Prionodactylus phelpsorum, (LANCINI)

Doan, Tiffany M., 2003, A new phylogenetic classification for the gymnophthalmid genera Cercosaura, Pantodactylus and Prionodactylus (Reptilia: Squamata), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 137 (1), pp. 101-115 : 107-108

PRIONODACTYLUS PHELPSORUM (LANCINI)

Euspondylus phelpsi Lancini, 1968: 2 .

Euspondylus phelpsorum: Myers & Donnelly, 1996: 23 .

Euspondylus goeleti Myers & Donnelly, 1996: 23 .

Prionodactylus phelpsorum: Gorzula & Señaris, 1998:

139.

Prionodactylus goeleti Myers & Donnelly, 2001: 60 .

It seemed questionable that this taxon belongs to Prionodactylus because of the condition of its gular scales. Uzzell (1973) re-diagnosed the genus Prionodactylus as having a double widened row of gular scales, at least posteriorly. He was not able to examine Euspondylus phelpsi but, because Lancini (1968) did not mention the gular scales, he retained E. phelpsi as Euspondylus . Gorzula & Señaris (1998) also did not mention the gulars, but decided without explanation that the taxon should be included in Prionodactylus . I found the gular character to be variable in the three individuals I examined (see Appendix 1), with one individual possessing a complete double row, one individual without any differentiation in size from the ventrolateral gular scales, and one individual with the double widened row only posteriorly. The photographs of P. goeleti in Myers & Donnelly (1996, 2001) also display variation in the gular character. I would be hesitant to decide on its generic status except for its obviously close relationship with P. nigroventris (see below), a species that possesses all the diagnostic characters of Prionodactylus . Based on these similarities, I retain this species in Prionodactylus .

The status of P. goeleti remains in question with alternating publications of Myers & Donnelly (1996, 2001) and Gorzula & Señaris (1998). I was unable to examine specimens assigned to P. goeleti and only consider P. phelpsorum for this study.