[Herpetology • 2025] Gerrhonotus occidentalis • Phylogenomic Analyses Reveal Hidden Diversity in Gerrhonotus (Anguidae: Gerrhonotinae) and Description of a New Species from Western Mexico

 Gerrhonotus occidentalis 

Nieto-Montes de Oca, Wiens & García-Vázquez, 2025 

 DOI: doi.org/10.1655/Herpetologica-D-24-00004 

 Researchgate.net/publication/394998957

 Abstract  

The genus Gerrhonotus has a wide geographic range, extending from Texas in the United States southward and eastward to Panamá. Despite this enormous distribution, only seven species are currently recognized within the genus. However, both morphological and molecular studies have provided evidence for the presence of an undescribed species in western Mexico that has historically been confused with G. liocephalus. This species remains undescribed. In addition, molecular studies have revealed significant genetic structuring within some of the most broadly distributed morphology-based species in the genus, including G. infernalis, G. liocephalus, and G. ophiurus. These findings suggest the potential for unrecognized species diversity. Here, we used double-digested restriction-site associated sequencing (ddRADseq) to construct a new phylogenomic data set for the genus Gerrhonotus. We performed maximum-likelihood analyses on concatenated matrices with varying minimum taxon coverage to assess the impact of different numbers of loci and proportions of missing data on matrix informativeness, and identified the optimal matrix. We then performed a maximum-likelihood analysis of this matrix. Based on the resulting tree, current taxonomy, and the geographic distribution of samples, we identified 10 potentially independent lineages (putative species) within the genus. Subsequently, we conducted species-tree analyses for these lineages and utilized the resulting topologies to estimate their genealogical divergence index (gdi), providing a preliminary assessment of their evolutionary distinctness. All of the analyses consistently corroborated the existence of an undescribed species from western Mexico. Moreover, gdi values indicated the potential presence of additional hidden species diversity within the genus. We describe the lineage from western Mexico as a distinct species, based on 18 adult specimens. The new species appears to be restricted to the western slopes of Mexico from southern Nayarit to central Guerrero, spanning elevations from sea level to about 1500 m. Its preferred habitats include tropical deciduous, tropical semideciduous, oak, and pine-oak forests.

KEYWORDS: Alligator lizard, biodiversity, Gerrhonotus, phylogenomics, species delimitation, systematics, taxonomy

 Gerrhonotus occidentalis in life.
 (A) Adult male (MZFZ 4951). (B) Adult female (MZFZ 4950). (C) Adult specimen from Colima, Cerro Alcomú n. The latter photograph was taken by J. Jones on 29 December 2023. The specimen was released.

  Gerrhonotus occidentalis sp. nov.

Adrián Nieto-Montes de Oca, John J. Wiens and Uri Omar García Vázquez. 2025. Phylogenomic Analyses Reveal Hidden Diversity in Gerrhonotus (Anguidae: Gerrhonotinae) and Description of a New Species from Western Mexico. Herpetologica. 81(3); 303-321. DOI: doi.org/10.1655/Herpetologica-D-24-00004 (5 August 2025)  

Researchgate.net/publication/394998957_Phylogenomic_Analyses_in_Gerrhonotus_and_a_New_Species_from_Mexico

[Herpetology • 2024] Abronia cunemica • Bridging the Gap: A New Species of Arboreal Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Northern Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico

Abronia cunemica   

 Clause, Luna-Reyes, Mendoza-Velázquez, Nieto-Montes de Oca & Solano-Zavaleta, 2024

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295230

 

Abstract

The mountain forests of Middle America are renowned for their endemic biodiversity, and arboreal alligator lizards (genus Abronia) are high-profile vertebrates endemic to this region. In this work, we describe a new species of arboreal Abronia that is known only from the type locality in the Northern Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is diagnosed from all other members of the genus Abronia by the following combination of characters: lack of protuberant or spine-like supra-auricular scales, lack of protuberant or casque-like posterolateral head scales, dorsum of head pale yellow with distinct dark markings, 35–39 transverse dorsal scale rows, lateralmost row of ventral scales enlarged relative to adjacent medial row, and dorsum brown with darker crossbands that are sometimes reduced to rows of spots. We provisionally include the new species in the subgenus Lissabronia based on genomic and morphological evidence, but our results also suggest a close relationship to the subgenus Abaculabronia. The new species is geographically separated from the nearest Lissabronia and Abaculabronia species by the lowland Central Depression of Chiapas. Ongoing habitat loss and other factors imperil the new species, leading us to propose its listing under multiple threatened species frameworks. Because the Northern Highlands have poor coverage of protected areas, we briefly comment on the potential of this new species for stimulating conservation in the region.

