Trachylepis ozorii ( Bocage, 1893 )

Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Marques, Mariana P. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2016, A review of the genus Trachylepis (Sauria: Scincidae) from the Gulf of Guinea, with descriptions of two new species in the Trachylepis maculilabris (Gray, 1845) species complex, Zootaxa 4109 (3), pp. 284-314 : 305-306

Trachylepis ozorii ( Bocage, 1893)

( Fig. 11 )

Mabuia Ozorii Bocage 1893: 47

Mabuia Osorii ( Bocage 1897: 195)

Mabuya blanlingii [sic] (Hallowell) ( Manaças 1958: 185)

Mabuya ozorii Bocage, 1893 ( Bocage 1903: 59; Boulenger 1906: 205; Jesus et al. 2003: 20; Jesus et al. 2005)

Trachylepis ozorii ( Bocage, 1893) is one of the world’s most poorly known species of reptiles. Described in 1893 based on a single specimen collected by Francisco Newton on Annobon Island and named after Baltazar Osório (1855-1926), a Portuguese ichthyologist and naturalist at the National Museum of Lisbon, the species has been reported very few times since its description ( Bocage 1897; Boulenger 1906; Jesus et al. 2003). According to Jesus et al. (2005), the species is unrelated phylogenetically to all other Gulf of Guinea oceanic island Trachylepis , suggesting that the ancestors of this species colonised Annobon from the continent soon after the island's emergence and not by “island-hopping”. We were not able to include any tissue samples of this species in our phylogenetic analysis However, given morphological characters, such as the spinose palms, size, scalation and colouration, we suggest that this species is closely related to Trachylepis polytropis ( Boulenger, 1903) and Trachylepis makolowodei Chirio, Ineich, Schmitz & Lebreton, 2008 . This hypothesis, however, requires confirmation by means of a thorough molecular study.

Diagnosis. Trachylepis ozorii is a medium-sized skink (SVL 63.9–85.9 mm) with a tail approximately 1.8 times SVL. Large and acuminate head (HW/HL 60,7%), 21.2 % as long as SVL. Supraciliaries usually 7, sometimes 6; five labials anterior to subocular; rectangular and enlarged subocular, in direct contact with the lip and not reduced basally by the intrusion of adjacent supralabials. Prefrontals always in contact. Supranasals always separated. Midbody scales rows 34–36, paravertebral scales 58–61, with three keels on vertebral and dorsal scales. Lamellae beneath the fourth finger 15–17, beneath the fourth toe 20–23. Digital lamellae keeled and spinose.

Back uniformly olive-green with many dark speckles and irregular dots and belly light green in alcoholpreserved specimens; infralabials and supralabials greenish, mental yellowish; absence of distinct longitudinal stripes or transverse dorsal bands. Colour in life olive-green on dorsum, with many dark speckles and irregular dots. Venter uniform yellowish-green.

Distribution. This species occurs only on Annobon Island, Equatorial Guinea ( Jesus et al. 2003).

Habitat and natural history notes. Almost nothing is known about the habitat, ecology and natural history of this species. Jesus et al. (2003) noted that the species was common and widespread on Annobon Island, but was usually not found in wet and shaded places such as the dense forest that covers the upper slopes of the island. Boulenger (1906) stated that the species occurs from sea level to 500 m.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Trachylepis ozorii (Bocage, 1893) (MNHN-RA- 1946 - 206). (Photo: Luis Ceríaco).