Afroedura pundomontana, Conradie & Schmitz & Lobón-Rovira & Becker & Vaz Pinto & Hauptfleisch, 2022

Conradie, Werner, Schmitz, Andreas, Lobon-Rovira, Javier, Becker, Francois S., Vaz Pinto, Pedro & Hauptfleisch, Morgan L., 2022, Rock island melody remastered: two new species in the Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944 group from Angola and Namibia, Zoosystematics and Evolution 98 (2), pp. 435-453 : 435

Afroedura pundomontana sp. nov.

Bocoio Flat Gecko (English) Osga-achatada do Bocoio (Portuguese) Figs 3A-B , 4 , 5C-D

Note.

According to Branch et al. (2021), historical material from near Bocoio in Benguela Province, Angola clustered morphologically with A. wulfhaackei . However, due to the occurrence at lower elevations and being isolated from other known populations of Afroedura it was suggested that the status of this population required further investigation ( Branch et al. 2021). Newly-collected material allowed for its re-assessment within a wider phylogenetic framework, and it was determined that it represented a novel lineage, related to A. bogerti and not A. wulfhaackei , as initially hypothesised. It is therefore described below as a new species.

Synonym.

Afroedura bogerti - Branch et al. 2017: 162; Marques et al. 2018: 178 (in part).

Afroedura wulfhaackei - Branch et al. 2021: 66 (in part).

Holotype.

PEM R24743, adult female, collected at Morro do Pundo, about 25 km west of Bocoio (-12.44389, 13.92250; 946 m a.s.l.), Benguela Province, Angola by Pedro Vaz Pinto on 6 June 2018.

Paratypes.

(six specimens). *TM 46587-8, TM 465890, adult females, collected 30 km W of Sousa Lara [= Bocoio] (approx. -12.40689, 13.90400; 670 m a.s.l.), Benguela Province, Angola by Wulf Haacke on 28 May 1974; *TM 46589, adult male, collected 30 km W of Sousa Lara [= Bocoio] (approx. -12.40689, 13.90400; 670 m a.s.l.), Benguela Province, Angola, by Wulf Haacke on 28 May 1974; FKH 0688, FKH 0689, adult females, collected from Alto Pundo - Bocoio (-12.44367, 13.92072, 920 m a.s.l.), Benguela Province, Angola by Pedro Vaz Pinto and Afonso Vaz Pinto on 2 September 2021. *Note the locality data presented as '3 km west of Bocoio, Benguela Province (12°28'58.0"S, 14°06'24.8"E)' in Branch et al. (2017, 2021) is in error and we update it according to the original specimen labels and catalogue museum register.

Etymology.

The new species is named in reference to the area where it was found. The region lies on top of a ridge known as Morro do Pundo that translates to the ‘Hills’ or ‘Mountain’ of the Baboons. The name thus comprises two parts: pundo (= baboon) and montana (= mountain).

Diagnosis.

A member of the greater ' Afroedura transvaalica ' group, possessing two pairs of enlarged scansors per digit, and a strongly verticillate and flattened tail ( Jacobsen et al. 2014). As part of the A. bogerti group it differs from other members of the ' Afroedura transvaalica ' group by having 78-82 midbody scale rows (versus 97-102 in A. gorongosa , 113-120 in A. loveridgei , 102-119 in A. transvaalica ); and rostral excluded from the nostril (in contact in A. gorongosa ) [Note: in Branch et al. (2021) it was incorrectly recorded that the rostral is in contact with the nostril in the A. bogerti -group]; with the supranasals always being in contact (separated by 1-3 granules in A. gorongosa ; always in broad contact in A. loveridgei ; usually in broad contact in A. transvaalica ~ 3-18%); and in having 13-15 scales between the anterior borders of the eyes (19-22 in A. gorongosa ; 15-19 in A. loveridgei ; 15-20 in A. transvaalica ) (comparative data fide Branch et al. 2017, 2021).

