Petracola shurugojalcapi, Mamani & Vargas & Chaparro & Catenazzi, 2023

Mamani, Luis, Vargas, Víctor J., Chaparro, Juan C. & Catenazzi, Alessandro, 2023, Two new species of gymnophthalmid lizards of the genus Petracola (Squamata: Cercosaurinae) from the Andes of northeastern Peru, and their phylogenetic relationships, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 328) 173 (1), pp. 161-173 : 168-170

Petracola shurugojalcapi sp. nov.

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Holotype. PFAUNA 431 , adult female ( Figs. 7–9 ) from Área de Conservación Privada Llamapampa-La Jalca , District of Jalca Grande , Province of Chachapoyas, Department of Amazonas, Peru (6°25’36” S; 77°45’56” W; 2,990 m asl), collected by Victor Vargas on 30 May 2013.

Paratypes. Seven specimens: Two adult males ( PFAUNA 427 , MUBI 17727 ), subadult male ( PFAUNA 432 ), and two adult female ( PFAUNA 429 , MUBI 17726 ) from the same place as the holotype. A male ( PFAUNA 430 ) and female ( PFAUNA 433 ) were collected near the type locality (6°25’36” S; 77°45’56” W; ca. 2,990 m asl).

Etymology. The specific epithet, shurugojalcapi , treated as a noun in apposition, is a combination of two local words: “shurugo” the local name for a gymnophthalmid lizard and “jalcapi” that means “from Jalca” in the Quechua language. The specific name was proposed by the inhabitants of La Jalca Grande.

Diagnosis. Petracola shurugojalcapi is diagnosed based on the following combination of characters: (1) frontonasal longer than frontal; (2) nasoloreal suture absent; (3) two supraoculars; (4) two discontinuous superciliaries, first expanded onto dorsal surface of head; (5) two postoculars; (6) palpebral disc transparent, divided vertically in two; (7) 3–4 supralabials anterior to the posteroventral angle of the subocular; (8) four anterior infralabials; (9) four genials in contact; (10) three rows of pregulars; (11) dorsal body scales rectangular, smooth, juxtaposed; (12) 29–32 scales around midbody; (13) 31–33 transverse dorsal rows; (14) 18–21 transverse ventral rows; (15) 19–23 longitudinal dorsal rows; (16) eight longitudinal ventral rows; (17) a continuous series of small lateral scales separating dorsals from ventrals; (18) 2–4 posterior cloacal plate scales; (19) two anterior preanal plate scales; (20) 5–6 femoral pores per hind limb in males, 2–3 in females; (21) preanal pores absent; (22) 8–9 subdigital lamellae on finger IV; 13–15 subdigital lamellae on toe IV; (23) limbs not overlapping when adpressed against body; (24) pentadactyl, digits clawed; (25) coloration of males in life is brown or dark brown with or without numerous cream spots distributed irregularly on flanks, and dorsum forming four discontinuous transversal lines, venter immaculate black or blackish gray; females with brown dorsum, numerous and irregular light brown or cream spot on flanks, venter blackish gray.

Petracola shurugojalcapi can be distinguished from P. amazonensis by having dorsum brown with irregular dark spots, venter black with lateral cream spots, and two separate superciliaries (dorsum brown or dark-brown with irregular cream spots, venter orange with black spots forming transversal bands, and only first superciliary present in P. amazonensis ); from P. angustisoma and P. pajatensis by not having a loreal scale (loreal scale present in P. angustisoma and P. pajatensis ); from P. labioocularis by lacking precloacal pores and by having the posterior subocular not elongated downward (precloacal pores present and by having posterior subocular scale elongated downward and separates supralabials in P. labioocularis ); from P. waka by having the palpebral disc divided vertically, two genial scales in contact, two discontinuous superciliary scales, venter black (palpebral disc entire, three genials in contact, four continuous superciliary scales, venter cream with small black spots in P. waka ); from P. ventrimaculatus by having a maximum SVL in males of 51.0 mm, dorsum dark brown or black with some cream spots not forming bands, and venter dark with lateral cream spots ( maximum SVL in males 71.1 mm, dorsum light brown with continuous black longitudinal bands, and venter cream with bold black transversal band in P. ventrimaculatus ).

