All in all it’s just another branch in the tree: A new species of Acanthocercus Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Agamidae), from Angola
Author
Marques, Mariana P.
Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021, 4169 - 007 Porto, Portugal BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485 - 661, Vairão, Portugal Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Rua da Escola Politécnica 56 - 58, 1250 - 102 Lisboa, Portugal
Author
Parrinha, Diogo
Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021, 4169 - 007 Porto, Portugal BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485 - 661, Vairão, Portugal Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Rua da Escola Politécnica 56 - 58, 1250 - 102 Lisboa, Portugal
Author
Santos, Bruna S.
Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021, 4169 - 007 Porto, Portugal BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485 - 661, Vairão, Portugal Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Rua da Escola Politécnica 56 - 58, 1250 - 102 Lisboa, Portugal
Author
Bandeira, Suzana
0000-0002-7496-9119
Holísticos, Serviços, Estudos e Consultoria, Lda., Rua 60, Casa 560, Lar do Patriota, Luanda, Angola & suzanaadelino 22 @ hotmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 7496 - 9119
suzanaadelino22@hotmail.com
Author
Butler, Brett O.
Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA & Museo de Zoología “ Alfonso L. Herrera ”, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A. P. 70 - 399, Ciudad de México CP 04510, México
Author
Sousa, Ana Carolina A.
0000-0003-3435-8775
Grutas da Moeda e Fátima, Lda, São Mamede, Batalha, 2495 - 028, Portugal & sousa _ 334 @ hotmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3435 - 8775
sousa_334@hotmail.com
Author
Bauer, Aaron M.
0000-0001-6839-8025
Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA & aaron. bauer @ villanova. edu; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 6839 - 8025
aaron.bauer@villanova.edu
Author
Wagner, Philipp
Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA & Allwetterzoo, Sentruper Str. 315, D 48161 Münster, Germany
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-02-11
5099
2
221
243
journal article
20629
10.11646/zootaxa.5099.2.4
1b46d215-475d-471b-ac35-cc9490be53f4
1175-5326
6048528
442E337A-E7A1-4B30-AB87-D252B8E938B2
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(
Figs. 2–8
)
Stellio nigricollis
:
Bocage (1866: 43)
[
lapsus calami
; see
Bocage (1895)
and
Wagner
et al.
(2018)
]
Stellio atricollis
: [part]
Peters (1881: 147)
,
Bocage (1895: 22)
Agama atricollis
: [part]
Boulenger (1885: 256
;
1905: 110
),
Ferreira (1903: 15)
,
Monard (1937: 58)
Agama cyanogaster
: [part]
Loveridge (1957: 195)
Acanthocercus cyanocephalus
: [part]
Ceríaco
et al.
(2014: 670
; 2016: 75; 2018b: 422),
Marques
et al.
(2018: 27)
,
Wagner
et al.
(2018: 27)
,
Branch
et al.
(2019b: 313)
Acanthocercus
sp.
Malanje
:
Wagner
et al.
(2021)
Holotype
.
CAS 258430
(field number JVV 9152;
Figs. 2–3
), adult male from
Cangandala National Park
headquarters [-
9.819417° N
,
16.653861° E
,
1089 m
a.s.l.
],
Malanje Province
,
Angola
, collected by
Mariana P. Marques
,
Luis M.P. Ceríaco
,
Suzana A. Bandeira
,
Edward L. Stanley
and
Jens
V
.
Vindum
on
14 September 2015
.
FIGURE 2.
Holotype of
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(CAS 258430). Photos by Erica Ely.
FIGURE 3.
Life photo of the holotype (CAS 258430), an adult male of
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
from Cangandala National Park. Photo by Luis M.P. Ceríaco.
Paratypes
.
Five
specimens, all from
Angola
:
CAS 258429
(field number JVV 9099) adult male from the vicinity of
Cangandala National Park
headquarters [-
9.818917° N
,
16.6541° E
,
1106 m
a.s.l.
],
Malanje Province
, same collectors as the
holotype
on
13 September 2015
;
CAS 258431
(field number JVV 9460) adult female with the same collecting data as the holotype
;
CAS 258433
(field number JVV 9261) and
CAS 258434
(field number JVV 9262),
two adult
males, respectively, both from the vicinity of
Cangandala National Park
headquarters [-
9.818583° N
,
16.654028° E
,
1089 m
a.s.l.
