Gonatodes ligiae 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 : 542-546

Gonatodes ligiae Donoso-Barros, 1967 .

( Fig. 3 A–B)

Donoso-Barros (1967) presents a short definition for this species: “Un Gonatodes del grupo albogularis caracterizado por un color amarillento castaño sobre la cabeza y el dorso. Flancos azul grisáceos. Vientre negruzco en los machos y claro en las hembras. Ortejos II y III con los segmentos proximales provistos de lamelas más anchas que los dedos” (translation: A Gonatodes of the albogularis group, characterized by a yellowish beige color on head and dorsum. Flanks greyish blue. Belly blackish on males and light on females. Fingers II and III with proximal segments bearing lamellae wider than the fingers). Rivero-Blanco (1968) was the first to link the name ligiae with concinnatus as subspecies. Herein follows a thorough description of the type series.

Gonatodes ligiae Donoso-Barros, 1967

Gonatodes ligiae: Donoso-Barros, 1968: 108

Gonatodes concinnatus: Rivero-Blanco, 1968: 104 (part); Peters and Donoso-Barros, 1970: 132 (part). Gonatodes concinnatus ligiae: Rivero-Blanco, 1979: 92 ; Rivero-Blanco and Barrio-Amorós, 2002: 67; Esqueda, 2004b: 162.

Gonatodes ligiae: Sturaro and Avila-Pires, 2011: 14 .

Holotype. MZUC 11261 (field number in Venezuela V126; number in R. Donoso-Barros collection RDB 3054), an adult male, collected by RDB at Bosque de la Carabela near Barinitas, estado Barinas, Venezuela), on 30 February 1963. ( Fig. 4 A–B)

Allotype. MZUC 11262 (field number in Venezuela V129; number in R. Donoso-Barros collection RDB 3056), from Parque Moromoy at the entry of Barinitas, estado Barinas, Venezuela ( Fig. 4 C–D).

Paratopotypes. the following specimens are mentioned as paratypes by RDB himself and reported here as paratopotypes. MZUC 11263, 12109 (adult males), MZUC 12111 (subadult female).

Paratypes. the following specimens are mentioned as paratypes by RDB but are not from the type locality. MZUC 12110 (juvenile male), MZUC 12113 (adult female) from Parque Moromoy at the entry of Barinitas, estado Barinas, Venezuela. MZUC 12112 (unsexed juvenile) from Barinitas, estado Barinas, Venezuela.

Description of Holotype. An adult male, with snout-vent length of 33.9 mm. Head approximately 1.3 times longer than wide (HL: 9.02 mm; HW: 5.97 mm), 26.6% of SVL. Snout 3.4 mm long, round, moderately elongate, acuminate dorsally, sloping toward top of head. Neck slightly narrower than head and body. Body nearly cylindrical but wider than high; axilla-groin distance 12.3 mm. Limbs well developed, fourth toe length 4.3 mm. Tail lost (only 3.8 mm conserved at the base; see under variation the description of the tail of the paratopotype MZUC 11263, Fig. 4 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. Four postrostrals, the lateral two (supranasals) distinctly larger than the median postrostral; median postrostral slightly larger than adjacent posterior scales on snout. A small scale between the left postrostral and the median postrostral also touches the proximal edge of the rostral. 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, hexagonal to round, juxtaposed, relatively uniform in size. Canthus rostralis rounded.

Loreal region with scales slightly more elongate than those on snout, largest on row adjacent to supralabials; 8/8 (right/left side) loreals in a straight line between postnasals and anterior margin of orbit. Top and posterior portion of the head with smaller granular scales than on top of snout. Scales decrease slightly in size from the postrostrals toward interocular area.

Supraciliary flap present, with 3/5 (left/right side) distinctly elongate supraciliary spines. Pupil round, eye diameter 1.91 mm. Scales on temporal region similar to those on top of head. Ear-opening much smaller than eye, slightly oval, posterior to, and at the same level of, angle of mouth. Supralabials 5/6 (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 irregular posterior margin. Postmentals number three, slightly larger and more polygonal than adjacent posterior scales but irregular in shape and size, the median scale being the largest, a little smaller one on the left side, and an even smaller one at the right. Scales on chin flat, smooth, polygonal, juxtaposed, larger anteriorly and medially, decreasing in size posteriorly. Infralabials 4/4 to center of eye, decreasing in size posteriorly, second IL on left side notched above. There are a series of small scales (6/9 left/right side) at the angle of the jaw.

Scales on nape and sides of neck granular, slightly conical and similar in size. Scales on throat anteriorly slightly granular, posteriorly flat, smooth, increasing in size posteriorly and with a short and rather abrupt transitional zone between the anterior and posterior parts.

Dorsal scales granular, juxtaposed, increasing slightly in size only toward the inferior part of the flanks. Ventrals larger than dorsals, roughly hexagonal, flat, smooth, imbricate, in oblique rows and also forming rather regular longitudinal rows on belly, with 43 scales along the midventral line between the anterior part of the arm insertions with the body and the vent (not including small granules lining the edge of the cloaca). Scales around midbody about 103, of which about 20 are ventrals. Scales on precloacal plate similar to ventrals, except for those bordering the vent, which form 1–2 rows of very small scales. Escutcheon present with approximately 40 scales on posterior portion of belly and on 3–4 rows (38/42 scales each) on ventral surface of thighs.

Scales on dorsum of tail base not dissimilar than those on dorsum of body (see on variation the description of the rest of the scales of the tail on paratype MZUC 11263; Fig. 4 B).

