Gonatodes petersi Donoso-Barros, 1967

Barrio-Amorós, Cesar L. & Ortíz, Juan C., 2016, Venezuelan geckos (Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, Sphaerodactylidae) in the collection of the Universidad de Concepción in Chile, with description of the type series of Gonatodes ligiae and Gonatodes petersi (Sphaerodactylidae), Zootaxa 4136 (3), pp. 537-552 : 547-550

Gonatodes petersi Donoso-Barros, 1967 .

( Fig. 6 A–B)

Donoso-Barros (1967) briefly defines Gonatodes petersi . The translation of the original paragraph in Spanish is: A Gonatodes of the vittatus Group, but larger, with rounded snout. The vertebral stripe with three “swellings” through its length. 23 lamellae under fourth toe”. We provide detailed descriptions of the holotype and allotype.

Gonatodes petersi Donoso-Barros, 1967

Gonatodes cf. fuscus: Alemán, 1953: 291 .

Gonatodes petersi: Donoso-Barros, 1967 : not numbered page Gonatodes petersi: Rivero-Blanco, 1968: 115 .

Gonatodes petersi: Peters & Donoso-Barros, 1970: 133 . Gonatodes petersi: Rivero-Blanco, 1979: 121

Gonatodes petersi: Rojas-Runjaic & Infante-Rivero 2009: 83 .

Holotype. MZUC 8836 (field number in Venezuela 276; number in R. Donoso-Barros collection RDB 1511), an adult male, collected by RDB at Sierra de Perijá, estado Zulia, Venezuela 26 May 1964 ( Fig. 7 A–B).

Allotype. MZUC 12105 (field number in Venezuela V277; number in R. Donoso-Barros collection RDB 1582), with same data as holotype ( Fig. 7 C–D).

Description of Holotype. An adult male, with snout-vent length of 35.3 mm. Head approximately 1.4 times longer than wide (HL: 10.8 mm; HW: 6.2 mm), 30.5% of SVL. Snout 3.83 mm long, round, moderately elongate, subacuminate dorsally, sloping toward top of head. Neck narrower than head and body. Body nearly cylindrical but wider than high; axilla-groin distance 15.8 mm. Limbs well developed, fourth toe length 4.6 mm. Tail completely missing ( Fig. 7 A).

Rostral moderately large, visible from above, rounded, similar to that observed in other Gonatodes except in those species with acuminate snout (e.g. G. daudini and G. naufragus ); irregularly shaped, much wider than long, but with a small longitudinal groove that divides the scale almost completely except for a short section towards the lip. Three postrostrals, the lateral two (supranasals) distinctly larger than the median postrostral; median postrostral slightly larger than adjacent posterior scales on snout. Nostril bordered proximally by rostral, from above by supra rostral, posteriorly by three (left) and three (right) postnasals. Postnasals slightly larger than adjacent loreals. Scales on top of snout rounded, juxtaposed, relatively uniform in size. Canthus rostralis gently rounded. Loreal region with scales slightly more elongate than those on snout, largest on row adjacent to supralabials; those anterior to the eyelids more conical; 10/9 (right/left side) loreals in a straight line between postnasals and anterior margin of orbit. Top and posterior portion of the head with granular scales smaller than those on top of snout. Scales decrease slightly in size from the postrostrals toward interocular area.

Supraciliary flap missing, with only 1/1 (left/right) barely elongate supraciliary spine on each side. Pupil round, eye diameter 2.3 mm. Scales on temporal region similar to those on top of head. Ear-opening small, 0.6 mm, elongate, posterior to, and at the same level of, angle of mouth. Supralabials 6/6 (right/left) to center of eye, distinctly enlarged anteriorly and decreasing in size posteriorly, followed by much smaller scales along lip to rictus of mouth.

Mental large, distinctly wider anteriorly than posteriorly, with regular posterior margin. Postmentals number two, hexagonal, larger than adjacent posterior scales. Scales on chin flat, smooth, hexagonal to rounded, juxtaposed, larger anteriorly and medially, decreasing in size posteriorly. Infralabials 4/4 to center of eye, decreasing in size posteriorly. There are small scales (4 left side/3 right side) on the commissure to the corner of the mouth.

Scales on nape and sides of neck very small, similar in size, and granular, slightly conical. Scales on throat small, slightly granular, with a rather abrupt transitional zone between the throat and neck.