Color variation in life of type series of Abronia cunemica sp. nov. from Coapilla, Chiapas, Mexico.
(A) Adult male holotype, MZFC-HE 36544, 127 mm snout-to-vent length (SVL); (B) adult female paratype, MZFC-HE 36545, 113 mm SVL; (C) adult female paratype, MZFZ 4514 (AGC 1492), 110 mm SVL; (D) adult female paratype, MZFZ 4513 (AGC 1491), 107 mm SVL; (E) juvenile male paratype, MZFZ 4512 (AGC 1484), 91 mm SVL.

Photographs by Emmanuel Javier-Vázquez.

Abronia cunemica Clause, Luna-Reyes, Mendoza-Velázquez, Nieto-Montes de Oca & Solano-Zavaleta sp. nov.

 

Dragoncito de Coapilla (recommended Spanish common name)

Coapilla Arboreal Alligator Lizard (recommended English common name)

Diagnosis: Abronia cunemica sp. nov. can be distinguished from all recognized congeners, including all species formerly considered members of the genus Mesaspis, by the following combination of characters: (1) lack of protuberant or spine-like supra-auricular scales; (2) lack of protuberant or casque-like posterolateral head scales; (3) dorsum of head pale yellow with distinct dark markings; (4) 35–39 transverse dorsal scale rows; (5) lateralmost row of ventral scales enlarged relative to adjacent medial row; and (6) dorsum brown with dark crossbands, these sometimes reduced to series of dark spots.

Geographic distribution of Abronia cunemica sp. nov. and nearby arboreal congeners in Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico. Inset photographs show characteristic differences in adult dorsal head color between A. cunemica sp. nov. (pale yellow, with dark markings distinct) and the closely related A. morenica (pale gray/tan, with dark markings absent or faint). The holotypes (adult males) of both species are shown; photograph of A. cunemica sp. nov. intentionally mirrored horizontally.

 Photographs by Adam G. Clause. Map layers courtesy of Natural Earth (public domain).

Etymology: The species name is a feminine singular adjective in the nominative case derived from Cuñemo (alternative spellings: Kuñømø or Kujnyä’mä), which is the name for Coapilla in the indigenous Zoque language. Coapilla is derived from the Náhuatl words coatl (snake) and apan (river) and means “river of the snakes,” while Cuñemo has been variously translated as agua entre los árboles (“water among the trees” in English) [85], lugar de la gran capital (“place of the new or great capital”) [86], or corona de cerros (“crown of hills”) according to residents of the area. The chosen name, derived from the Zoque language, thus refers to the ejido and municipality which support the only known population of the new species. Our inquiries with residents of Coapilla about this name received universally positive responses. The recommended English pronunciation is “koon-YEM-ih-kuh.”

Habitat of Abronia cunemica sp. nov. near Coapilla, Chiapas, Mexico.
 (A) Live and dead Pinus chiapensis trees in a cattle pasture, (B) intact Pinus-Quercus forest, (C) microhabitat of Quercus spp. trees laden with epiphytes.

 Photographs taken by Adam G. Clause on 19 February 2022 (A) and 14 August 2021 (B–C).

 

Adam G. Clause, Roberto Luna-Reyes, Oscar M. Mendoza-Velázquez, Adrián Nieto-Montes de Oca and Israel Solano-Zavaleta. 2024. Bridging the Gap: A New Species of Arboreal Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Northern Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. PLoS ONE. 19(1): e0295230. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295230

  

[Herpetology • 2022] Abronia zongolica • A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Sierra de Zongolica of Veracruz, Mexico

 

Abronia zongolica 

 García-Vázquez, Clause, Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Cazares-Hernández & Torre-Loranca, 2022

DOI: 10.1643/h2021051 

  twitter.com/IchsAndHerps 

Abstract

We describe a new arboreal alligator lizard species in the genus Abronia from the Sierra de Zongolica in west-central Veracruz, Mexico. The new species is presently known only from the vicinity of the type locality. It is diagnosable from all congeners by the following combination of characters: one occipital scale, two primary temporal scales contacting the postocular series, moderately protuberant posterolateral head scales, lack of protuberant or spine-like supra-auricular scales, 30–34 transverse dorsal scale rows, dorsal scales on the flanks arranged in slightly oblique longitudinal rows relative to the ventrolateral fold, and lateralmost ventral scale row unexpanded relative to the adjacent medial row. The new species occurs sympatrically with Abronia graminea, but genomic data assign it to the oaxacae group as the sister species of A. oaxacae, a finding that is corroborated by morphological evidence. We briefly discuss the regional biogeography of arboreal Abronia and comment on the Sierra de Zongolica as a complex transitional area of high species richness and conservation importance.

