Acanthocercus minutus ( Klausewitz, 1957: 170 )

Wagner, Philipp, Greenbaum, Eli, Bauer, Aaron M., Kusamba, Chifundera & Leaché, Adam D., 2018, Lifting the blue-headed veil - integrative taxonomy of the Acanthocercus atricollis species complex (Squamata: Agamidae), Journal of Natural History 52 (13 - 16), pp. 771-817 : 807-810

Acanthocercus minutus ( Klausewitz, 1957: 170)

( Figure 17 )

1957 Agama atricollis minuta Klausewitz, Eidonomische Untersuchungen über die Rassenkreise Agama cyanogaster und Agama atricollis . 2. Die Unterarten von Agama atricollis . Senckenbergiana biologica 38: 157–174.

Holotype

ZMB 29089, from ‘ Dscheffedenza [=Ciaffedenza], Shoa’, Ethiopia (for comment see distribution).

Description

A small species of the genus with a total length below 290 mm (SVL: 93–117 mm, x = 108.2 mm, n = 3), tail only one fourth longer than SVL, shorter than in A. ugandaensis or A. kiwuensis . Both Loveridge (1920) and Klausewitz (1957) noted the small size of this species. The head seems to be only moderately broad because of the small size, but in relation to SVL length it is broader than in other species of the genus. Ear openings as large as eyes, with the tympanum visible. Occipital scale lacking. Nostril slightly below the canthus rostralis. No vertebral crest. Scales arranged in 104–114 (x = 109.7, n = 3) rows around midbody and 72–85 (x = 79.7, n = 3) longitudinal rows along the vertebrae. Matrix scales small, rhomboidal and keeled, scattered with enlarged scales. These larger scales are not as large and distinct as in A. gregorii . Vertebral scales keeled, enlarged scales intermixed with matrix scales but distinct to the lateral scalation, not arranged in distinct vertebral bands or framed by scales which are larger than the scales of the centre of the band. Gular scales small, smooth and flat. Ventral scales small and smooth, in 71–75 (x = 73.7, n = 3) longitudinal rows. Males usually with two (sometimes three) continuous rows of 14–17 precloacal pores, which are lacking in females.

1 = without locality [03.21°N, 28.52°E]; 2 = Okapi Faunal Reserve, Kayumaga stream; 3 = Avakubi, Ituri Forest; 4 = Epulu; 5 = Okapi Faunal Reserve ; 6 = without locality [1.12°N, 29.25°E]; 7 = Bunia; 8 = Ndjuma Forest ; 9 = Kisanzi [village near Mt. Teye]; 10 = Hakitengya; 11 = Byumba; 12 = Fort Portal ; 13 = Semliki Forest ; 14 = Nyakalengijo; 15 = Kyehundwe; 16 = Jambo Village ; 17 = Kasese; 18 = Mount Ruwenzori ; 19 = Butembo; 20 = Lake Edward ; 21 = Kazinga channel; 22 = Kichwamba; 23 = Ibanda; 24 = Kabasha Escarpment; 25 = Kasese; 26 = Nyakabande; 27 = near Goma; 28 = Gisenyi [Rutshuru]; 29 = Buyumba; 30 = Isale; 31 = Upper Mulinga River , Idjwi Island ; 32 = Kibuye; 33 = Bukavu; 34 = Cyamudongo; 35 = Bujumbura; 36 = Kikonda; 37 = Budongo Forest ; 38 = Masinde; 39 = Kabulamuliro; 40 = Entebbe; 41 = Kampala; 42 = Mabira Forest ; 43 = Jinja; 44 = Ntotoro; 45 = Osukuru; 46 = Elgonyi; 47 = Kitale; 48 = Kisere; 49 = Kamwega; 50 = Kakamega Forest; 51 = Buyangu Village ; 52 = Kaimosi; 53 = Siaya; 54 = Ngiya; 55 = Kisumu; 56 = Lumbwa; 57 = Migori; 58 = Loita Plains ; 59 = Nakuru; 60 = Nakuru National Park; 61 = Lake Naivasha ; 62 = Thika; 63 = Mount Meru; 64 = Kitosh; 65 = without locality [1.52°N, 28.59°E] .

There is no information about life coloration available. According to Klausewitz (1957) this species, like A. ugandaensis , is uniform brownish with a reticulated blue pattern on the throat. However, this description seems to be based on preserved specimens.

Distribution

A. minutus is mainly restricted to Ethiopia with few records from Kenya (e.g. adult female from Nairobi mentioned by Klausewitz 1957, Figure 14 ). The published type locality is Dscheffedenza in ‘ Shoa’ , which seems to be the German name for ‘ Ciaffedenza’, a town east of Addis Ababa .

Habitat and ecology

Little information about habitat or ecology is available. Within a species account on A. atricollis, Largen and Spawls (2010) mentioned Ethiopian populations of small, frequently less colourful and ground-living specimens which probably refer to A. minutus . These populations are distributed within an altitudinal range of 1500–3000 m asl and inhabit dry savannah and woodland habitats. Largen and Spawls (2006, 2010) mentioned that they do not show affinity for trees and that the specimens were most frequently encountered in open environments in holes or beneath rocks. However, they only mentioned that there was uncertainty about which name to apply to these populations, but did not give citations or mention particular taxon names.

Figures

Figure 14. Distribution of Acanthocercus gregorii and A. minutus. The numbers refer to the specific localities.

Figure 17. Holotype (ZMB 29089) of Acanthocercus minutus, from Dscheffedenza, Ethiopia.