],
Malanje Province
, same collectors as the
holotype
on
18 September 2015
;
MHNC-
UP
/
REP 860
(field number GJ 04564,
Figs. 4–5
), an adult female from near
Zulumongo village
[-
7.207669° N
,
15.167342° E
,
1184 m
a.s.l.
],
Uíge Province
, collected by
Luis M.P. Ceríaco
,
Gregorius Jongsma
,
Stuart Nielsen
and
Ilola Jorge
on
28 November 2019
.
FIGURE 4.
Paratype of
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(Paratype, MHNCUP/REP 860), an adult female. Photos by Luis M.P. Ceríaco.
FIGURE 5.
Life photos of an adult female of
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(Paratype, MHNCUP/REP 860) from Uíge Province. Photos by Luis M.P. Ceríaco.
Additional material.
42 specimens
:
Malanje Province
:
CAS
258428, 258432 258435 (field number JVV 9098, 9218, 9440)
three adult
males from the same locality and collectors as
holotype
, on 13, 17 and 22 September 2015, respectively;
CAS
258436 (field number JVV 9298), an unsexed juvenile from
13.67 km
southwest by road of Cangandala National Park headquarters [-
9.819222° N
,
16.654139° E
,
1086 m
a.s.l.], collected by the same collectors as the
holotype
on
20 September 2015
;
NHMUK
1866.6.11.
1 adult
male from Duque de Bragança (currently Kalandula) [-
9.1° N
,
15.95° E
,
1010 m
a.s.l.], collected by Francisco Pinheiro Bayão in 1866 [specimen noted by
Bocage (1866)
and
Boulenger (1885)
];
NHMUK
1904.5.2.
26 adult
male from Pungo Andongo [-
9.66667° N
,
15.58333° E
,
1220 m
a.s.l.], collected by William John Ansorge in June/
July 1903
[specimen noted by
Boulenger (1905)
];
NHMUK
1904.5.2.
25 adult
male from Bange N’Gola [-
8.433300° N
,
16.56667° E
,
723 m
a.s.l.], collected by William John Ansorge in the end of 1903 [specimen noted by
Boulenger (1905)
];
NHMUK
1904.5.2.17–24
eight specimens
from Quanza River (most likely Duque de Bragança), collected by William John Ansorge at the end of 1903 [specimen noted by
Boulenger (1905)
];
ZMB
10027 adult male from
Malanje
[-
9.55° N
,
16.35° E
,
1147 m
a.s.l.], collected by Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander von Mechow between 1879 and 1881 [specimen noted by
Peters (1881)
];
MNHNL
/Rep/A/Ag 108–126,
25 specimens
from Capanda Dam area [-
9.72841° N
,
15.34585° E
,
859 m
a.s.l.], collected by Ana Lavres between
January and April 2003
[specimens noted by
Ceríaco
et al.
(2014)
].
Bengo Province
:
AMNH
R
48179 adult female from Dande [-
8.47279° N
,
13.361224° E
,
45 m
a.s.l.], collected by Rudyerd Boulton and Herbert Lang (Vernay-Lang expedition to
Angola
) on
4 August 1925
[specimen noted by
Wagner
et al.
(2018)
].
The records from Cassange [-
9.583330° N
,
17.866670° E
,
955 m
a.s.l.],
Malanje Province
, noted by
Bocage (1895)
, as well as those from Duque de
Bragança
[-
9.1° N
,
15.95° E
,
1010 m
a.s.l.],
Malanje Province
, noted by
Ferreira (1903)
cannot be confirmed, as these specimens were destroyed in the fire that engulfed the
Lisbon
Museum in 1978. However, due to their geographic proximity and similar habitat, they are here tentatively identified as the newly described species.
Diagnosis.
Segmentation of the tail into distinct whorls places the new species in the genus
Acanthocercus
.
Within this genus, heterogeneous body scalation refers it to the
cyanogaster
/
atricollis
group and the high density of enlarged trunk scales, in combination with a black patch on the shoulder, place it in the
A. atricollis
complex.