Scales on anterodorsal surface of forelimbs flat, smooth, rhomboidal, imbricate, and largest close to the wrist; on posterodorsal and ventral surface of forelimbs granular, rounded, much smaller than anterodorsal part (there is a triangular injury on the left dorsal thigh). 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. Lamellae under first (I) through fifth (V) finger (right/left hand; proximal lamellae in parentheses) number: I: 10/9, II: 14/13, III: 17/17, IV: 16/16, V: 15/14. Lamellae under first (I) through fifth (V) toe (right/left foot) number: I: 9/9, II: 14/ 13, III: 17/17, IV: 20/ 20, V 17 /17. Fingers and toes with two lateral rows of scales distally. Claws exposed, nonretractile, between two basal scales (one dorsal and one ventral).

Color in preservative. Color in general very much faded. Dorsal coloration immaculate, very pale brown (paler on snout and over the interorbital area, becoming slightly darker from nape backwards. The vertebral spine is even lighter (probably due to preservation artifacts or dehydration). There are two symmetrical irregularly rounded suprahumeral white spots surrounded by black. Ventral side is spotless; chin, chest and cloacal region paler than throat and belly. Posterior part of the sides dark brown.

Variation. The type series consists of two adult males (MZUC 11263, 12109), one juvenile male (MZUC 12110), one adult (12113) and one subadult (12111) female, and one unsexed juvenile (12112).

MZUC 11263 is the only male with a complete tail, and is basically identical in shape and color to the holotype (32.15 mm SVL, 57.95 mm TL). The description of the tail is based on this paratopotype. Tail thicker at base, thicker than cloacal region, due to the presence of two bulges containing the hemipenis; quadrangular in cross section (but most probably due to a preservation artifact), tapering toward tip; 25.8 mm in length (44.5% of the TL). The tail is 2/3 regenerated but the regeneration took place probably when the specimen was young and differentiation between original and regenerated sections of tail are minor (slightly lighter coloration on the regenerated section and slightly larger scales both dorsally and ventrally).

Scales on tail flat, round to irregular, smooth and imbricated, larger than on body, slightly larger laterally. On ventral surface of tail scales smooth, flat, imbricate, increasing in size toward midventral line; midventral scales on original section of tail forming a repetitive sequence of two single midventrals scales (one after the other), each in contact laterodistally with one scales per side, followed by a slightly larger single midventral scale in contact laterodistally with two scales per side (subcaudal pattern “B sensu Rivero-Blanco and Schargel 2012). The regenerated section of tail has a different pattern of scalation, with subcaudals large and equal in size, each one surrounded laterally by two or three scales. The tip is rounded and flat (also probably due to a preservation artifact).

Another male (MZUC 12109) is 36.4 mm SVL and missing its tail, and basically identical to the other males. A young male (MZUC 12110) is much smaller, 24.9 mm SVL, with tail 4/5 intact. Its coloration is pale brown with scattered irregularly faint spotting (juvenile coloration) but with already well defined suprahumeral white ocelli surrounded by black. Ventrally it is immaculate white.

Adult females (allotype MZUC 11262 and paratype MZUC 12113) are larger. Allotype is 39.29 mm SVL, with missing tail. It is dorsally dirty pale brown with dark brown irregular spots; back gray with irregularly paired dorsolateral of dark spots, divided by a faint pale vertebral stripe. Faint and elongated suprahumeral has dirty white marks (not ocelli) surrounded by pale black (irregularly rounded on right side, vertically long on left). Ventral surface of head and gular region white with dark oblique streaks; belly and underside of limbs creamy white. Paratype MZUC 12113 is 37.32 mm SVL with missing tail. It is basically similar to the allotype, just with darker dorsal and gular markings, and flanks. A subadult female (MZUC 12111) is smaller, 30.94 mm SVL, tail missing, dorsally basically similar to the other females, but without visible suprahumeral marks and faint gular marking.

An unsexed juvenile that is quite dehydrated is 23.07 mm SVL, missing tail; dorsally pale brown to grey with irregular markings, no trace of suprahumeral white spots, and ventrally immaculate.

More variation and color in life data can be taken from the detailed work by Sturaro and Avila-Pires (2011). Color photos of live individuals can be seen at Barrio-Amorós (2010) under the name Gonatodes concinnatus .

Remarks. It has been quite surprising for Gonatodes workers that Donoso-Barros didn’t provide detailed descriptions of two Gonatodes ( G. ligiae and G. p e t e r s i); unfortunately he was never able to complete descriptions before his sudden death by a car accident in 1975 ( Ortiz 1975, Péfaur 1976). One of the most surprising omissions is the lack of mention of the most striking character in G. ligiae in the original description, the presence of suprahumeral ocelli in males ( Fig. 5 ; Rivero-Blanco 1968). Barrio Amorós (2010) was incorrect assigning photos of G. ligiae to concinnatus , and photos of G. purpurogularis to G. ligiae .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Gonatodes ligiae. A: male, B: female. A species from the Andean-Llanos piedmont of Venezuela and Colombia, named by RDB and redescribed in this work. Calderas, estado Barinas. Photos by C. L. Barrio-Amorós.

FIGURE 4. Gonatodes ligiae. A: Holotype, dorsal view; B: holotype, ventral view. C: allotype, dorsal view; D: allotype, ventral view. Not to scale. Photos by Juan Pablo Donoso.

FIGURE 5. Detail of the supra humeral ocelli on the holotype of Gonatodes ligiae. Photo by Juan Pablo Donoso.