Abronia zongolica, new species, color variation in life (photos not to scale).
(A) Adult male holotype (MZFC-HE 35664, snout–vent length [SVL] 112 mm);
(B) adult male paratype (MZFC-HE 35665, SVL 95.8 mm);
(C) adult female paratype (MZFZ 4406, SVL 86.6 mm; image intentionally mirrored horizontally);
(D) neonate paratype (MZFZ 4407, SVL 45.6 mm).

Photos by Miguel Ángel de la Torre-Loranca and Antonio Esaú Valdenegro-Brito.

Head comparison of adult Abronia zongolica, new species and Abronia graminea, illustrating differences in (1) circumorbital area color, (2) upper and lower jaw color pattern, and (3) presence/absence of well-developed oblique row of enlarged lateral neck scales.

 Locality and voucher information for each image is as follows, listed from top-to-bottom.

Abronia zongolica: Teopantzacoalco (paratype, MZFC-HE 35665), Ayahuatulco (holotype, MZFC-HE 35664), Huapango (referred specimen, MZFZ-IMG 310), Atiopa (paratype, MZFZ 4406), Huapango (referred specimen, MZFZ-IMG 311).

 Abronia graminea: El Sumidero (MZFC-HE 32991), Puerto del Aire (MZFZ-IMG 322), Acultzinapa (MZFZ-IMG 336), Puerto del Aire (Clause et al., 2016: fig. 2), Puerto del Aire (MZFZ-IMG 338).

 All photos taken within 1 month of capture. 

From top, first and third images of A. zongolica and fifth image of A. graminea intentionally mirrored horizontally. 

Photos by Miguel Ángel de la Torre-Loranca, Adam G. Clause, and Antonio Esaú Valdenegro-Brito.

Abronia zongolica, new species

 

Sierra de Zongolica Arboreal Alligator Lizard

Dragoncito de la Sierra de Zongolica

Diagnosis.—Abronia zongolica can be distinguished from all described congeners (including members of the former genus Mesaspis) by the following combination of characters: (1) one occipital scale; (2) two primary temporal scales contacting the postocular series; (3) posterolateral head scales moderately protuberant; (4) supra-auricular scales granular, not protuberant or spine-like; (5) 30–34 transverse dorsal scale rows; (6) dorsal scales on the flanks arranged in slightly oblique longitudinal rows relative to the ventrolateral fold; (7) lateralmost row of ventral scales unexpanded relative to the adjacent medial row.

Etymology.—The specific epithet zongolica is a feminine singular adjective in the nominative case and refers to the Sierra de Zongolica of Veracruz, Mexico. This mountain range supports the only confirmed populations of the new species. The name “zongolica” appears to be derived from the words “tzoncolican” or “tzoncolihucan” in the Nahuatl language, which roughly translate as “where hair is braided” (Melgarejo Vivanco, 1950).

    

Uri Omar García-Vázquez, Adam G. Clause, Jorge Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Erasmo Cazares-Hernández and Miguel Ángel de la Torre-Loranca. 2022. A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Sierra de Zongolica of Veracruz, Mexico. Ichthyology & Herpetology. 110(1); 33-49. DOI: 10.1643/h2021051

  twitter.com/IchsAndHerps/status/1487079098191020038

[Herpetology • 2021] Pseudopus apodus levantinus • Morphological and Genetic Differentiation in the Anguid Lizard Pseudopus apodus (Anguidae) supports the Existence of An Endemic Subspecies in the Levant

Pseudopus apodus levantinus Jablonski, Ribeiro-Júnior, Meiri, Maza, Mikulíček & Jandzik,  

in Jablonski, Ribeiro-Júnior, Meiri, ... et Jandzik, 2021.

 DOI: 10.3897/vz.71.e60800

Abstract

The Levant represents one of the most important reptile diversity hotspots and centers of endemism in the Western Palearctic. The region harbored numerous taxa in glacial refugia during the Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Due to the hostile arid conditions in the warmer periods they were not always able to spread or come into contact with populations from more distant regions. One large and conspicuous member of the Levantine herpetofauna is the legless anguid lizard Pseudopus apodus. This species is distributed from the Balkans to Central Asia with a portion of its range running along the eastern Mediterranean coast. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, microsatellite genotypes, and morphology show that populations in this region differ from the two named subspecies and presumably had a long independent evolutionary history during the Quaternary. Here we describe the Levantine population as a new subspecies and present biogeographic scenarios for its origin and diversification. The new subspecies is genetically highly diverse, and it forms a sister lineage to Pseudopus from the remaining parts of the range according to mtDNA. It is the largest-bodied of the three subspecies, but occupies the smallest range.