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
is a medium sized lizard (mean SVL
122.5 mm
[
99–143 mm
]; mean total length
285 mm
[
224–330 mm
]) for its genus and overall is very similar in morphology to
A. cyanocephalus
.
However, it may be distinguished from all other species of the complex by its meristic characters. The new species has lower scale counts when compared to other species of the
A. atricollis
complex group (mean scale rows around midbody 108, mean dorsal scale rows 64, mean ventral scale rows 85). In life, displaying males are characterized by a blue coloration of the head; neck, shoulders, body and limbs brownish with a pattern of white and black stripes and speckles; and a pale vertebral band from the neck to the tail, distinct anteriorly between the flanks, becoming more indistinct along a brown background posteriorly.
Comparison with other close related
Acanthocercus
species.
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
can be distinguished from other taxa of the
A. atricollis
complex by the following characters (see
Table 2
):
TABLE 2.
Data from all taxa (except
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
) from
Wagner
et al.
(2021)
. Data presented as: min–max (mean). Abbreviations: Dorsal scale rows at midbody (SaM) Dorsal scale numbers (D); Ventral scale numbers (V); Total number of precloacal pores (PP).
SVL mm
|
TOTAL mm
|
SaM
|
D
|
V
|
PP
|
A. atricollis
(n=21)
|
107–151 (129) |
248–347 (302) |
103–125 (112) |
52–83 (67) |
76– 102 (87) |
9–35 (22) |
A. branchi
(n=6)
|
83–131 (109) |
194–313 (262) |
103–130 (117) |
67–81 (73) |
79–95 (88) |
17–23 (20) |
A. cyanocephalus
(n=13)
|
113–149 (138) |
276–372 (334) |
96–119 (108) |
58–78 (68) |
69–94 (80) |
15–33 (22) |
A. cyanogaster
(n=8)
|
80–118 (101) |
176–303 (255) |
104–115 (109) |
59–75 (65) |
69–82 (76) |
26–54 (38) |
A. gregorii
(n=52)
|
74–138 (119) |
189–360 (291) |
88–119 (104) |
52–85 (64) |
70–96 (81) |
7–37 (22) |
A. kiwuensis
(n=19)
|
78–130 (111) |
200–334 (290) |
76–108 (87) |
55–77 (63) |
57–88 (67) |
8–12 (10) |
A. minutus
(n=20)
|
85–120 (101) |
189–288 (234) |
100–120 (108) |
69–88 (79) |
71–88 (78) |
9–34 (26) |
A. ugandaensis
(n=25)
|
91–126 (103) |
221–351 (275) |
75–117 (94) |
54–74 (63) |
59–95 (73) |
18– 35 (24) |
A. margaritae
(n=4)
|
96–129 (112) |
217–299 (258) |
131–143 (136) |
81–133 (103) |
94–107 (101) |
9–19 (14) |
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(n=6)
|
99–143 (123) |
224–330 (285) |
103–114 (108) |
60–65 (63) |
80–89 (85) |
16-20 (18) (n=4) |
(a)
Acanthocercus atricollis
has a larger SVL (mean
129 mm
vs.
123 mm
) and total length (mean
302 mm
vs.
285 mm
). It has higher mean counts of scale rows around midbody (112 vs. 108), dorsal scales (67 vs. 63), and ventral scales (87 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The mean number of precloacal pores is higher in
A. atricollis
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(22 vs 18).
Acanthocercus atricollis
presents a blue or green head and ventral surface, in some individuals extending to the body, while in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
the blue is limited to the head.
(b)
Acanthocercus branchi
has a smaller SVL (mean
109 mm
vs.
123 mm
) and total length (mean
262 mm
vs.
285 mm
). It has higher mean counts of scale rows around midbody (117 vs. 108), dorsal scales (73 vs. 63), and ventral scales (88 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The ranges of these characters largely overlap in both species, although they are higher in
A. branchi
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The mean number of precloacal pores is higher in
A. branchi
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(20 vs 18).
(c)
Acanthocercus cyanocephalus
has a larger SVL (mean
138 mm
vs.
