Two new species of semiaquatic Anolis (Squamata: Dactyloidae) from Costa Rica
Author
Chaves, Gerardo
0000-0002-4301-6569
Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical (Museo de Zoología) de la Universidad de Costa Rica & cachi 13 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 4301 - 6569
cachi13@gmail.com
Author
Ryan, Mason J.
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA & Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W Carefree Hwy, Phoenix, Arizona 85086
Author
Bolaños, Federico
0000-0002-7935-6418
Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical (Museo de Zoología) de la Universidad de Costa Rica & Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica & federico. bolanos @ ucr. ac. cr; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 7935 - 6418
federico.bolanos@ucr.ac.cr
Author
Márquez, Cruz
0009-0003-2220-7379
Direccion, Conservacion, Restauracion y Desarrollo Sustentable de Ecosistemas Insulares; Parque Nacional Galapagos, Ecuador cruzkallw @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0009 - 0003 - 2220 - 7379
cruzkallw@gmail.com
Author
Köhler, Gunther
0000-0002-2563-5331
Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt a. M., Germany gkoehler @ senckenberg. de; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 2563 - 5331
gkoehler@senckenberg.de
Author
Poe, Steven
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-07-25
5319
2
249
262
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5319.2.6
journal article
57778
10.11646/zootaxa.5319.2.6
49b790fb-5325-46da-aa80-d36d2e1fcc1a
1175-5326
8182539
065A967F-2832-4BDF-890A-2EA852CACD74
Anolis robinsoni
,
new species
Holotype
. UCR 2463 (
Fig. 4
) collected
15 March 1969
by
Oscar Blanco
, an adult male from
Palma
stream bridge
5.1 km
south of
Santa Marta de Santiago de Puriscal
,
9.79230 N
, -
84.39530 W
, ca.
800 masl
,
San José Province
,
Costa Rica
.
Paratypes
(
all from
Costa Rica
:
San José Province
)
.
Adult
males
:
SMF 92437
(collected
27 March 2010
by
Gunther Köhler
) from
Zona Protectora El Rodeo
(
Universidad
para la
Paz
),
9.90392 N
, -
84.28169 W
, ca.
825 masl
;
SMF 92438
(collected
27 March 2010
by
Gunther Köhler
) from
Zona Protectora El Rodeo
(
Universidad
para la
Paz
),
9.90355 N
, -
84.28192 W
, ca.
780 masl
;
UCR 2464 (same data of the
holotype
); UCR 16048 (collected
28 October 2001
by
Mason J Ryan
,
Robert Puschendorf
and
Brian Kubicki
) from the west slope of the
Cerros de Escazú
,
Río Jaris
(
9.88460 N
, -
84.27650 W
, 500 ca. masl), close to the
Zona Protectora El Rodeo
(
Universidad
para
la Paz
)
;
MCZ
R-186162 (collected
27 December 2007
by
Steve Poe
and
Mason
J.
Ryan
) from
Quebrada La Palma in Alto Palma de Puriscal
(
9.78890 N
, -
84.39440 W
, ca.
1000 masl
).
Adult
females
:
SMF 92439
,
92450–51
(collected
27 March 2010
by
Gunther Köhler
) from
Zona Protectora El Rodeo
(
Universidad
para la
Paz
),
9.90364 N
, -
84.28182 W
, ca.
820 masl
; UCR 2558 (collected
15 March 1969
by Oscar Blanco and Douglas Robinson) and
MCZ
R-186161 (collected
27 December 2007
by
Steve Poe
and
Mason
J.
Ryan
) both of them from
Quebrada La Palma in Alto Palma de Puriscal
(
9.78890 N
, -
84.39440 W
, ca
1000 masl
)
.
FIGURE 4.
A)
Anolis robinsoni
in life; B) Male dewlap of
Anolis robinsoni
(SMF 92437) in life. C) Dorsal view of head and D) Small middorsal scales in the base of the tail of paratype (UCR 2464) of
A. robinsoni
locate between breakpoint (a) and the first enlarge middorsal caudal scale (b). Photo A by Robert Puschendorf, B by Gunther Köhler, and C and D by Gerardo Chaves.
Diagnosis
.
Anolis robinsoni
sp. nov.
is a semiaquatic anole that is distinguished from all other
Anolis
of Central America by male dewlap coloration (chocolate brown with ill-defined brick red horizontal streaks,
Fig. 4B
). The only other species with which
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
might be confused in the field are the other Middle American semiaquatic anoles
A. aquaticus
,
A. lionotus
,
A. poecilopus
, and
A. barkeri
.
Anolis lionotus
and
A. poecilopus
are easily distinguished from
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
by male dewlap color (dull orange-yellow in these species, chocolate brown with ill-defined brick red horizontal streaks in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
), presence of enlarged postcloacal scales in most males (absent in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
), and presence of a longitudinal zone of 10–24 enlarged middorsal scales (0–3 scales enlarged in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
).
Anolis aquaticus
may be distinguished from
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
by male dewlap color (orange-red with yellow in
A. aquaticus
,
Fig. 5A
) and possession of larger dorsal scales of the head and body (e.g., 15–20 scales across the snout between second canthals in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 4C
),
7–14 in
A. aquaticus
;
Fig. 5B
,
Table 1
) and the size of the middorsal caudal row scales relative to adjacent scales (no more than two times in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 4D
), more than three times in
A. aquaticus
(
Fig 5C
).
Anolis barkeri
is most easily distinguished from
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
by its larger size (maximum SVL
91 mm
in
A. barkeri
,
74 mm
in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
), lack of distinctly expanded toe pads (ratio width of expanded pads/width of distal phalanx
1.8–2.2 in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
versus
1.4–1.6 in
A. barkeri
), and presence of a double row of middorsal caudal scales (single row in
A. robinsoni
sp. nov.
