Sphaerodactylus poindexteri, Mccranie, James R. & Hedges, S. Blair, 2013

Mccranie, James R. & Hedges, S. Blair, 2013, Two additional new species of Sphaerodactylus (Reptilia, Squamata, Gekkonoidea, Sphaerodactylidae) from the Honduran Bay Islands, Zootaxa 3694 (1) : -

Sphaerodactylus poindexteri sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus —Köhler, 1996:25.

Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus —Köhler, 1998:141.

Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus —McCranie et al., 2005:80 (part). Sphaerodactylus continentalis —McCranie & Hedges, 2012:72 (part).

Holotype. FMNH 283685 (genetic sample 1, KF017641 ), an adult female from near Trade Winds on the east coast of Isla de Utila, 16.102567°, -86.883117°, Islas de la Bahía, Honduras, 3 m elev., collected 25 September 2012 by James R. McCranie and Leonardo Valdés Orellana.

Paratypes (2). FMNH 283682, 283684 (genetic sample 2, KF017642 , KF017631 ), both adult females, same data as holotype.

Geographic distribution. Sphaerodactylus poindexteri is known to occur only at low elevations on Isla de Utila in the Islas de la Bahía, Honduras ( Fig. 3 ).

Diagnosis. Sphaerodactylus poindexteri has a slightly longer head (HL/SVL 0.272–0.273) than do the other species in the S. millepunctatus species group (versus 0.221–0.248 in seven female S. continentalis , 0.220–0.261 in 10 female S. guanajae , 0.210–0.260 in 10 female S. leonardovaldesi , and 0.214–0.247 in 10 female S. millepunctatus ). Sphaerodactylus poindexteri also lacks the short, narrow, pale longitudinal line located above each pelvic area as seen in the other Bay Island species of this group ( S. guanajae , S. leonardovaldesi ). Sphaerodactylus poindexteri differs further from S. millepunctatus in having smaller and more numerous dorsal scales (63–72, x = 68.0 ± 4.6 dorsal scales between levels of axilla and groin in S. poindexteri versus 42–57, x = 51.7 ± 4.8 in 18 S. millepunctatus ). Sphaerodactylus poindexteri also appears to have fewer dorsal scales around the midbody than does S. continentalis (55–63 in two S. poindexteri versus 64–80 in 21 S. continentalis ). Sphaerodactylus poindexteri also differs from S. continentalis and S. millepunctatus in having a more muted dorsal pattern (dark dorsal spots, when present, usually confined to one scale in S. poindexteri versus dark dorsal spots usually larger, usually occupying more than one scale in size S. continentalis and S. millepunctatus ). Sphaerodactylus poindexteri occurs sympatrically with one other species of Sphaerodactylus , S. rosaurae Parker , but is easily distinguished from that species in having all dorsal body scales of a similar size (versus middorsal zone of granular scales that are sharply and distinctly differentiated from the much larger surrounding dorsal scales in S. rosaurae ). Sphaerodactylus poindexteri also differs from other S. millepunctatus species group members in amount of modelcorrected cytochrome b sequence divergence (17 %; Fig. 1 ).

Description of holotype. A moderate-sized Sphaerodactylus with a snout-vent length (SVL) of 23.9 mm; snout-ear length (head length) 6.5 mm; head width 2.6 mm; head depth 2.0 mm; snout length 2.8 mm, snout length/ eye-ear length 1.04; tail broken at base.

Rostral with long median cleft and short posterior notch occupied by a single small scale; supranasals two, anterior one largest, rounded, dorsally confined, in contact with nasal opening, separated from first supralabial by posterior supranasal and two small postnasals, anterior supranasal contacting rostral above nasal opening; internasal single, occupying space narrower than greatest width of anterior supranasal; snout scales swollen, weakly keeled, juxtaposed, 11 along midline from anterior level of orbits to rostral, four per interorbital width (IOW); scales between eyes narrower than snout scales; parietal surfaces and nape covered with swollen, weakly keeled granules, about 5–6 per IOW; superciliary spine short, located at level anterior to mideye; fourth supralabial lies below anterior half of eye, shorter fifth supralabial lies below center and posterior portion of eye; third infralabial lies below anterior half of eye, fourth infralabial lies below center and posterior half of eye, first infralabial largest, its length equals nearly 2.0 times IOW; mental large, about as long as wide, with oblique sutures between infralabials; postmentals two, polygonal, not elongated; gular scales smooth, granular, juxtaposed, five per IOW.