123 mm
) and total length (mean
334 mm
vs.
285 mm
). It is morphologically very similar to
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
and its meristic differences are subtle.
Acanthocercus cyanocephalus
has a higher mean dorsal scale count (68 vs. 63), and a lower mean number of ventral scales (80 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The mean number of precloacal pores is higher in
A. cyanocephalus
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(22 vs 18). The major difference between these two species is the coloration of displaying males, which in
A. cyanocephalus
is characterized by the blue coloration of the head extending to the neck and shoulders, whereas in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
the blue is limited to the head.
(d)
Acanthocercus cyanogaster
has a smaller SVL (mean
101 mm
vs.
123 mm
) and total length (mean
255 mm
vs.
285 mm
). It has lower mean counts of ventral scales (76 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The ranges of this character slightly overlap in the two species, although they are higher in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
than in
A. cyanogaster
. The mean number of precloacal pores is much higher in
A. cyanogaster
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(38 vs 18). [
A. cyanogaster
is not a part of
A. atricollis
group but is included here due to its morphological similarity and because of the historical use of the name to describe this population].
(e)
Acanthocercus gregorii
has a smaller SVL (mean
119 mm
vs.
123 mm
) but greater total length (mean
291 mm
vs.
285 mm
).
A. gregorii
has lower mean counts of scale rows around midbody (104 vs. 108) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The ranges of these characters are higher in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
than in
A. gregorii
. The mean number of precloacal pores is higher in
A. gregorii
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(22 vs 18). In displaying adult males,
A. gregorii
are characterized by their bluish-green head and a uniform greenish-blue throat, with a uniform blue body (
Klausewitz 1957
;
Wagner
et al.
2018
), whereas in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
the blue of the male is limited to the head.
(f)
Acanthocercus kiwuensis
has a smaller SVL (mean
111 mm
vs.
123 mm
) but greater total length (mean
290 mm
vs.
285 mm
).
A. kiwuensis
has lower mean counts of scale rows around midbody (87 vs. 108) and ventral scales (67 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The ranges of this character largely overlap in the two species, although they are higher in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov
.
than in
A. kiwuensis
. Moreover
A. kiwuensis
does not possess transverse rows of enlarged scales (
Wagner
et al.
2018
). The mean number of precloacal pores is lower in
A. kiwuensis
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(10 vs 18).
(g)
Acanthocercus margaritae
has a smaller SVL (mean
112 mm
vs.
123 mm
) and total length (mean
258 mm
vs.
285 mm
). It has higher mean counts of scale rows around midbody (136 vs. 108), dorsal scales (103 vs. 63), and ventral scales (101 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The ranges of these characters are lower in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov
.
than in
A. margaritae
.
The mean number of precloacal pores is lower in
A. margaritae
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(14 vs 18).
(h)
Acanthocercus minutus
has a smaller SVL (mean
101 mm
vs.
123 mm
) and total length (mean
234 mm
vs.
285 mm
). It has higher mean counts of dorsal scales (79 vs. 63), and lower mean counts of ventral scales (78 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The mean number of precloacal pores is higher in
A. minutus
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(26 vs 18).
(i)
Acanthocercus ugandaensis
has a smaller SVL (mean
103 mm
vs.
123 mm
) and total length (mean
275 mm
vs.
285 mm
).
A. ugandaensis
has lower mean counts of scale rows around midbody (94 vs. 108) and ventral scales (73 vs. 85) than
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
. The ranges of these characters are higher in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
than in
A. ugandaensis
. The mean number of precloacal pores is higher in
A. ugandaensis
than in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
(24 vs 18).
Description of the
holotype
.
