Holbrookia lacerata Cope 1880

Hibbitts, Toby J., Ryberg, Wade A., Harvey, Johanna A., Voelker, Gary, Lawing, A. Michelle, Adams, Connor S., Neuharth, Dalton B., Dittmer, Drew E., Duran, C. Michael, Wolaver, Brad D., Pierre, Jon Paul, Labay, Benjamin J. & Laduc, Travis J., 2019, Phylogenetic structure of Holbrookia lacerata (Cope 1880) (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae): one species or two?, Zootaxa 4619 (1), pp. 139-154 : 147

Holbrookia lacerata Cope 1880

Plateau Spot-tailed Earless Lizard

( Fig. 8 )

Holbrookia maculata lacerata Stejneger 1890

Holbrookia lacerata lacerata Axtell 1956

Lectotype. U. S. National Museum ( USNM 10160 A); collected by G.W. Marnock in May 1879 within a 3 mile radius circle around Helotes, Bexar County, Texas, USA (29º 35’ N; 98º 41’ W) .

Etymology. Holbrookia is derived from the last name of the American zoologist John Edwards Holbrook. Lacerata is derived from the latin word lacerare, which means to cut, destroy, or mangle. Cope (1880) described the posterior border of the transverse brown bars on the dorsum as serrate or digitate. This feature likely brought about the name lacerata .

Distribution: Holbrookia lacerata includes all populations north of the Balcones Escarpment in Texas. This distribution extends north to the Colorado River, east to the eastern edge of the Balcones Escarpment and west to the Pecos River and southern edge of the Llano Estacado.

Diagnosis. Morphological description based on measurements and counts from 112 adults. This is a small, earless lizard with an average of 4 (0 – 10) black spots on the underside of the tail. The average snout-vent length (SVL) is 54 mm (32 – 63), paravertebral and dorsolateral body blotches are often fused. An average of 2 (0 – 6) blotches are fused out of an average of 6 (4 – 9) blotches. The blotches form two rows of transverse bands with the dorsal edges of the bands usually narrowing and extending anteriorly. The dark blotches on the hind legs usually form distinct bands with the average number of leg bands and blotches being 7 (4 – 11). Some individuals have black lateral spots on the abdomen and these average 0.4 (0 – 4). The average number of femoral pores on the left leg is 13 (10 – 17). Females and some males develop a red-orange pattern on their throat and neck during the breeding season.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Dorsal (top) and ventral (bottom) views of Plateau Spot-tailed Earless Lizard (Holbrookia lacerata) lectotype specimen collected by G.W. Marnock in May 1879 and housed at Smithsonian (USNM 10160).