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| Nucras broadleyi Branch, Conradie, Pinto & Tolley, 2019 |
Abstract
A new endemic Sandveld Lizard, genus Nucras, is described from south-western Angola. Morphologically it resembles members of the Nucras tessellata group, but it is genetically separated and is sister to the larger tessellata + lalandii group. Although the genus is generally very conservative morphologically, the new species differs from other congeners in a combination of scalation, overall dorsal color pattern, and geographic separation. The new species is known from fewer than 12 specimens collected over a period spanning 120 years from arid south-western Angola. This brings the total number of species in the genus to 12 and adds another species to the growing list of endemic species of the Namib region of Angola. This new finding further reinforces the idea that this Kaokoveld Desert region is a key biodiversity area worthy of conservation and long-term protection.
Keywords. Sandveld Lizard, taxonomy, Africa, endemism, Kaokoveld, biodiversity hotspot
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| Nucras broadleyi sp. nov. A – holotype, adult male, PEM R24005 (AG 18) in life; B – general habitat photo of type locality, 10 km west of Lola, edge of Bentiaba River valley, Namibe Province, Angola; C – lateral close-up of head of holotype; D – dorsal close-up of head of holotype; E – ventral close-up of head of holotype (Photos: Bill Branch). |
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| Nucras broadleyi sp. nov. A – paratype, adult female, PEM R24157 (AG 166) dorsal view; B – ventral view; C – dorsal close-up of head of paratype; D – ventral close-up of head of paratype; E – lateral close-up of head of paratype; F – general habitat photo of type locality, 8.8 km southwest of Farm Mucongo, Namibe Province, Angola (Photos: Bill Branch). |
Nucras broadleyi sp. nov.
Angolan Sandveld Lizard
Diagnosis. Assigned to Nucras due to a well-defined collar (absent in Ichnotropis), toes not serrated or fringed (versus serrated or fringed in Meroles), subdigital lamellae smooth (versus keeled in Pedioplanis and Heliobolus), subocular bordering lip, the nostril is pierced between two nasals, nasal well separated from upper labial, and dorsal scales small, smooth, and juxtaposed.
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Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Donald G. Broadley for his numerous contributions to the herpetofauna of Africa. Don (as most of us knew him) was the frst to recognize the Angolan population as a separate species (Broadley 1972). The name is constructed in the masculine genitive.
Habitat. The species appears to be associated with mopane woodlands, dry savannas, and semi-desert shrublands (Barbosa 1970). The new material was found in sandy plains with scattered low granite outcrops, with varying degrees of short grass cover and scattered bushes. Vegetation included Colophospermum mopane, Ficus sp., Senegalia (=Acacia) mellifera, Commiphora sp., Boscia foetida, and Salvadora persica. The confrmed historical records were also obtained within the dry woodland zone, even though the possible occurrence of the species in Caconda would place the species above 1,500 m asl and well into the mesic conditions of Brachystegia habitats (Barbosa 1970).
William R. Branch, Werner Conradie, Pedro Vaz Pinto and Krystal A. Tolley. 2019. Another Angolan Namib endemic Species: A New Nucras Gray, 1838 (Squamata: Lacertidae) from south-western Angola. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. 13(2) [Special Section]: 82–95 (e199).
amphibian-reptile-conservation.org/archive.html
facebook.com/PEMHerp/posts/2759769770776560
Researchgate.net/publication/337146214_A_new_Nucras_from_south-western_Angola