Adult male (
Fig. 2
). Measurements: snout–vent length (SVL)
143 mm
, tail length (TL)
187 mm
, head length (HL)
48 mm
, head width (HW)
38 mm
, head height (
HH
)
34 mm
. Habitus stout, with a large triangular head distinct from body; nasal scale flat to faintly convex, smooth, oval and situated slightly below canthus rostralis, pierced by round nostril in posterior part of scale, directed laterally. Scales on anterior, lateral, and central parts of head large, but smaller from behind ear opening, half the size of large head scales; head scales unequal in size, not oriented in the same direction, usually smooth, sporadically heavily keeled or with a rough surface, with free anterior margins and only sporadically with sensory pits. Fourteen supralabial scales and twelve infralabial scales on both sides; supraocular scales smooth, twelve scales along the canthus rostralis from nasal to behind the eye; six scales from nasal to anterior margin of eye; parietal shield quadrangular; pineal organ small, visible in posterior part of parietal shield. Ear opening large, but smaller than eye, posterior margin lacking semicircle of spinose mucronate scales; tympanum superficial. No nuchal crest present. Gular scales smooth, flat to faintly convex in the anterior part of the gular area; mucronate and spinose in the posterior part, becoming more spiny and smaller towards gular fold. Dorsal body scales a mix of small and smooth matrix scales, sometimes giving the impression of granular scales, and scattered, pale white-edged, enlarged scales. Large scales keeled, sometimes mucronate or spinose, not arranged in clusters, but rather in seven to eight, very indistinct, transverse rows between limbs. Sixty-four dorsal scales along vertebral column from midpoint of pectoral region to midpoint of pelvic region. Vertebral region covered by a mix of small and large scales, forming a pattern distinct from rest of lateral parts of body, with a large set of vertebral scales strongly keeled to smooth or feebly keeled. Ventral body scales smooth, slightly imbricate at posterior margins, in 89 rows from midpoint of pectoral region to precloacal pores. One hundred twenty-six scale rows around body behind forelimbs; 105 around midbody and 80 around body in front of hind limbs. Precloacal scales in two rows (the more anterior weakly developed), twelve pores in the posterior row and seven pores in the row above. Scales on upper side of forelimb unequal in size and strongly keeled, smooth on underside, upper arm scales somewhat larger than largest dorsal body scales. Relative length of manual digits 4=3>2>5>1, subdigital lamellae keeled and mucronate, 21 under left 4
th
finger. Scales on upper side of hind limb keeled to smooth, becoming completely smooth on underside; scales on upper thighs unequal in size, a mix of small and scattered enlarged scales that are as large as the enlarged dorsal body scales. Fourth toe longest, relative length of pedal digits 4>3>2>5>1, subdigital lamellae keeled and mucronate, 23 under left 4
th
toe. Tail with indistinct whorls of five scale rings (one ring consists of distinctly smaller scales) in its basal portion, caudal scales keeled and mucronate. First third of tail slightly swollen, scales larger than in other parts of the body, strongly robust and keeled. Distal portion of the tail much thinner and slightly depressed. After formalin fixation and six years of preservation in ethanol (
Fig. 2
) head dark with some brown to orange scales. Gular region bluish and dark from the mental through the throat, whitish in lateral parts. Black patch on shoulders. Ground color of dorsum grayish to brownish, enlarged scales on upper and lateral parts of body and limbs speckled dirty white. Four to five brownish areola-like markings delimited by white pale circles are visible through the vertebral region. Ventral side of body, limbs and tail dirty grayish, speckled with dark spots. Enlarged scales on upper side of tail base distinctly whitish. Scales becoming more brownish-dirty white striped towards tail tip.
Coloration.
In displaying males (see
Fig. 3
), head vibrantly blue; neck, shoulders, body and limbs brownish with a pattern of white and black stripes and speckles; a pale vertebral band from the neck to the tail is present, distinct anteriorly between the flanks, becoming more indistinct and on a brown background posteriorly; enlarged dorsal scales of the lower part of the body yellowish, matrix scales greyish becoming brownish on the hind limbs; first half of the tail yellowish, second half of the tail with dark and lighter blue bands. Ventral parts of the body, limbs and tail dirty whitish with a brown patterning coloration on females in life (see
Fig. 5
). Shoulders brownish with a black patch, some individuals present a pale blue head. Four dark brown, broad transverse bands between limbs, each interspersed by transverse bands composed of a single row of enlarged yellow scales. Upper and lateral parts of tail with brown and whitish/yellowish bands. Ventral parts of the body, limbs and tail dirty whitish with an extensive dark brown pattern. Gular region of a vibrant blue. Regarding its Angolan congeners, the coloration of displaying males (
Fig. 3
) is overall more similar to
A. cyanocephalus
than to
A. margaritae
. However, in
A. cyanocephalus
, the blue coloration of the head extends to the neck and shoulders, while in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
the blue is limited to the head. The new species is clearly distinct from
A. margaritae
, in that the latter species has a blue coloration of the head, forelimbs, flanks of the upper part of the body and second half of the tail (not banded as in
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
).
