Japalura brevicauda, Manthey & Wolfgang & Hou & Wang, 2012

Manthey, U., Wolfgang, D., Hou, M. & Wang, X., 2012, Discovered in historical collections: Two new Japalura species (Squamata: Sauria: Agamidae) from Yulong Snow Mountains, Lijiang Prefecture, Yunnan, PR China, Zootaxa 3200 (1664), pp. 27-48 : 29-33

Japalura brevicauda spec. nov.

( Figs. 1–3)

Holotype. AMNH 19879 (male, paratype of J. flaviceps ), Snow Mt. Village , 2740 m (ca. 27°05’N, 100°11’E), 19 km north of Lijiang, Northwestern Yunnan, PR China, collected by R. C. Andrews and Edmund Heller, November 1916.

Paratypes. ZMB 28932 (female), eastern slopes of the Yulong Snow Mountains , near Lijiang (ca. 26°53’N, 100°11’E,> 2500 m asl.), collected by Camillo Schneider some time between July and October 1914 ; AMNH 19878 (female, paratype of J. flaviceps ), temple on a mountain (2590 m) overlooking Lijiang, collected by R. C. Andrews and Edmund Heller on 11 th October 1916 ; NMW 20853 (juv.), Lijiang collected by Heinrich Freiherr von Handel-Mazzetti, June 1915 .

Remarks on the localities. Today there is a Moso (Naxi) Village called Vulukay [meaning at the foot of the Snow Mountains], approximately 20 km north of Lijiang, at an altitude of ca. 2730 m (Jade Lake Village or Jade Water Village [on Google Earth]).

It is highly probable that this village is identical to the one named as Snow Mountain Village in Andrews & Andrews (1918). As Handel-Mazzetti also stayed in the village ( Andrews & Andrews 1918) it can be assumed that the specimen NMW 20853 was collected at this particular locality and not directly in Lijiang. Furthermore it cannot be excluded that even Schneider collected in the surroundings of this village as his locality record “Ulukay” is potentially a typographic error for the currently used extremely similar name Vulukay.

Diagnosis. Medium sized, short-tailed Japalura species with short and robust limbs, that differs from all other species of this genus by the following combination of characters: SVL up to 64 mm, ratio TL/SVL ≤ 150%; ratio FLL/SVL ≤ 39.5%; T4S 16–20; 34–38 MD, tympanum concealed, transverse gular fold present.

Description of the holotype. SVL 48 mm, TL/SVL 140%, FLL/SVL 38.8%, HLL/SVL 60%, HW/SVL 22.9%, SL 7/7, IL 8/9, 34 MD, 16/17 T4S. Body shape in cross section dorsolaterally slightly compressed; nuchal and dorsal crest a serrated ridge; rectangular rostral approx. three times broader than high in contact with eight scales including SL; nasal scale separated from rostral by two scales and by one scale from the first supralabial scale; four scale rows between the orbit and supralabials; a group of enlarged, strongly keeled scales at the posterior edge of the orbit; tympanum covered with scales; one conical scale above the tympanum adjacent to the enlarged scales; supraciliary scales widely overlapping; head dorsally covered with heterogeneous strongly keeled scales, gular scales homogeneous, keeled, slightly smaller than ventral scales; transverse gular fold covered with small scales, no gular pouch visible; numerous head scales with hair-like sense organs; dorsals heterogeneous in shape, keeled, directed caudad; two more or less developed rows of enlarged scales on each side of the back parallel to the MDs, either in contact with each other or separated by smaller scales; limbs with keeled scales; upper scales slightly heterogeneous, underside nearly homogeneous.

Colour in alcohol. Dorsally a light shade of brown; a broad yellow brown band between the eyes; an equally coloured, lighter bordered, slightly zigzag shaped band starting in the occipital region and ending at approximately the base of the tail, ventral colour light brown similar to dorsal band; gular region with a weakly developed stripe pattern.

Variation ( Figs. 2 & 3). Apart from the morphometric and meristic variations compiled in Tables 1 & 2 the following differences with respect to the holotype exist within the paratypes series:

AMNH 19878 a second row of enlarged dorsal scales is only developed on the anterior part of the body. The dorsally present light brown colouration is disrupted by lighter parts that do not form a pattern neither on the head nor on the dorsum.

ZMB 28932 two conical scales present on either side of the head; rostral scale surrounded by nine scales and the second row of enlarged dorsals only discernible on the neck. Dorsal and lateral brown colouration interspersed with dark brown markings; sides of the head with a band stretching from the lower posterior edge of the orbit to above the angle of the mouth; a small band between the eyes; two v-shaped bands in the nape region, followed by a broader band on the dorsum and an irregular zigzag pattern on the posterior half of the body; two dark spots with a lighter coloured centre near the onset of the hindlimbs; limbs with dark bands; striped pattern on the gular region hardly discernible.

There are no conical scales on the occipital region of NMW 20853 and the rows of enlarged dorsal scales are very indistinct. “A dark cross-band between the eyes; a dark cross-band at the posterior edges of the eye, a dark band from the eye to the angle of the mouth, back with transversal bands (anteriorly) or zigzag bands (posteriorly)” (translation of Werner 1924). Nowadays this pattern and the respective markings are no longer under normal circumstances discernible (certain light conditions such as photographic flash light reveal some markings) and the specimen very much resembles in colouration that of AMNH 19878.

Condition of the type series. The condition of the type series is reasonably good albeit that some markings and pattern have suffered owing to the long time of conservation in alcohol.

Distribution ( Fig. 12). Only known from the type locality, eastern slopes of the Yulong Snow Mountains in the vicinity of Lijiang, Yunnan, PR China

Etymology. The name brevicauda (Lat. brevis = short, cauda = tail) means short tailed reflecting this morphological feature of the new species.