Dorsal scales of trunk oval, flattened, keeled, slightly imbricate, about four per IOW, 69 along midline between levels of axilla and groin; lateral scales similar to dorsals; ventrals smooth, flat, about three per IOW, 41 along midline between levels of axilla and groin; scales around midbody not countable because of tissue removal and damaged skin; proximal supracaudal scales rhomboid, flat, imbricate, keeled; proximal subcaudal scales smooth, larger than supracaudals; no pair of distinctly swollen granules at each corner of vent; subdigital lamellae smooth, nine present on each fourth toe, seven present on each fourth finger, 32 total subdigital lamellae on combined fourth digits.

Color in life ( Fig. 2 ): dorsal ground color of body Ground Cinnamon (239) with scattered Vandyke Brown (221) small spots; dorsal surface of head Ground Cinnamon with Vandyke Brown postorbital stripe and scattered spots; Vandyke Brown occipital spot present; paired Vandyke Brown nuchal blotches present, blotches outlined by Tawny Olive (223D); dorsal surfaces of limbs Ground Cinnamon with golden brown spot on knee and band on shank; dorsal surface of basal part of tail (note that when color in life was recorded and the specimen was photographed, the tail was complete for about two-thirds of its original length; tail currently broken and lost at base) Ground Cinnamon with Vandyke Brown mottling, remainder of dorsal surface of tail to broken point Vinaceous Pink (221C); venter of head and body pale brown with scattered brown flecking; subcaudal surface Vinaceous Pink distal to pale brown base; iris with golden yellow ring around Vandyke Brown pupil.

Color in alcohol: dorsal surfaces brown without scattered darker brown scales on body; snout medium brown with indistinct brown postnasal stripe extending nearly to orbit; supraocular scales dark brown, top of head posterior to that point medium brown with indistinct reticulated pattern of brown lines; postocular stripe dark brown; paired dark brown nuchal blotches present, separated medially by five pale brown scales; dorsal surfaces of limbs similar to that of dorsal surface of body, but with distinct pale brown dorsal spot on knee and pale brown dorsal band on shank; supralabials pale brown with dark brown flecking; mental and infralabials pale brown, without distinct markings; gular region pale brown with brown flecking; belly cream with brown flecking on scale edges; no pale pelvic line evident.

Variation. Three adult females in the type series have SVL’s of 22.0–29.6 (25.2 ± 4.0) mm, 63–72 (68.0 ± 4.6) dorsal scales, 34–44 (39.7 ± 5.1) ventral scales, 58–63 (60.5 ± 3.5, n = 2) scales around midbody, 10–11 (10.3 ± 0.6) snout scales, 9–11 (9.5 ± 0.8) subdigital lamellae on fourth toe, 7–8 (7.2 ± 0.4) subdigital lamellae on fourth finger, 32–37 (33.7 ± 2.9) combined subdigital lamellae on the fourth digits, and all lack pale lines above the pelvic region in preservative. One paratype (FMNH 283682) has dark brown blotches on the nape, but they are smaller than those in the holotype, whereas dark nape blotches are absent in the other paratype (FMNH 283684). One paratype (FMNH 283684) has widely separated dark brown dorsal spots, most of which are confined to one scale; also, that specimen has distinct dark brown lines on the posterior end of the head and in the nuchal region. One paratype (FMNH 283684) has a complete tail with a TAL/SVL of 0.895, with the medial series of subcaudal scales enlarged and aligned in a row.

Habitat. Individuals were uncovered while raking through leaf litter during the morning and afternoon. Specimens were collected at two adjacent sites, one consisting of a zone of Sea Grape ( Cocoloba uvifera ) trees located behind the beach and a zone of uplifted coral rock. The second site consisted of hardwood tree leaf litter. The former site is at 3 m elevation, whereas the second site is at 10 m elevation. Because of the fragile skin of this species, most museum specimens have some damage to their skin.

Etymology. The specific name poindexteri is a patronym honoring James A. Poindexter of the USNM Support Center in Suitland, MD. James has been extremely helpful to the first author (JRM) over the years in providing copies of much needed literature for his continuing work on the amphibians and reptiles of Honduras.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Phylogenetic tree of 11 species of Sphaerodactylus from a maximum-likelihood analysis of DNA sequences of two mitochondrial genes (12 S rRNA and cytochrome b). A scale bar is indicated. The numbers at nodes are bootstrap (left) and Bayesian (right) support values.

FIGURE 2. Adult female holotype (FMNH 283685) of Sphaerodactylus poindexteri sp. nov. from east end of Utila Island near Trade Winds, (SVL 23.9 mm). Photograph by J. R. McCranie.

FIGURE 3. Map of Honduras showing localities for specimens examined of Sphaerodactylus continentalis (circles), S. guanajae (inverted triangle), S. leonardovaldesi (squares), S. millepunctatus (triangles), and S. poindexteri sp. nov. (open square). These five species represent a closely related group of cryptic species in the S. millepunctatus species group.