

Mabuya mabouya mabouya —Peters & Donoso-Barros, 1970:200 (part).

Mabuya mabouya mabouya — Schwartz & Thomas, 1975:141 (part).

Mabuya mabouya mabouya — MacLean et al., 1977:40 (part).

Mabuya mabouya mabouya — Schwartz & Henderson, 1988:150 (part).

Mabuya mabouya mabouya — Schwartz & Henderson, 1991:457 (part).

Mabuya bistriata — Powell et al., 1996:82 (part).

Mabuya sloanii — Mayer & Lazell, 2000:883 (part).

Mabuya mabouya — Breuil, 2002:267 (part).

Mabuya mabouya —Miralles, 2005:49 (part).

Mabuya mabouya — Henderson & Powell, 2009:292 (part).

Mabuya luciae —Miralles et al., 2009:603.

Material examined (n = 5). St. Lucia. MCZ R-6046 (holotype), Samuel Walton Garman, no specific locality, April, 1879 ; BMNH 89.8.14.20–23, George A. Ramage, no specific locality, 1888–89 (see Remarks) .

Diagnosis. Alinea luciae is characterized by (1) maximum SVL in males, not available; (2) maximum SVL in females, 109 mm; (3) snout width, 2.90–3.22% SVL; (4) head length, 17.5–18.4% SVL; (5) head width, 12.7– 14.1% SVL; (6) ear length, 0.983% SVL; (7) toe-IV length, 11.9% SVL; (8) prefrontals, two; (9) supraoculars, four; (10) supraciliaries, four (60%), five (40%); (11) frontoparietals, two; (12) supralabial below the eye, five; (13) nuchal rows, two (40%), three (60%); (14) dorsals, 54–57; (15) ventrals, 61–69; (16) dorsals + ventrals, 116–125; (17) midbody scale rows, 28–30; (18) finger-IV lamellae, 14–15; (19) toe-IV lamellae, 17–20; (20) finger-IV + toe- dorsolateral stripe, N; (27) dark lateral stripe, N; (28) pale lateral stripe, N; and (29) palms and soles, dark ( Tables 3–5).

Within the Genus Alinea , A. luciae is distinguished from A. berengerae by having fewer dorsals (54–57 versus 59), a wider head (head width 12.7–14.1% SVL versus 11.9%), a wider snout (2.90–3.22% SVL versus 2.55%), shorter toes (toe-IV length 11.9% SVL versus 12.8%), 2–3 rows of nuchals (versus one row), and a non-attenuate body shape (attenuate in A. berengerae ). Alinea luciae differs from A. lanceolata by having a wider snout (snout width 2.90–3.22% SVL versus 1.90–2.71%), fewer dorsals (54–57 versus 59–61), and 2–3 rows of nuchals (versus one row). From A. pergravis , it differs by having fewer dorsals (54–57 versus 62–63), fewer ventrals (61–69 versus 70–73), fewer dorsals + ventrals (116–125 versus 132–136), and a non-attenuate body shape (attenuate in A. pergravis ).

Description of holotype. An unsexed adult (presumably female based on size) in excellent state of preservation, without injuries and without an abdominal slit. SVL 108.8 mm; tail length 153 mm (complete); HL

19.0 mm; HW 13.8 mm; SW 3.16 mm; EL 1.07 mm; and toe-IV length 12.9 mm; ear-opening small in size and round; 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 and second supraoculars, and frontal. Frontal heptagonal, in contact with the second supraoculars and paired frontoparietals. Frontoparietals also in contact with parietals and interparietal. Interparietal tetragonal and lanceolate, separated from nuchals by parietals; parietal eye distinct. Parietals in contact with upper secondary and tertiary temporal scales. Four supraoculars, the second 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 with posterodorsal projection on latter. Three upper preoculars and two lower preoculars. Seven supralabials, the fifth being the widest and forming the lower border of the eyelid. Five moderately enlarged scales behind eye on the right and four on the left 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. Seven infralabials on the right and eight on the left. 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 and third pairs separated by a smaller cycloid scale.

Body and limb scalation. Three rows of paired nuchal scales. Other scales on nape similar to dorsals. On lateral sides of neck, scales slightly smaller. Dorsal scales cycloid, imbricate, smooth, 56 in a longitudinal row; ventrals similar to dorsals; 69 in a longitudinal row; 29 scales around midbody. No distinct boundaries between dorsals, laterals and ventrals. Scales on tail and limbs similar to dorsals, except smaller on limbs. 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. Six preanals larger than adjacent ventral scales. Enlarged median subcaudal scales on tail.