Keywords: Middle East, mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites, Ophisaurus, phenotype, Reptiles, sheltopusik, Squamata

Pseudopus apodus levantinus ssp. nov. 
E – adult female from Antakya, Turkey (photo by David Jandzik).
F – juvenile individual from Ness Ziyona, Israel (photo by David David).

Pseudopus apodus levantinus ssp. nov. Jablonski, Ribeiro-Júnior, Meiri, Maza, Mikulíček, Jandzik 

The proposed common name in English, Hebrew, and Arabic:

 Levantine Glass Lizard, الشرق ,קמטן חורש לבנטיני, respectively.

Figure 9. Color and pattern variation in the Pseudopus apodus subspecies:
A – adult male of P. a. apodus in a typical steppe habitat from Samarkand, Uzbekistan (photo by Daniel Jablonski). B – juvenile individual of P. a. apodus from Kyz-Kermen, Bakhchisarayi, Crimea (photo by Oleg V. Kukushkin).
C – adult female of P. a. thracius from Dadia, Greece (photo by D. Jablonski). D – juvenile individual of P. a. thracius from National Park Paklenica, Croatia (photo by D. Jablonski).
E – adult female of P. a. levantinus ssp. nov. from Antakya, Turkey (photo by David Jandzik). F – juvenile individual of P. a. levantinus ssp. nov. from Ness Ziyona, Israel (photo by David David).

Diagnosis: A large Pseudopus (up to 610 mm snout-vent length, 1,367 mm total length and a mass of 1,100 g) that can be distinguished from the other two subspecies by a combination of the following characters (means followed by standard deviations; Table 4): (1) preanal scales (PAN) 10; (2) long body (SVL; 490.22 mm ± 76.15); (3) long tail (TL; 600.70 mm ± 107.04); (4) long head (HL1; from the ear aperture to the tip of the snout, 47.6 mm ± 7.99); pileus length (PL; mean 41.98 mm ± 6.78); and distance from the frontal shield to the tip of the snout (FSL; 17.27 mm ± 2.96); (5) wide head (HW1; maximum width, 32.04 mm ± 6.34); and width at the level of the posterior edge of the eyes orbits (HW2; 28.21 mm ± 4.95); (6) relatively long limb rudiments (RL; 5.55 mm ± 1.53) (see and Tables 3 and 4 for comparisons to P. a. apodus and P. a. thracius).

Etymology: No name is available for the glass lizards from the Levantine region. We hence suggest a new name, Pseudopus apodus levantinus, as a reference to the isolated and allopatric distribution of this subspecies exclusively in the Levant region. This region covers present-day (western) Syria, Lebanon, (north-western) Jordan, Israel, West Bank, Cyprus, and most of Turkey south-east of the middle Euphrates, which is almost identical to the known distribution range of the new subspecies. The term “Levant” is derived from the Italian “Levante”, meaning “rising” and implying the rising of the Sun in the east as an equivalent to the Arabic “al-Mashriq” (المشـرق) and the Hebrew “Mizrāḥ” ((מִזְרָחboth meaning “east”.

Figure 7. Habitat of Pseudopus apodus levantinus ssp. nov. at the type locality Giv’at Ada (גבעת עדה) in Israel (photo by Ilana Rosenstein).

 

Daniel Jablonski, Marco Antônio Ribeiro-Júnior, Shai Meiri, Erez Maza, Oleg V. Kukushkin, Marina Chirikova, Angelika Pirosová, Dušan Jelić, Peter Mikulíček and David Jandzik. 2021. Morphological and Genetic Differentiation in the Anguid Lizard Pseudopus apodus supports the Existence of An  Endemic Subspecies in the Levant. Vertebrate Zoology. 71: 175-200.  DOI: 10.3897/vz.71.e60800

We dedicate this article to Professor Fritz Jürgen Obst (1939–2018) acknowledging thus his precocious contribution to the taxonomy of Pseudopus (Ophisaurus) apodus published in Zoologische Abhandlungen (1978), today Vertebrate Zoology journal, 40 years before the information appeared about the possible existence of the subspecies described here.