Dorsal scales granular, juxtaposed, similar in size all over. Ventrals larger than dorsals, roughly hexagonal, flat, smooth, imbricate, in oblique rows also forming rather regular longitudinal rows on the belly, with 53 scales along the midventral line between the anterior part of the arm insertions and the vent (not including small granules lining the edge of the cloaca). Part of the left flank is damaged and some skin missing; is not possible to count the scales around midbody. Scales on precloacal plate similar to ventrals, except for those bordering the vent, which are disposed in one row of very small scales. Escutcheon absent ( Fig. 7 B).

Scales on anterodorsal surface of forelimbs flat, smooth, rhomboidal, imbricate, and largest on arm; on posterodorsal and ventral surface of forelimbs scales are granular, rounded, much smaller than anterodorsal part. Scales on anterodorsal surface of thighs and ventral surface of hind limbs flat, smooth, irregularly rounded, imbricate and bigger than those on posterodorsal surface of thighs and dorsal surface of lower legs, which are juxtaposed, rhomboidal to triangular or rounded to the base of the ankle (some skin on the dorsal surface of the right thigh is missing; part of the left shank is damaged; the posterior portion of the dorsum is skinless. Lamellae under first (I) through fifth (V) finger (right/left hand; proximal lamellae in parentheses): I: 12/11, II: 14/15, III: 17/17, IV: 16/17, V: 14/14. Lamellae under first (I) through fifth (V) toe (right/left foot): I: 11/11, II: 14/14, III: 18/18, IV: 21/ 21, V 19 /20. Fingers and toes with two lateral rows of scales distally. Claws exposed, non-retractile, between two basal scales (one dorsal and one ventral).

Color in preservative. Dorsal color dark brown on head and anterior part of body, being paler towards the middle of the body (posterior part of skin on body missing). There is a white vertebral stripe which is quite regular, but differs in width from 4-5 scales on narrow parts to 8-9 scales on wider parts, becoming less contrasting towards the posterior part of the dorsum. There are a few small white spots symmetrically disposed on exterior side of head and neck, and three transversal short stripes crossing the vertebral stripe. Legs and hind limbs pale brown with diffuse dark mottling. Flanks dirty pale brown. Right side of head dark brown on top, with two white small spots, one immediately behind eye, and other on the lateral occipital area; a white horizontal stripe (regular on the superior margin, irregular on the inferior one, runs from behind eye to the pre-humeral region; a black irregular stripe forming part of the gular reticulation lies immediately below, including the tympanic area. Supralabials and imfralabials crossed vertically by white and dark brown stripes. Pupil black. Gular area white with irregular black reticulation, extending through chest, where reticulation becomes diffuse and the belly is immaculate white with dirty pale brown on the flanks. Palms and soles ivory white.

Variation. The allotype is an adult (MZUC 12105) of 39.21 mm SVL, with entire (but almost completely regenerated) tail. Dorsal coloration includes a dirty white head and neck sulcated by two dark brown irregular longitudinal stripes starting behind nostrils, passing interior to the eyelids and ending on nape; there is a white wide area between the two dark irregular stripes. There are three postocular longitudinal diffuse dark stripes. Dorsum greyish brown with dark brown diffuse markings. A dirty white diffuse vertebral stripe runs from nape to sacrum. There are two symmetrical prehumeral vertical dirty white stripes. Tail is regenerated and conserves only 2.5 mm of base: the regenerated tail is dorsally pale brown and becomes dirty white towards the tip ( Fig. 7 C). Gular region dirty white with a diffuse dark irregular reticulation. Chest and belly immaculate dirty white, as is the ventral side of tail ( Fig. 7 D).

Remarks. The type locality Donoso-Barros (1967) gives is too vague, Sierra de Perijá, as it refers to a whole mountain chain of 230 km long for 30 km wide. Rivero-Blanco (1979) restricts the type locality to 10 km east of Misión el Tokuko. Rojas-Runjaic and Infante (2009) redescribed this species based on specimens from the whole range. Additionally, Rojas-Runjaic et al. (2008) provide information about his natural history and reproductive biology respectively.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Gonatodes petersi. A: male; B: female. La Orchila, Sierra de Perijá, estado Zulia. Uncollected specimens. Photos: Fernando Rojas-Runjaic.

FIGURE 7. Gonatodes petersi. A: holotype, dorsal view. B: ventral view. C: Alotype dorsal view. D: alotype, ventral view. Not to scale. Photos by Juan Pablo Donoso.