Fantastic lizards and where to find them: cis-Andean microteiids (Squamata: Alopoglossidae & Gymnophthalmidae) from the Colombian Orinoquia and Amazonia Author Diago-Toro, María F. Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Tecnologías, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia. Author García-Cobos, Daniela Subdirección de Investigaciones, Colecciones Biológicas, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, carrera 8 # 15 - 08, Claustro de San Agustín, Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, Colombia. Author Brigante-Luna, Giovanni D. 0000-0001-6823-2383 Grupo de investigación de Biodiversidad del Caribe Colombiano, Semillero de Herpetología, Programa de Biología, Universidad del Atlántico. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 6823 - 2383 Author Vásquez-Restrepo, Juan D. Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México. text Zootaxa 2021 2021-11-11 5067 3 377 400 journal article 3574 10.11646/zootaxa.5067.3.3 937e9cfe-ea1e-4891-b147-91ab13a31d78 1175-5326 5681919 F64E5226-B4DD-44A3-A83E-E05928B82F4B Gymnophthalmus cryptus Hoogmoed et al. , 1992 Distribution: Southwestern Venezuela in the Guayana region ( Recoder et al. 2018 ) and adjacent Colombia . In Colombia , it is known only from the east Orinoco River basin in the Vichada department ( Fig. 4E ). Similar species: Gymnophthalmus cryptus can be distinguished from other sympatric species of the genus in Colombia in possessing 15 scales around midbody, rarely 14 ( 13 in G. leucomystax , and G. marconaterai ; usually 13, but rarely 15 in G. speciosus group); 3+2+1, temporal formula with the occipital scale in contact with the temporals of both the third and second rows (3+2+2, with the occipital scale in contact only with the superior temporal of the third row in G. leucomystax ); four or fewer inconspicuous femoral pores on each side in adult males (usually conspicuous with plugs in G. leucomystax and G. speciosus group). Furthermore, its color patterns also differentiate this species as it consists of a blue tail when intact (grey in G. leucomystax , salmon-pink in G. marconaterai , and reddish in G. speciosus group); incomplete dorsolateral stripe, extending only to almost the midbody (stripe extending from the supraocular region to the base of the tail in G. leucomystax , and from the supraocular region to beyond of the base of the tail in G. marconaterai ); darkened belly (white in G. leucomystax and G. marconaterai ); and dark upper lip (white in G. leucomystax and G. marconaterai , cream with dark spots or dark brown in G. speciosus group). For a more detailed description see Hoogmoed et al. (1992). Remarks: One of the characteristics to differentiate G. cryptus from similar species of the genus is the presence of four inconspicuous femoral pores on each side in adult males. However, we consider that this character may not be easily distinguished since inconspicuousness may be a relative trait to distinguish species. The male revised in this study (IAvH-R 5390) agrees with the morphological diagnosis of the species, except the bluish coloration in the tail that we believe may be lost for the preservative. This is the first report of this species for Colombia .