Abstract in Hebrew: הלבאנט מהווה את אחד האזורים העשירים ביותר במינים בכלל, במינים אנדמיים ובמגוון פילוגנטי של זוחלים בממלכה הפליארקטית. מינים רבים התקיימו באזור במהלך תקופות הקרח, כשהוא שימש מפלט מהאקלים הקר בצפון. אחד ממיני הזוחלים הגדולים והבולטים בלבאנט הוא קמטן החורש, Pseudopus apodus מין זה נפוץ מהבלקן בצפון אל מרכז אסיה במזרח, ומגיע בחוף הים התיכון המזרחי לגבול תפוצתו הדרומי. לפי רצפי DNA מיטוכונדריאלי, DNA גרעיני ומיקרוסטליטים, כמו גם נתוני צורה, גודל ודגמי צבע, נראה כי אוכלוסיות הלבנט של מין זה שונות משמעותית משני תתי המינים המתוארים המצויים מצפון ללבאנט. הנתונים מצביעים על כך שאוכלוסיות הלבאנט נפרדו מתתי המינים האחרים ומראות היסטוריה פילוגנטית עצמאית לאורך הרביעון. אנו מתארים את אוכלוסיות הלבאנט כתת מין חדש. ומציגים תרחישים אפשריים להסבר מוצאו והיפרדותו מתתי המינים האחרים. תת המין החדש הוא קבוצה אחות לשני תתי המינים המתוארים על פי הניתוח הגנטי. הוא הגדול בין תתי המינים, אך מאכלס את תחום התפוצה הקטן מבין כל השלושה.

Abstract in Arabic: منطقة الشرق الاوسط تعتبر احدى اغنى المناطق بانواع الحيونات المختلفة بشكل عام, وبالعديد من الحيوانات المتوطنة ومجموعة متنوعة من الزواحف من مملكة Palearctic. كانت المنطقة تأوي العديد من الأنواع في الفترة الجليدية, اذ ان المنطقة كانت بمثابة ملجأ لها من برد المناطق الاكثر شمالاً. من احدى انواع الزواحف الكبيرة والبارزة في منطقة الشرق الاوسط هي السحلية Pseudopus apodus. هذا النوع من الزواحف ينتشر في الشمال من منطقة البلقان الى مركز آسيا في الشرق ويصل انتشاره حتى شواطئ البحر الابيض المتوسط الشمالية, والتي تعد اقصى منطقة جنوبية ينتشر بها.استنادا لتسلسل الحمض النووي الميتوكوندريالي والحمض الخلوي الصبغي, بالاضافة الى معلومات اخرى منها الشكل والحجم ونماذج من الالوان, نرى ان هذا النوع من السحلية التي تعيش في منطقة الشرق الاوسط يختلف كثيرا عن انواع اخرى المنتشرة في المناطق الاكثر شمالاً.تشير المعلومات الى ان مجموعات السحلية عديمة الارجل القاطنة بمنطقة الشرق الاوسط انفصلت من النُّويعات (انواع فرعية) الاخرى وتظهر تاريخ تطوري مستقل خلال العصر الرباعي. نصف هنا ان هذا النوع من السحالي يُصَنَّف كنُوَيع مختلف وجديد ونعرض احداث ممكنة لشرح اصلها وانفصالها من النويعات الاخرى .يبدو أن النوع الفرعي الجديد له علاقة قريبة (أُخت) مع النوعين الاخرين ,ورغم انه الاكبر حجما لكنه يحتل اصغر نطاق انتشار من بينها.

[Herpetology • 2020] Abronia morenica • A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from a Protected Area in Chiapas, Mexico

Abronia morenica  

Clause, Luna-Reyes & De Oca, 2020

 DOI: 10.1655/Herpetologica-D-19-00047  

 news.uga.edu

 Abstract  

We describe a new species of the genus Abronia from the La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve in western Chiapas, México. The new species is known only from the vicinity of the type locality in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. It is readily distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: lack of protuberant or spine-like supra-auricular scales, lack of protuberant or casque-like posterolateral head scales, 30–35 transverse dorsal scale rows, lateralmost row of ventral scales enlarged relative to adjacent medial row, dorsum brown with 8–10 transverse dark crossbands, and dark lateral bar on the neck extending from the shoulder to near the auricular opening. We tentatively assign the new species to the subgenus Lissabronia pending the availability of a robust, comprehensive molecular phylogeny for the genus. We discuss regional Abronia biogeography and comment on the conservation implications of our discovery for the imperiled highland forests of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, a globally important center of endemism.