Description of the holotype. Adult female, snout–vent length (SVL) 51.0 mm, tail length 39.0 mm (regenerated), head scales smooth, without striations or rugosities; rostral scale wider (2.0 mm) than tall (0.9 mm), in contact with frontonasal, nasals, and first supralabials; frontonasal longer (2.5 mm) than wide (2.1 mm), longer than frontal scale, widest in the middle part, in contact with rostral, nasal, first superciliary, and frontal; prefrontal absent; frontal longer than wide, pentagonal, in contact with first superciliary, first supraocular, and frontoparietals; frontoparietal paired, polygonal (hexagonal), in contact with frontal, supraoculars, parietals, and interparietals; supraoculars two, in contact with superciliaries, frontal, frontoparietals, interparietal, and postoculars; parietals longer than wide, polygonal (irregular heptagon), in contact with frontoparietals and superior supraocular, interparietal, temporals, and supratemporals laterally, and with postparietals posteriorly; interparietals polygonal (irregularly heptagonal), in contact with frontoparietals anteriorly, with parietals laterally, and with postparietal posteriorly; three postparietals, the middle one is smaller than laterals, polygonal. Nasal scale entire, longer than high, in contact with first and second supralabials; nasal suture does not divide the nasal, the right side has upper and lower suture, but the left side only the lower; loreal scale absent; two superciliaries, discontinuous, and first expanded onto dorsal surface of head; two preoculars; frenocular trapezoidal in contact with second and third supralabial; palpebral disc transparent and divided in two; three suboculars; two postoculars; temporals smooth, polygonal; four supralabials anterior to the posteroventral angle of suboculars. Mental wider than long, in contact with first infralabials and postmental posteriorly; postmental single, polygonal (irregular heptagonal), in contact with the first and second infralabials, and the first pair of genials; four genials in contact; three transversal rows of pregular scales; six gular scale rows, quadrangular with rounded corners, and smooth. Dorsal scales rectangular, longer that wide, juxtaposed, smooth, 34 transverse rows; 20 longitudinal dorsal scale rows at midbody; a continuous series of small lateral scales; reduced scales at limb insertion region present; 20 transverse ventral scale rows; eight longitudinal ventral scale rows at midbody, lateral scales slightly smaller; anterior and posterior preanal plate scales paired; scales on tail rectangular, slightly subimbricate, and smooth; ventral scales quadrangular, juxtaposed, and smooth. Limbs pentadactyl; digits clawed; dorsal brachial scales polygonal, imbricate, and smooth; ventral brachial scales rounded, separate, and smooth; dorsal antebrachial scales polygonal, imbricate and smooth; ventral antebrachial scales rounded, separate, smooth, smaller than dorsal; dorsal manus scales polygonal, smooth, imbricate; palmar scales small, rounded, separate, and dome-like; dorsal scales on fingers smooth, quadrangular, imbricate, two on finger I, five on II, five on III, five on IV, and four on V; five subdigital lamellae on finger I, eight on finger II, nine on finger III, nine on finger IV, seven on finger V; scales on anterodorsal surface of thigh polygonal, smooth, imbricate; scales on posterior surface of thigh small, rounded, and separated; scales on anteroventral surface of thigh polygonal, smooth, imbricate and posteroventral surface of thigh small, polygonal and juxtaposed; two femoral pores in both thighs; scales on anterior surface of crus polygonal, smooth, separated, decreasing in size distally; scales on posterodorsal surface of crus smooth, polygonal, separated; scales on ventral surface of crus polygonal, enlarged, smooth, and imbricate; scales on dorsal surface of toes polygonal, smooth, and imbricate; scales on ventral surface of toes rounded, small and domelike; dorsal scale of toes smooth, imbricate, two on toe I, five on toe II, six on toe III, eight on IV, seven on V; five subdigital lamellae on toe I, eight on toe II, 11 on toe III, 14 on toe IV, ten on toe V. Coloration in life, dorsum, dorsal surface of head, neck, arms, and legs brown; lateral sides of dorsum and tail with many small and irregular, cream spots; venter, ventral surface of head, neck, arms, and legs dark gray, flanks have intense cream spots. Coloration in preservative as in life, but less intense.

Variation. Adult male MUBI 17727 has two suboculars on the right side, males have 9–12 temporal scales and females 6–9, males are more robust than females;n paratype PFAUNA 432, the nasal suture scale does not divide the nasal, but connects inferiorly to the nostril; in MUBI 17727, the nasal suture connects inferiorly and superiorly to the nostril; and the nasal sutures of the other paratypes do not connect with the nostril and extend posteriorly to middle part of the nostril. Morphometric characters vary by sex and are shown in Table 3 .

Distribution and ecology. Proctopous shurugojalcapi is known only from the type locality, Área de Conservación Privada Llamapampa-La Jalca, from 2,940 –2,990 m asl ( Fig. 10 ), District of La Jalca, Province of Chachapoyas, Department of Amazonas ( Fig. 6 ). All specimens (eight) were found during diurnal surveys from 10:00 to 14:00 h. The new species was found in sympatry with Stenocercus sp. , Liophis sp. , and frogs Gastrotheca monticola , Pristimantis schultei , P. cf. corrugatus , P. sp., and Centrolene sp. The habitat of P. shurugojalcapi is dominated by trees of the genera Weinmannia , Clusia , and Symplocos , and shrubs of the family Melastomataceae .

Conservation. Petracola shurugojalcapi was found during field studies in support of the establishment of the Área de Conservación Privada Llamapampa-La Jalca. The Conservation Area was established on 17 April 2015, protecting more than 26,000 ha of montane forest and wet grasslands. However, this important area is not exempt from threats such as deforestation and land use changes associated with local subsistence farming, ranching, and forest fires. Although available data indicate that this species could have a restricted distribution, adjacent areas remain unexplored and could host additional populations. Therefore, we recommend that P. shurugojalcapi be categorized as Data Deficient in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN 2022).

Figures

Fig. 7. Holotype of Petracola shurugojalcapi, adult female PFAUNA 431 (SVL = 51.0 mm, TL = 39.0 mm).

Fig. 8. Drawings of lateral, dorsal, and ventral views of the head of the holotype (PFAUNA 431) of Petracola shurugojalcapi.

Fig. 9. Holotype in life of Petracola shurugojalcapi from La Jalca Grande (PFAUNA 431, SVL = 51.0 mm, TL = 39.0 mm, adult female).

Fig. 10. Type locality of Petracola shurugojalcapi, Área de Conservación Privada Llamapampa-La Jalca, District of la Jalca Grande,Province of Chachapoyas, DepartmentofAmazonas.

Fig. 6. Map showing the type localities of Petracola species: Petracola amazonensis (blue cross), P. angustisoma (red circle),P.labioocularis (light blue triangle), P.pajatensis (green pentagon), P. shurugojalcapi (yellow star), P. ventrimaculatus (purple cross), and P. waka (orange diamond).