).
Description of the
holotype
(
Fig. 4
)
. Adult male as indicated by dewlap and everted hemipenes; SVL
63.9 mm
; HL
17.5 mm
; HL/SVL 0.28; HW
10.1 mm
; EOH
2.36 mm
; IL
1.18 mm
; IL/EOH 0.50; SLS-I
0.18 mm
mm; AGL
23.1 mm
; FL
16.6 mm
; T4L
15.1 mm
; T4W
1.42 mm
; TL
10.4 mm
, tail complete; TL/SVL 0.38; T4L
15.1 mm
and T4W
1.42 mm
. 18 scales across the snout between second canthals; two scales separate the nasal opening from rostral scale; nine postrostral scales between supralabials; nine supralabial scales from rostral scale to level of middle of eye; six scales separating supraorbital semicircles; one rows of scales separate subocular scales from supralabials; two slightly elongate superciliary scale; eight scales separating interparietal scale from supraorbital semicircles; 12 enlarged scales in supraocular disk; 11 loreal scales in column just anterior to eye; 11 postmental scales posteriorly in contact with mental scale between infralabials; 16 scales in the loreal region; 19 rows of single scales in the dewlap (10–42 scales per row, rows somewhat irregular); 2 middorsal scale rows slightly larger than adjacent scales; 16 dorsal scales in 5% of SVL; 12 ventral scales in 5% of SVL; 220 scales around midbody; 23 expanded lamellae under fourth toe; 26 small middorsal caudal scales before the first large caudal scale (
Fig. 4D
). Preoccipital, enlarged infralabial, tail crest, middorsal, and postcloacal scales absent; supraocular disc presents small scales. Frontal region of head concave; scales in supraocular disc unicarinate; rostral scale with weak cleft and overlaps mental scale; ear opening vertically ovoid; dorsal edge of ear lacks ornamentation; mental scale partially divided posteriorly and with its posterior edge convex; dewlap extends well on to chest with anterior insertion at level of anterior portion of the eye and without protruding scales at distal edge; dorsal scales small, keeled with two middorsal scale rows slightly larger than adjacent scales; ventral scales in diagonal rows, keeled and larger than dorsal scales; lateral scales homogeneous; tail is compressed and triangular in cross-section with the base taller than wide; middorsal caudal scales in single row and its size is less than three times than the adjacent scales (
Fig. 4D
); the longest toe of adpressed limb reaches anterior to eye and, supradigital scales keeled and multicarinate.
Color in life
(male based on field notes and color photographs;
Fig. 4A and 4B
). The dewlap of males in life is chocolate brown with lighter orange-brown bars located centrally. The dorsal ground color is olive to chestnut brown with transverse olive–green bars across dorsum down flanks extending to tail. The head is uniformly dark or light brown. A cream-colored line extends posteriorly from the labial scales down the side of the body. Scattered small greenish spots are present on the dorsum. Scales on the tip of the snout with black pigmentation. The dorsum and tail are marked with olive–green transverse bars and the limbs marked with pale green to yellowish transverse bars with small punctuations.
Variation
.
Anolis robinsoni
sp. nov.
showed variation in the SVL of reproductive males (58.6 ± 11.0,
42.1–73.8 mm
).
Table 1
shows the variation in lepidosis. The gular region of females is white with brown streaks. Females have a small brown to black dewlap. Transverse, dorsal olive-green bands of males varied between 7–8, with 10–12 tail bands; females had 7–8 olive–green dorsal transverse bars with 9–11 tail bands. In life, the dorsal coloration of both sexes may vary with transverse bands darker when cold or stressed (e.g., when held in hand).
Hemipenis morphology.
The almost completely everted hemipenis of SMF 92438 (
Fig. 7A
) is a stout bilobed organ. The sulcus spermaticus is bordered by well-developed sulcal lips opening into two broad concave areas, one on each lobe. A small asulcate ridge is present. The apex is strongly calyculate, truncus with transverse folds.
Etymology
. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of the late Douglas C. Robinson, who contributed enormously to the herpetological knowledge of
Costa Rica
through extensive field collections and by inspiring a generation of Costa Rican biologists. He received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 1968 and studied the Mexican semiaquatic anole,
Anolis barkeri
.
Distribution
.
Anolis robinsoni
sp. nov.
is known from the riparian gallery forests of the Río Candelaria basin (
Fig. 1
), the foothills of the Montañas de Turrubares in the northwestern section of the Cordillera de Talamanca, and Río Jaris along the western border of the Zona Protectora El Rodeo. These areas are within the Tropical Wet and Humid Premontane forest life zones (
Holdridge 1967
).
Anolis robinsoni
sp. nov.
has been found at elevations between 500 and
1100 masl
.
Ecology
. Most of the following observations are from Márquez–Baltán (1994) and
Márquez
et al.
(2005)
from Quebrada La Palma. During the day this species is found on bare rocks and boulders along streams with dense canopy cover. At night it is found sleeping on moss and vegetation on boulders near the splash zones of small and medium waterfalls. Both sexes and juveniles were found no more than two meters from the edge of a stream. The operational sex ratio is approximately equal proportions of males to females (
Márquez
et al.
2005
), and males share territories with one to
three females
. The estimated population density varied from 100 to 200 individuals per hectare and population size fluctuated monthly with a peak during the dry season.
Reproduction occurs throughout the year with a lull in the wet season (May to November). Females lay
1 egg
per clutch in cracks and interstitial spaces of boulders in streams. Up to
6 eggs
have been found together suggesting that this species lays eggs in communal nest sites. Incubation times ranged between 75–82 days, and hatchlings are approximately
25 mm
SVL (
Márquez
et al.
2005
).