Cercosaura, WAGLER, 1830

Doan, Tiffany M., 2003, A new phylogenetic classification for the gymnophthalmid genera Cercosaura, Pantodactylus and Prionodactylus (Reptilia: Squamata), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 137 (1), pp. 101-115 : 109-110

GENUS CERCOSAURA WAGLER

Cercosaura Wagler, 1830: 158 .

Pantodactylus Duméril & Bibron, 1839: 428 . Syn. n. Emminia Gray, 1845: 24 .

Prionodactylus O’Shaughnessy, 1881: 231 . Syn. n.

Definition. Tongue at least anteriorly covered by imbricate scale-like papillae. Head scales smooth and consist of the following: frontonasal divided or undivided; single frontal and interparietal; paired prefrontals and parietals; usually a median and two paramedian occipitals; nostril pierced in a single or divided nasal; loreal and frenocular present; supraoculars two to four; superciliary series usually complete, first expanded dorsally or not; palpebrals one to four; suboculars three to seven; single postmental followed by one to three pairs of genials and one to two pairs of chin shields that do not contact at midline; gular scales flat, rectangular, median two rows of scales usually forming a double widened row of scales, at least posteriorly. Collar fold weak to well developed. Limbs pentadactyl, digits clawed. Dorsal scales imbricate, quadrangular or hexagonal, keeled, homogeneous; forming transverse rows, forming longitudinal or oblique rows occasionally. Ventral scales as wide or wider than dorsals, smooth, quadrangular, in longitudinal and transverse rows. Preanal scales in two rows. Femoral pores present in males, occasionally absent in females. Preanal pores may or may not be present in either sex. Tail round or cyclotetragonal; caudal scales like dorsals but smaller; subcaudals like ventrals, two medial rows widest.

Diagnosis. Cercosaura differs from other genera of the Cercosaurini (sensu Pellegrino et al., 2001) in the following characters (condition for Cercosaura in parentheses): Anadia and Opipeuter : smooth dorsal scales (keeled); Bachia : diminunitive limbs (fully developed); Echinosaura , Neusticurus , and Teuchocercus : dorsal scalation heterogeneous (homogeneous); Euspondylus : postorbital bone expanded into supratemporal fenestra (no expansion); Macropholidus : medial two dorsal scale rows greatly enlarged (not enlarged); Pholidobolus : tympanum deeply recessed (slightly recessed); Placosoma : femoral pores in a continuous series from one thigh to another (distinct femoral and preanal pores, if present); Proctoporus : prefrontal scales absent (present); Ptychoglossus and Riolama : lingual papillae plicate anteriorly (scale-like anteriorly).

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CERCOSAURA 1a. Dorsal scales quadrangular ........................................................................................................... C. ocellata 1b. Dorsal scales hexagonal ................................................................................................................................ 2 2a. Dorsal scales arranged in transverse and oblique series ........................................................................... 3 2b. Dorsal scales arranged in transverse series only ........................................................................................ 5 3a. Ventral scales in 4 longitudinal rows .................................................................................. C. quadrilineata 3b. Ventral scales in 6 or more longitudinal rows ............................................................................................. 4 4a. Postoculars 3 .................................................................................................................................... C. parkeri 4b. Postoculars 2 ............................................................................................................................. C. schreibersii 5a. Supradigital lamellae of the fifth toe 4 or less ...................................................................... C. eigenmanni 5b. Supradigital lamellae of the fifth toe 5 or more .......................................................................................... 6 6a. Subdigital lamellae not turberculate for entire length of toes ................................................................... 7 6b. Subdigital lamellae turberculate for entire length of toes ......................................................................... 8 7a. Posterior cloacal plate of males composed of 2 scales .................................................................. C. argulus 7b. Posterior cloacal plate of males composed of more than 2 scales ................................................... C. dicra 8a. Palbebral disc divided into 5–8 scales...................................................................................... C. vertebralis 8b. Palpebral disc undivided or divided into 2–4 scales ................................................................................... 9 9a. Venter light in colour, being yellow and/or white...................................................................... C. manicata 9b. Venter dark in colour, being brown and/or black ..................................................................................... 10

10a. Medial region of ventral surface of tail beige ........................................................................ C. nigroventris

10b. Medial region of ventral surface of tail dark brown or black............................................... C. phelpsorum

Content. The genus Cercosaura , as currently recognized, contains 11 species and seven subspecies (see Table 4).

Distribution. The genus Cercosaura occurs in 12 of 13 countries in South America (absent from Chile) and in one Central American country ( Panama), ranging from temperate Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in the south, through Amazonian Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia, the western slope of the Andes in northern Peru and Ecuador, the Chocó region of Colombia and Panama, and in the Guianan Shield region of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and north-central Brazil ( Ruibal, 1952; Uzzell, 1973; Avila-Pires, 1995). The elevational distribution of the genus is known to extend from 100 m to at least 2500 m ( Ruibal, 1952; Uzzell, 1973).