Variation.
Some variations of the
type
series are shown in
Table 2
. Snout-vent length
99–143 mm
(mean
123 mm
); Tail length
125–187 mm
(mean
162 mm
), with the ratio TL/SVL 1.26–1.31 (mean 1.32); head length
28–48 mm
(mean
39 mm
); supralabial scales on the left side 12–14 (mean 13); supraocular scales on the left side 6; temporal scales on the left side 7; scale rows around fore body 121–128 (mean 126); scale rows around hind body 74–87 (mean 80); subdigital lamellae under Fi4 21–23 (mean 21); subdigital lamellae under TOE4 21–23 (mean 22); precloacal pores 17–20 (mean 18).
Distribution.
Currently,
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
is only known from the central and northwestern regions of
Angola
, from central
Malanje
to
Bengo Province
in the west and
Uíge Province
in the north (
Fig. 6
). It is likely that the species may also be present in the neighboring provinces of
Kwanza-Norte
and
Zaire
, as well as in southern
Democratic Republic of the Congo
.
FIGURE 6.
Geographic distribution of Angolan
Acanthocercus
. Green triangles:
A. cyanocephalus
; Pink squares:
A. margaritae
; Blue circles:
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
; Black star: Type locality of
A. ceriacoi
sp. nov.
.
A. cyanocephalus
and
A. margaritae
records from
Marques
et al.
(2018)
,
Wagner
et al.
(2018
,
2021
).
Habitat and Natural History notes.
In Cangandala National Park and surrounding areas, the species is commonly found dwelling in trees, several meters above ground. The park lies at an approximate elevation of
1000 m
and its climate is similar to that of the Angolan central plateau, with vegetation mostly dominated by miombo woodlands (
Fig. 7
), with
Brachystegia wangermeeana
,
B. floribunda
,
Julbernardia paniculata
,
Erythrophleum africanum
,
Combretum
spp.
, and
Rhus
spp.
growing on the red clay soils of the park (
Grandvaux-Barbosa 1970
). Some small riverine gallery forests also occur in the park. In
Uíge Province
, the species was found basking on the ground in open-savannah habitat, in an area particularly devoid of trees (
Fig. 8
). The habitat of this region mainly comprises a mosaic of Zambezian savannah and coffee plantation forests, dominated by the plant genera
Hyparrhenia
,
Celtis
,
Albizia
,
Morus
and
Ficus
(
Grandvaux-Barbosa 1970
)
. The female
paratype
(MHNCUP/REP 860) from
Uíge Province
, collected in November, was active on the ground around midday. After euthanasia and while preparing the specimen for fixing, three well-developed eggs were found in the abdominal cavity of the specimen.
FIGURE 7.
Habitat of the type locality of
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
in Cangandala National Park, Malanje Province, Angola. Photo by Luis M.P. Ceríaco.
FIGURE 8.
Habitat of
Acanthocercus ceriacoi
sp. nov.
at the paratype locality of Zulumongo village, Uíge Province, northern Angola. Photo by Luis M.P. Ceríaco.
Etymology.
The species is named after the Portuguese zoologist Luis Miguel Pires Ceríaco (1987–present), head of collections and research at the Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do
Porto
,
Porto
,
Portugal
, and invited curator of herpetology at the Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência,
Lisbon
,
Portugal
. Luis M.P. Ceríaco has been a major force comprising the new wave of Angolan herpetological studies and a dedicated supervisor to a new generation of Portuguese and Angolan herpetologists. The name is formed in the genitive masculine singular. We propose the English common name of Ceríaco’s Tree
Agama
, and the Portuguese common name of Sardão Arborícola de Ceríaco.