Afroedura pundomontana sp. nov. differs from other members of the A. bogerti group by a combination of the following characteristics (see Tables 5 - 6 ): midbody scale rows 78-82 (mean 79.5) (71-72 [mean 71.5] in A. otjihipa sp. nov., 65-67 [mean 66.0] in A. donveae , 69-77 [mean 73.5] in A. bogerti , 73-78 [mean 74.8] in A. praedicta , 73-88 [mean 79.5] in A. wulfhaackei , 73-86 [mean 80.3] in A. vazpintorum ); by the supranasals always being in contact (~33% of the time in A. bogerti ; ~57% in A. wulfhaackei ; always in contact in A. donveae , A. vazpintorum , A. praedicta and A. otjihipa sp. nov.); each tail verticil comprising 4-5 (mean 4.4) ventral and 5-6 (mean 5.6) dorsal rows of scales (mean 4 ventral and 5 dorsal in A. bogerti , A. praedicta and A. wulfhaackei ; 5-6 [mean 5.5] ventral and 6-7 [mean 6.6] dorsal in A. donveae ; 5-6 [mean 5.0] ventral and 6-7 [mean 6.1] dorsal in A. vazpintorum ; 5 ventral and 6 dorsal in A. otjihipa sp. nov.); ventral surfaces greyish with scattered small black spots (similar to A. bogerti , A. praedicta and A. wulfhaackei , immaculate in A. donveae , A. vazpintorum and A. otjihipa sp. nov.). Afroedura pundomontana sp. nov. differs from its sister highland species A. bogerti in having higher numbers of midbody scale counts (78-82 [mean 79.5] versus 73-78 [mean 74.8]), supranasals always in contact (versus ~33% of the time), and the posterior scales of the dorsal W-shapes crossbars dark black (versus same colour as cross bands; Fig. 3 ); it differs from A. wulfhaackei in that the supranasals are always in contact (versus ~57%).

Holotype description.

Adult male; SVL 46.0 mm; tail 42.3 mm (detached full original tail). Small mid-ventral incision for removal of liver sample. Measurements and meristic characters of holotype are presented in Table 6 . Head and body dorsoventrally compressed; HL 12.5 mm, HW 8.3 mm, broadest at posterior level of eye; head 1.51 times longer than wide. Eye large (2.6 mm wide), pupil vertical with indented margins; circumorbital scales small and smooth, elongate at upper anterior margin, upper three posterior scales with small upward pointing spines. Snout rounded, 4.9 mm long, longer than distance between eye and ear openings (3.8 mm). Scales on top of snout smooth, rounded; scales at the edge larger than central ones, with no intervening minute granules. Scales on snout slightly larger in size to those on the back of head or the nape. Scales on eyelids larger than those on the crown, six scales deep from circumorbital scale to crown. Circumorbital scales separated from the larger scales on the eyelids by two rows of smaller scales. Nostril pierced between first supralabial and three nasal scales; rostral excluded from nostril; 1st supralabial narrowly excluded from nostril; supranasal much larger than the postnasals (which are about equal in size) and in broad contact. Nostrils slightly elevated. Rostral roughly rectangular but with the upper edges slightly elongated due to extensions to the supranasals. Eight supralabials on either side, the labial margin flexing upwards at the rictus (approx. midorbital position), with 3-4 minute scales proximal to the flexure. Nine infralabials on either side, with a small scale proximal to the flexure. At the lip, mental slightly narrower than adjacent infralabial; mental only two thirds the width of rostral (1.1 mm versus 1.8 mm respectively), and in contact with three rounded postmental scales. Scales on throat notably smaller than those on belly, but the scales touching the infralabials are larger. Fourteen scales across the crown at level of front of eyes; 18 scales from ear to eye; 83 scales around midbody. Ear opening deep, oblique and more-or-less round, nearly symmetrical (0.7 × 0.8 mm). Scales on dorsum smooth, closely set but juxtaposed, largest at mid-body, smaller on nape and tail base. Scales on venter flattened, not overlapping, more-or-less ovate at mid-ventrum, about twice the size of lateral granules and about 1.5 times larger than the scales along the backbone. Original tail slightly dorsoventrally flattened and distinctly verticillate (10 distinct verticils in total), with obvious lateral constrictions that become less distinct towards the tip of the tail; each verticil comprising 6 rows of imbricate scales dorsally and 4 rows of imbricate ventrally, with ventral scales approximately twice the size of those on the dorsal surface. Limbs well-developed, hindlimbs slightly longer than forelimbs, no notable mite pockets (dermal crevices inhabited by small ectoparasitic mites) at anterior or posterior margin of hind limbs. All digits with a large pair of distal scansors, separated by a large, curved claw, and followed after a large gap (twice the length of terminal scansor) by a smaller pair of scansors; infero-median row of digital scales enlarged transversely, particularly towards the scansors, where the terminal scale adjoining the first pair of scansors may be medially constricted, swollen and scansor-like; seven enlarged subdigital lamellae on 4th toe.

Paratype variation.

(see Table 6 for more measurements and scale counts of type series). SVL 43.4-57.8 mm; head length 1.19-1.50 times head width; snout 1.20-1.93 times the diameter of eye. Supranasals always in contact; the first upper labial and rostral always enter the nostril, and the width of the rostral at the lip margin is always wider than that of the mental; 2-3 postmental scales; supralabials 9, infralabials 9; scales between anterior edges of eyes 16-19; scales between nostril and anterior edge of orbit 10-13; scales between anterior edge of ear and rear margin of orbit 16-19; scales around mid-body 78-83; subdigital lamellae of 4th toe 7-9; dorsal scale rows per tail verticil 5-6; ventral scale rows per tail verticil 4-5. Precloacal pores 12 (single male).

