Orosaura, Hedges & Conn, 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 : 136

Genus Orosaura gen. nov.

Venezuelan Mountain Skinks

Type species. Mabuya nebulosylvestris Miralles et al., 2009:603 .

Diagnosis. The species in this genus is characterized by (1) frontoparietals, two, (2) supraciliaries, four (rarely five or six), (3) supraoculars, four, (4) prefrontal contact, absent or rare, (5) parietal contact, present (or rarely no contact), (6) rows of nuchals, one, (7) dorsals + ventrals, unavailable (48–56 dorsals and 27–38 ventrals, counted by a different method; Miralles et al. 2009), (8) total lamellae, unavailable, (9) a dark middorsal stripe, absent, (10) dark dorsolateral stripes, unknown (see Remarks), (11) a dark lateral stripe, present, and (12) dark ventral striping, absent. The maximum body size for this species is 97 mm SVL ( Table 2).

The presence of two frontoparietals (unfused) separates Orosaura from Exila , Notomabuya , and Panopa (one frontoparietal). The presence (versus absence) of dark lateral stripes distinguishes this genus from Alinea . From Capitellum (5–6 supraciliaries), Orosaura differs in having four supraciliaries (rarely 5–6). From Copeoglossum , Orosaura differs by having parietal contact (versus usually no contact) and a higher number of dorsals + ventrals (127 versus 105–120). In having four supraoculars, Orosaura is separated from two genera with three supraoculars: Aspronema (rarely four) and Mabuya (rarely two or four). The presence of a single nuchal row separates this genus from Exila and Panopa (2–5 nuchal rows) and from most Spondylurus (usually 2–3 rows, rarely one). Orosaura also differs from Spondylurus in having poorly-defined dorsolateral dark and pale stripes (well-defined in Spondylurus ). Orosaura differs from Psychosaura in having a typical mabuyine head shape (subacuminate) versus a prominent, acuminate head shape in Psychosaura . From Aspronema and Manciola it differs in lacking a dark middorsal stripe. Orosaura has what appears to be a pair of irregular, dark nape stripes or lines of spots immediately adjacent to the pale dorsolateral stripes (Miralles et al. 2009) whereas this pattern is lacking in Maracaiba and Marisora . From Brasiliscincus , Manciola , Notomabuya , and nearly all species of Spondylurus , it differs by having dark (versus pale) palms and soles. In its large maximum body size (to 97 mm SVL) it differs from Aspronema , Capitellum , Exila , Panopa , and Psychosaura (all <86 mm SVL).

Content. One species is placed in this genus: Orosaura nebulosylvestris ( Table 1).

Distribution. This genus is distributed in Northern Venezuela, in the northernmost Andes (Cordillera de Mérida) and in the central portion of the Venezuelan Coastal Range, at elevations of 920–2360 m.

Etymology. The generic name ( Orosaura ) is a feminine noun derived from the Greek oro (mountain) and saura (lizard), referring to the distribution of the genus in the mountains of northern Venezuela.

Remarks. Miralles et al. (2009) discussed the distribution and elevational limits in this species and others. We do not have experience with it and rely on the original description. Miralles et al. (2009: figs. 1–2) highlighted the presence of dark dorsolateral stripes as a diagnostic trait in Orosaura nebulosylvestris , and they are indicated in the their line drawing but are not visible in the photograph of a live individual in that article (see also Remarks for Maracaiba regarding differences in the scoring of stripes). For internal consistency, we have omitted dorsolateral stripe information for this genus in Table 2. Phylogenetically, this clade is well-defined ( Fig. 5 ) but more information on scalation and pattern variation in Orosaura would be welcome, to better define it morphologically.

Figures

FIGURE 5 (continued on the next page)