KEYWORDS: Alligator lizard, biosphere reserve, conservation, Gerrhonotinae, morphology, Sierra Madre de Chiapas, systematics, taxonomy

Abronia morenica

Adam G. Clause, Roberto Luna-Reyes and Adrián Nieto-Montes De Oca. 2020. A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from a Protected Area in Chiapas, Mexico. Herpetologica. 76(3); 330-343. DOI: 10.1655/Herpetologica-D-19-00047

New ‘tree dragon’ discovered in Mexican forest

 news.uga.edu/tree-dragon-lizard-discovered-mexican-forest/

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[Herpetology • 2018] Gerrhonotus mccoyi • A New Species of Gerrhonotus (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico

Gerrhonotus mccoyi 

García-Vázquez, Contreras-Arquieta, Trujano-Ortega & Nieto-Montes de Oca, 2018

DOI: 10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-17-00013  

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ABSTRACT

 A new species of Gerrhonotus, previously confused with G. infernalis, is described from the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico. The new species is known from the type locality only and is characterized by the following combination of characters: a cantholoreal scale usually present, a dark mark extending anteriorly from the lower temporal scales through the lower border of the orbit to the preocular or cantholoreal scales, keeled dorsal scales, dorsal body pattern usually composed of cross-bands mostly interrupted or barely discernible on middorsum, usually indiscernible vertical dark bars on the lateral fold (few, faint bars occasionally present), and black flecks scattered on the venter. The new species is geographically closest to G. lugoi and G. infernalis but morphologically most similar to G. infernalis. 

Key words: Alligator lizards; Cryptic species; Gerrhonotinae; Taxonomy

FIG. 1.— Gerrhonotus mccoyi sp. nov. holotype (MZFC 29654). 

Head scales in dorsal (top), left lateral (middle; intentionally mirrored), and ventral (bottom) views. 

Scale bars = 3 mm.

FIG. 2.— Gerrhonotus mccoyi sp. nov. in life. 

(A) Male (paratype, MZFC 29668). (B) Female, not collected. 

Photographs by UOG-V and P. Heimes, respectively.

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Gerrhonotus mccoyi sp. nov.  

Gerrhonotus infernalis Baird 1859: Good (1994), in part.

Etymology.— The species epithet is a noun in the genitive case and a patronym for the late Clarence Jack McCoy in recognition of his many and significant contributions to the knowledge of the amphibians and reptiles from the Cuatro Cienegas Basin.

FIG. 1.— Gerrhonotus mccoyi sp. nov. holotype (MZFC 29654). Head scales in dorsal (top), left lateral (middle; intentionally mirrored), and ventral (bottom) views. Scale bars = 3 mm.

FIG. 2.— Gerrhonotus mccoyi sp. nov. in life. (A) Male (paratype, MZFC 29668). (B) Female, not collected. Photographs by UOG-V and P. Heimes, respectively.

Uri Omar García-Vázquez, Arturo Contreras-Arquieta, Marysol Trujano-Ortega and Adrián Nieto-Montes de Oca. 2018. A New Species of Gerrhonotus (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico. Herpetologica. 74(3); 269–278.  DOI: 10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-17-00013  

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Resumen: Se describe una especie nueva de Gerrhonotus, previamente confundida con G. infernalis, de la Cuenca de Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, México. La especie nueva se conoce sólo de la localidad tipo y se caracteriza por la siguiente combinación de caracteres: escama cantoloreal usualmente presente, una marca oscura que se extiende anteriormente desde las escamas temporales inferiores a través del borde inferior de la órbita hasta la escama preocular o cantoloreal, escamas dorsales aquilladas, patrón de coloración dorsal del cuerpo usualmente compuesto de bandas transversales típicamente interrumpidas o apenas visibles en la parte media del dorso, barras oscuras verticales en el pliegue lateral usualmente no discernibles (algunas barras tenues ocasionalmente presentes), y manchas negras pequeñas dispersas en el vientre. La especie nueva es geográficamente más cercana a G. lugoi y G. infernalis, pero morfológicamente más similar a G. infernalis.

[Herpetology • 2018] Molecular Systematics and Historical Biogeography of the Genus Gerrhonotus (Squamata: Anguidae)

in García‐Vázquez, Nieto‐Montes de Oca, Bryson, et al. 2018. 

   DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13241 

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Abstract

Aim: 

Multiple geological and climatic events have created geographical or ecological barriers associated with speciation events, playing a role in biological diversification in Mexico. Here, we evaluate the influence of Neogene geological events and of Pleistocene climate change in the diversification of the genus Gerrhonotus using molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction.