Colouration.

In life (holotype PEM R24743 [similar to Fig. 3C-D ]): Greyish above with five evenly spaced darker crossbars from the occiput to the sacrum, each crossbar consisting of 9-12 dark scales forming a distinct W-shape, that consist anteriorly of a mix of grey and mustard scales and posteriorly by more prominent dark grey to black scales; each dark crossbar is separated by a mix of lighter grey scales; head with irregular dark grey blotches on the crown with intervening pale grey and mustard colouration; dark grey bar from nostril to the anterior margin of the ear opening; a vague, thin grey canthal stripe, extends on both sides from the nasal region to anterior margins of eye; upper and lower labials light grey anteriorly and beige posteriorly with fine black specks; lateral sides of the body with a mix of light grey and light cream-yellow; limbs light greyish above with scattered darker grey markings interspersed with cream-yellow; tail with eight dark brown to black crossbands, becoming increasingly more bold towards the tip; iris gold in colour with a narrow black elliptic pupil with crenulated edge, and black reticulation with light grey intervening blotches; venter uniform greyish with scattered black specks; ventral part of limbs with scattered black specks, more prominent than on the underparts. In preservative (Fig. 4 ): Dorsum with five evenly spaced dark brown W-shaped crossbars from the occiput to the sacrum with beige intervening blotches; ventrum is beige with numerous small scattered black specks on each scale, more prominent posteriorly; tail with eight dark brown to black cross bands. Paratype colouration variation: greyish above with five to six evenly or irregularly spaced darker grey-black W-shaped crossbars from the occiput to the sacrum, anterior part of these crossbars much darker than the posterior part, which is scattered with mustard coloured scales; lateral sides of body with a mixture of darker grey and mustard coloured scales; limbs and tail with grey blotches, with scattered mustard coloured scales; ventrum uniform greyish with scattered black specks.

Natural history and habitat.

(Fig. 5A-B ). A rupicolous species found in rugged landscape between 600 to 1,000 m a.s.l. No details are available regarding the conditions under which the historical material was collected, but the new material was collected during the day, underneath vertical flakes in large granite boulders. On both occasions, several individuals were sheltering under the same flake. They were found in rocky outcrops in anthropogenically disturbed mixed escarpment woodland, characteristic of the ecotone between the arid coastal plain and the inland mesic Angolan plateau. The presence of shrubs and small trees surrounding the granite outcrops suggests that these geckos might forage at night in the vegetation as reported for other Angolan species ( Branch et al. 2021).

Distribution and conservation.

This species is currently known only from central Benguela Province, Angola (Fig. 2 ). It was collected at three localities in close proximity to one another, on the first elevation step of the Angolan escarpment, inland from the town of Lobito. The species may be more widely distributed as our predicted mapping indicates but, so far, surveys conducted on the coastal plain and elsewhere along the escarpment did not produce additional material. Even around the type locality, the species proved to be uncommon and quite difficult to find, partly due to the inaccessible topography, but apparently also due to scarcity of granite flakes. Populations in isolated granite outcrops may be threatened by removal of rock flakes for construction of homes and other buildings. In accordance with IUCN Red List Guidelines ( IUCN 2022) we propose this species to be classified as Data Deficient (DD) at this stage.

Figures

Figure 2. Phylogenetic tree topology based on the combined mitochondrial (12 S, 16 S, Cyt-b, ND 2) and nuclear (c-mos, RAG 1) genes, using Afroedura karroica as outgroup. Support values for Bayesian posterior probabilities (above nodes) and maximum likelihood bootstraps (below nodes) are indicated in the tree (shown values: ML: ≥ 70 % / PP: ≥ 0.75).

Figure 3. Live specimens of: A-B. Afroedura bogerti (A. P 1 - 286, not vouchered; B. JLRZC 0015, not vouchered) from Serra da Namba, Cuanza Sul Province, Angola; C-D. Afroedura pundomontana sp. nov. (FKH 0689) from Morro do Pundo, Benguela Province, Angola. Photos: A, C, D. Pedro Vaz Pinto; B. Javier Lobon-Rovira.

Figure 4. Holotype of Afroedura pundomontana sp. nov. (PEM R 24743) from Morro do Pundo, 25 km west of Bocoio, Benguela Province, Angola. Scale bar: 1 cm. Photos: Werner Conradie.

Figure 5. Habitat photos of: A-B. Afroedura pundomontana sp. nov.: Morro do Pundo, 25 km west of Bocoio, Benguela Province, Angola; C-D. Afroedura otjihipa sp. nov.: Otjihipa Middleberg, Kunene Region, Namibia. Photos: A-B. Pedro Vaz Pinto; C-D. Francois Becker.