[Herpetology • 2018] Tupinambis matipu • A New Species of Tupinambis Daudin, 1802 (Squamata: Teiidae) from Central South America

Tupinambis matipu 

Silva & Ávila-Pires, 2018

  DOI: 10.1670/16-036

photo by R. Hoyer flickr.com/birdernaturalist

Abstract

We describe a new species of Tupinambis from central South America in a transitional region between Amazonia, Cerrado, and Pantanal. The new species differs from its congeners by the number of femoral pores, posterior gulars, and mesoptychial scales and by color pattern. It is partially sympatric with Tupinambis cuzcoensis, Tupinambis longilineus, Tupinambis quadrilineatus, and maybe also with Tupinambis teguixin, but in general terms they tend to substitute one another in space.

 Tupinambis matipu on the River Cristalino bank.

photo by R. Hoyer   flickr.com/birdernaturalist

Tupinambis matipu sp. nov.

Etymology.— The specific epithet, matipu, is a noun in apposition and refers to the indigenous people Matipu, whose village lies at about 125 km west of the type locality, on the southern portion of Parque Indı´gena do Xingu, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. By 2011, they numbered only 149 persons according to the Instituto de Pesquisa Etno-Ambiental do Xingu/Ipeax (Ricardo and Ricardo, 2011).

Marcélia B. Silva Marco A. Ribeiro-Júnior and Teresa C. S. Ávila-Pires. 2018. A New Species of Tupinambis Daudin, 1802 (Squamata: Teiidae) from Central South America. Journal of Herpetology. 52(1); 94-110. DOI: 10.1670/16-036 

 facebook.com/CobraLegal/posts/1570812156287810

facebook.com/MarceliaBasto/posts/1588376221209383

 twitter.com/CCostah/status/966274945528590336

Resumo: Descrevemos uma nova espécie de Tupinambis da região central da América do Sul, em uma área de transição entre Amazônia, Cerrado e Pantanal. A nova espécie difere das congêneres pelo número de poros femorais, escamas gulares posteriores, escamas entre as dobras antegular e gular, e padrão de coloração. É simpátrica com Tupinambis cuzcoensis, T. longilineus, T. quadrilineatus e tavez também com Tupinambis teguixin, mas em termos gerais essas espécies tendem a se substituir geograficamente.

[Herpetology • 2015] Ameiva reticulata • An Endemic New Species of Ameiva (Squamata: Teiidae) from An isolated Dry Forest in southern Peru

Ameiva reticulata Landauro, Garcia-Bravo & Venegas, 2015

FIGURE 5. Ameiva reticulata sp. nov. (A–D) and A. ameiva (E-F) in life:

 (A) adult female of A. reticulata (CORBIDI 10076); (B) adult male of A. reticulata; (C) juvenile paratype (CORBIDI 13621); (D) adult female (CORBIDI 10088);

(E) juvenile of A. ameiva from Madre de Dios; and (F) adult male of A. ameiva (CORBIDI 1713) from Yurimaguas.

Photographs by C.Z. Landauro (A–D) and P.J. Venegas (E–F).    DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3946.3.6

Abstract

We describe a new species of Ameiva from an interandean dry forest in central-southern Peru. Ameiva reticulata sp. nov. represents the fifth species in the genus known to occur in Peru. The new species is similar to the species of the A. ameiva complex such as A. ameiva, A. atrigularis, A. pantherina, and A. praesignis, and is distinguished from these by  a smaller size, a lower  count of dorsal scales along the middorsal line and scales across the midbody, and by the gular coloration.

Keywords: Ameiva, dry forest, endemic, new species, Peru, Teiidae

Etimology. The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the latin word “reticulatus” meaning “net-like” and refers to the soft net-like dorsal pattern of this species.

Distribution and natural history observations. Ameiva reticulata is known from four localities, all in the valley of the Mantaro River, Region of Huancavelica, in southern Peru, at elevations between 1113 m and 2609 m a.s.l. (Fig. 6). The new species inhabits the seasonal dry forest of the Valle Seco del Mantaro (Fig. 7) at the localities Barropata, Jatuspata, Intivilca, and Pichiu. Probably this species also occurs in the deep valley of the Las Pampas River in the Region of Ayacucho. The habitat at the aforementioned localities is seasonal dry forest with scattered croplands with plantations of corn Zea mays, avocado pear Persea sp., citrics and several species of fruit trees. The agriculture is more intensive in the surrounding areas of Pichiu village. Most individuals of A. reticulata were found at midday foraging actively at the base of cacti, shrubs (mainly thorn shrubs such as Acacia macracantha) and stone walls. When threatened, individuals quickly hide under rocks or inside little self-dug burrows. The climate of the Mantaro River valley is usually dry and sunny.

Landauro, Caroll Z., Antonio Garcia-Bravo & Pablo J. Venegas. 2015. An Endemic New Species of Ameiva (Squamata: Teiidae) from An isolated Dry Forest in southern Peru.
  Zootaxa.3946(3): 387–400. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3946.3.6 

academia.edu/11889508/An_endemic_new_species_of_Ameiva_Squamata_Teiidae_from_an_isolated_dry_forest_in_southern_Peru