Location: Mexico and south‐central United States.

Methods: 

A multilocus sequence dataset was generated for 86 individuals of Gerrhonotus from most Mexican biogeographical provinces and belonging to five of the seven currently recognized species, as well as two putative undescribed species. Phylogeographical structure was explored using Poisson‐Tree‐Processes molecular species delimitation. Divergence events were estimated based on the fossil record using a relaxed uncorrelated lognormal clock. Ancestral areas were estimated at divergence events across the tree using a probabilistic Bayesian approach.

Results: 

Extensive geographical structure was evident within three well‐supported clades. These clades probably diverged from each other in the early to mid‐Miocene, and their divergence was followed by six divergences in the late Miocene and eight divergences in the Pliocene. The ancestral origin of Gerrhonotus with keeled dorsal scales (keeled‐scale Gerrhonotus) was reconstructed to be across the Pacific Coast Province. Our phylogenetic analyses did not support the monophyly of Gerrhonotus.

Main conclusions: 

Miocene and Pliocene geomorphology, perhaps in conjunction with climate change, appears to have induced allopatric divergence on a relatively small spatial scale in this genus. The late Miocene–Pliocene reduction in the highlands along the Tehuantepec fault probably created a large marine embayment that led to an early divergence in a clade of Gerrhonotus. Our analysis suggests uplifting of the Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt during this same time period resulted in additional diversification. This was followed by more recent, independent colonization events in the Pliocene from the Mexican Plateau to the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, Tamaulipas and Edwards Plateau provinces. A genus Gerrhonotus with the keeled‐scale species in addition to Coloptychon rhombifer (= G. rhombifer) is strongly supported. Inclusion of the smooth dorsal‐scale species in the genus is uncertain and maintained only tentatively.

Keywords: ancestral area reconstruction, Coloptychon,  divergence dating, diversification, Gerrhonotus, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexican Plateau, Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt

CONCLUSIONS: 

Biogeographical studies seek to explain the distributions of species in terms of historical factors and contemporary ecology. The genus Gerrhonotus has proven to be an insightful model for studying these factors in a widely distributed group. Extreme climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene, a key driver of diversification between lineages in some taxa (León‐Paniagua et al., 2007), do not appear to have substantially affected diversification in Gerrhonotus. Instead, Miocene and Pliocene geomorphology, perhaps in conjunction with climate change, appears to have induced allopatric divergence on a relatively small spatial scale in this genus. There is strong support for a genus Gerrhonotus composed of the keeled‐scale species in the genus in addition to Coloptychon rhombifer (= G. rhombifer), whereas inclusion of the smooth‐scale Gerrhonotus into the genus should be regarded as tentative. Gerrhonotus infernalis, G. liocephalus and G. ophiurus may each be composed of multiple evolutionary independent lineages.

Uri O. García‐Vázquez, Adrián Nieto‐Montes de Oca, Robert W. Bryson Jr., Walter Schmidt‐Ballardo and Carlos J. Pavón‐Vázquez. 2018. Molecular Systematics and Historical Biogeography of the Genus Gerrhonotus (Squamata: Anguidae). Journal of Biogeography.  DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13241

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[Herpetology • 2017] Ophiodes enso • A New and Microendemic Species of Ophiodes Wagler, 1828 (Sauria: Diploglossinae) from the Lagoa dos Patos Estuary, Southern Brazil

Ophiodes enso 

Entiauspe-Neto, Quintela, Regnet, Teixeira, Silveira & Loebmann, 2017

  DOI: 10.1670/17-007 

Abstract

Ophiodes Wagler, 1828, is a poorly known legless lizard genus, widely distributed across South America east of the Andes, and composed of five described species and other additional taxa that have not been formally described but are widely referred to in recent publications. After reviewing major herpetological collections in Rio Grande do Sul and conducting fieldwork for more than 2 decades in the Lagoa dos Patos Estuary, we came across a new species of Ophiodes, herein described. The new species is diagnosed from its congeners based on the combination of a dorsum with three wide, dark brown longitudinal stripes and two pairs of conspicuous light yellow stripes, one pair paravertebral and another dorsolateral; dark vertebral line absent; background coloration of sides light gray with four to five pale and narrow longitudinal stripes; ventral region uniformly light gray; hind limb extending to the posterior vent scale margin; small eyes, smaller than half of snout–ocular distance; supralabials with well-defined, although small, supralabial blotches, restricted to their outer margins. We also provide comments on its distribution range and propose that a “Critically Endangered” CR B1b (i,ii,iii) extinction risk classification should be officially assessed and given.