Pattern and coloration. Dorsal ground color medium brown with small dark brown spots, sparsely distributed on head, body, tail, and limbs. Dark dorsolateral stripes, dark lateral stripes, pale middorsal stripe, pale dorsolateral stripes, and pale lateral stripes absent. Ventral surface of body patterned with distinct dark brown stripes extending from the throat to the tail. Palmar and plantar surfaces dark brown. No information is available on color in life of the holotype.

Variation. The four BMNH specimens are similar to the holotype in scalation and pattern ( Tables 4–5). One ( BMNH 89.8.14.20) has prefrontal contact, which is otherwise rare in Mabuyinae . Another ( BMNH 89.8.14.23) lacks supranasal contact. In coloration ( Fig. 16A–D View FIGURE 16 ) they have a pale brown, tan, or grayish-green dorsum with a scattering of small dark brown spots and occasional white spots. All have the ventral stripes .

Distribution. This species is known only from the island of St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles ( Fig. 11G View FIGURE 11 ). No precise localities are known.

Ecology and conservation. No ecological information is associated with the types. Several authors, beginning in 1937, have considered skinks to be extinct on St. Lucia ( Barbour 1937; Corke 1987, 1992), and skinks were not encountered in a recent survey of the herpetofauna ( Daltry 2009) or in two short visits to the island by one of us (S.B.H.). Confirming the extinction of a small species on a large island like St. Lucia would be difficult. As with many other islands in the Caribbean, the mongoose has been considered to be largely responsible for the decimation of reptile species on St. Lucia, with some qualifications ( Corke 1987, 1992). Alinea has not been recorded from the Maria Islands off of southeast St. Lucia ( Corke 1987; Buley et al. 1997), which are mongoosefree.

Based on IUCN Redlist criteria ( IUCN 2011), we consider the conservation status of Alinea luciae to be Critically Endangered and possibly extinct (CR A2ace). It faces a primary threat from the introduced mongoose, which has probably led to its extinction. Secondary threats include habitat destruction from agriculture and urbanization, and predation from other introduced predators, including black rats. 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 undertaken, if the species still exists, because eradication of introduced mammalian predators is not possible on large islands.

Etymology. The species name ( luciae ) is a feminine genitive singular noun, referring to the distribution of the species on St. Lucia.

Remarks. Although Garman himself is listed as the collector of the holotype of Alinea luciae , he did not mention an exact locality within the island or ecological notes on the specimen, and nothing is noted in the MCZ database. The four specimens in the BMNH (89.8.14.20–23) have no other data except that they were collected by "G. A. Ramage" and accessioned in 1889. Almost certainly, the collector of those specimens was George A. Ramage (1864–1933), who was employed as a naturalist to collect plants and animals in the Lesser Antilles (1888– 89), especially on Dominica and St. Lucia, for the Royal Society and the British Association for the Exploration of the Lesser Antilles ( Anonymous 1889; Boulenger 1891). Boulenger (1891) listed those four specimens in his report but made no mention of a specific locality or of ecological information. Barbour (1914) was impressed that Boulenger (1891) recognized Garman's taxon, even as a trinomial, causing him to recognize it as a valid species ( A. luciae ) as well.

Miralles et al. (2009) also recognized Alinea luciae as valid and listed five characters as diagnostic: dark ventral striping, "white, brown-edged ocelli on the flanks (unique within the genus)", brown marbling on the sides of the neck, four supraoculars, and the presence of one or two secondary nuchal scales. However, those characters are not diagnostic of A. luciae . The ventral striping is also present in A. lanceolata (Fig. 15) and there are no ocelli (eye spots), but rather scattered white scales. Those white scales and neck marbling are found in A. lanceolata and other species, with and without brown edges (e.g., Copeoglossum aurae sp. nov.). Four supraoculars are known in other populations confused with Mabuya mabouya ( Dunn 1936) , including those on Dominica (here recognized as M. dominicana ) and Barbados (here recognized as A. lanceolata ). Multiple nuchals (more than one row) are found in the closely related species A. pergravis and occur in the Lesser Antilles (e.g., Dominica, Martinique), albeit uncommonly. Miralles et al. (2009) recorded the palms and soles of A. luciae as being pale, but they have distinctly dark pigment ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 ).

MCZ	Museum of Comparative Zoology

Copyright notice

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Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Squamata
Family	Scincidae
Genus	Alinea