Gerrhosaurus cf. nigrolineatus Hallowell, 1857

Conradie, Werner, Keates, Chad, Verburgt, Luke, Baptista, Ninda L., Harvey, James, Júlio, Timóteo & Neef, Götz, 2022, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango-Cuando-Zambezi River drainages. Part 2: Lizards (Sauria), chelonians, and crocodiles, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 322) 16 (2), pp. 181-214 : 194-195

Gerrhosaurus cf. nigrolineatus Hallowell, 1857 complex Black-lined Plated Lizard ( Fig. 17 , Map 17)

Material (10 specimens): PEM R 23260, R 23302, Cuchi River gorge, -14.5900° 16.90758°, 1,350 m asl; PEM R 23324–5, Cuito River source lake, -12.68935° 18.36012°, 1,435 m asl; PEM R 23447, Cuando River source, trap 3, -13.00334° 19.13564°, 1,364 m asl; PEM R 23534, EN280 west of Menongue, -14.68908° 17.41242°, 1,454 m asl; PEM R 23541, Longa River, -14.55942° 18.41431°, 1,321 m asl; PEM R 23544–5, Quembo River source camp, -13.14557° 19.04571°, 1,423 m asl; PEM R 23973, Lungwebungu River, ad hoc, -12.58619° 18.66538°, 1,300 m asl; PEM R 23988, Lungwebungu River, ad hoc, -12.56806° 18.66639°, 1,294 m asl. Description: Distinct dorsolateral yellow stripe and bright orange flanks with yellow spots; tympanic shield narrow; weak to moderately keeled lateral scales; scales on soles of feet smooth; 23–24 (24) dorsal midbody scale rows; 8 enlarged ventral plates; 49–51 (50) transverse ventral scale rows; 3 supralabials; 3 infralabials; 4 supraciliaries; 15–18 subdigital lamellae under 4 th toe; 15–20 (16) precloacal pores per thigh. Largest female: 150.9 + 233.0 mm ( PEM R 23544); largest male: 139.0 + 277.0 mm ( PEM R 23325). Habitat and natural history notes: Found sympatrically with G. auritus at certain localities, e.g., Cuito River source and Lungwebungu River bridge site. Gerrhosaurus cf. nigrolineatus utilizes the same habitats as G. auritus and exhibits similar behavior. Comment: A species with a wide distribution in Africa and in Angola ( Marques et al. 2018). Eastern African populations of G. nigrolineatus were re-assigned to G. intermedius by Bates et al. (2013), and the status of the Angolan north-central and western populations of G. multilineatus , as well as their relationships within the G. nigrolineatus complex in Angola, are under investigation (M. Bates, pers. comm.).

Figures

Fig. 17. Adult male Gerrhosaurus cf. nigrolineatus (PEM R23325) complex from Cuito River source. Photo by Werner Conradie.