FIG. 1. Holotype of Ophiodes enso sp. n. (CHFURG 3589) exhibiting coloration in life.

Ophiodes enso sp. nov.

Ophiodes vertebralis — Lema, 1994:65; Quintela et al., 2006:61.

 Ophiodes sp. — Quintela and Loebmann, 2009:40; Quintela et al., 2011:59. 

Etymology.— The species name refers to the Japanese-Buddhism Enso (円相) symbol, a hand-drawn circle made in a single or double brushstroke that closely resembles the silhouette of a Ophiodes specimen (Fig. 2). Also noteworthy is that type series of O. enso sp. n. was discovered during the El Niño Southern Oscillation event of 2015 (popularly known as ENSO, which is marked by heavy rainfall), and that event culminated in the movement of the aforementioned type series into the Lagoa dos Patos shores. This is also the first species to be discovered as a result of the ENSO phenomenon.

Distribution and Natural History.— The new species is known only from three localities at the Lagoa dos Patos estuary; ...., all located at the Holocene sandbanks of the Coastal Plains of Rio Grande do Sul in the Pampa biome (Fig. 5). A description of the vegetation and composition of the Lagoa dos Patos estuary is provided by Verrastro et al. (2003).

Omar Machado Entiauspe-Neto, Fernando Marques Quintela, Ruth Anastasia Regnet, Victor Hugo Teixeira, Franck Silveira and Daniel Loebmann. 2017. A New and Microendemic Species of Ophiodes Wagler, 1828 (Sauria: Diploglossinae) from the Lagoa dos Patos Estuary, Southern Brazil. Journal of Herpetology. 51(4); 515-522.  DOI: 10.1670/17-007

ResearchGate.net/publication/319946529_A_New_and_Microendemic_Species_of_Ophiodes_from_the_Lagoa_dos_Patos_Estuary_Southern_Brazil

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Resumo: Ophiodes Wagler, 1828, é um gênero de lagartos ápodos pouco conhecido, amplamente distribuído na América do Sul à leste dos Andes. O gênero é composto de cinco espécies e outros taxons ainda não formalmente reconhecidos, embora referenciados em publicações recentes. Após revisar coleções herpetológicas no Rio Grande do Sul e conduzir trabalho de campo por mais de duas décadas no Estuário da Lagoa dos Patos encontramos uma nova espécie de Ophiodes, aqui descrita. A nova espécie é diferenciada de seus congêneres com base na combinação de um dorso com três largas listras longitudinais marrom escuras e duas listras conspícuas amarelo-claras, um par composto de uma paravertebral e outra dorsolateral; linha vertebral escura ausente; coloração de fundo nos lados cinza claro, com quatro à cinco listras longitudinais e estreitas; região ventral cinza claro uniforme; membro posterior estendendo-se até a margem posterior da escama cloacal; olhos pequenos, menores que metade da distância entre focinho e olho; supralabiais com manchas bem definidas e pequenas, restritas à suas margens exteriores. Também apresentamos comentários sobre sua distribuição, e propomos que o seu status de conservação seja definido oficialmente como “Criticamente em Perigo” CR B1b (i,ii,iii).

O alerta do lagarto de vidro
  amigosdepelotas.com.br/blog/o_alerta_do_lagarto_de_vidro.html

[Herpetology • 2017] Rediscovery of Mesaspis antauges (Squamata: Anguidae): Solving A 50-year Mystery

Mesaspis antauges (Cope 1866)

Solano-Zavaleta, Cerón de la Luz & Clause, 2017

  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4303.4.7 

Abstract

Vertebrate rediscoveries occur frequently, but must be properly documented for scientific credibility. Ongoing rediscoveries suggest a need for greater caution in declaring species extinct. Here, we report a rediscovery of the mysterious Mexican anguid lizard Mesaspis antauges (Cope 1866), a species last recorded by scientists in 1964. Our comparison of newly-collected material against previous specimens, all of which apparently originate from a single isolated volcanic peak, confirms the taxonomic validity of this species and the relegation of the binomen M. modestus (Cope 1878) to the status of a junior synonym. We include a brief discussion of the natural history of M. antauges, and explore the conservation implications of our rediscovery.

Keywords: Reptilia, Squamata, Anguidae

Israel Solano-Zavaleta, Nelson Martín Cerón de la Luz and Adam G. Clause. 2017. Solving A 50-year Mystery: Rediscovery of Mesaspis antauges (Squamata: Anguidae).
 Zootaxa. 4303(4); 559–572.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4303.4.7