An integrative taxonomic revision of the Tarentola geckos (Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) of the Cape Verde Islands
Author
Vasconcelos, Raquel
Author
Perera, Ana
Author
Geniez, Philippe
Author
Harris, D. James
Author
Carranza, Salvador
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2012
2012-01-25
164
2
328
360
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00768.x
journal article
276469
10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00768.x
f338539c-1b3b-400f-8fe0-4eea7aee329a
0024-4082
5406490
TARENTOLA PROTOGIGAS
JOGER 1984
B
Diagnosis:
Medium to large-sized gecko [maximum SVL
98.5 mm
(
Schleich, 1987
);
71.9 mm
on average, see Appendix 2]; eye/ear opening ratio averages 1.69; ear–eye/eye–snout distance ratio averages 0.75. Eight to 12 supralabials; seven to nine infralabials; ten to 13 enlarged lamellae under the 4th finger; 144–181 midbody scales (
Joger, 1984b
); conical to apical prominent dorsal tubercles with a narrow central keel (
Fig. 5D
4
), especially on the sacral region, with 12–15 transverse rows and 15–21 longitudinal rows; several enlarged tubercles between the eye and the ear opening. Grey, brownish to yellowish dorsal pattern with a series of four (sometimes five) light middorsal patches, each preceded by a more indistinct and lighter W-shaped dark mark, usually connected by a light middorsal line (
Figs 6D
3–5
and
7D
3–5
); goldenyellowish grey ventral parts; dark spots on the labials, sometimes creating an alternating light and dark pattern; eye iris grey with an indistinct broad horizontal dark area.
It differs from
T. bocagei
,
T. fogoensis
,
T. darwini
,
T. substituta
,
T. raziana
,
T. caboverdiana
, and
T. nicolauensis
by having prominent conical dorsal tubercles, enlarged tubercles between the eye and ear opening and a different dorsal pattern (
Fig. 6
), and from
T. gigas
by the presence of a narrow wellmarked central keel, especially on the sacral region. It also differs from
T. gigas
by having important morphological, bioacustical, ecological, and behavioural differences. It differs from
T. boavistensis
,
T. rudis
, and
Tarentola
from
Maio
by its yellower ventral coloration. It also differs from
T. rudis
by a higher number of scales around midbody and interorbital scales [18–21 versus 16–19 (
Joger, 1984b
)], by having four to five more indistinct and lighter W-shaped dorsal bands (
Fig. 6
), fader spots on the labials and less contrasted eye iris coloration (
Fig. 7
). It differs from
Tarentola
from
Maio
by a higher number of scales and lamellae under the fifth toe [22–26 versus 19–21, rarely 22 (
Joger, 1984b
)] and interorbital scales [19–21 versus 16–18 (
Joger, 1984b
)].
Distribution:
The southern islands of Fogo,
Brava
, and Rombos Islets,
Cape Verde
.
Genetic and phylogeographical remarks:
Tarentola protogigas
is monophyletic (
Fig. 2
) and presents a considerable level of genetic divergence from other sister taxa from clade D, as
T. gigas
,
T. rudis
, and
Tarentola
from
Maio
: D3–D1, D3–D2, and D3–D6
p-
dist (cyt
b
) = 2.5 ± 1.2, 2.6 ± 0.9, and 5.3 ± 1.2%, respectively (
Table 5
). The population from Fogo presents a considerable level of genetic divergence with the populations from
Brava
and Rombos: D3–D4 and D3–D5
p-
dist (cyt
b
) = 2.1 ± 0.8 and 2.3 ± 0.8%, respectively. However, the
Snn
test values for PDC, ACM4, and MC1R are not significant between
T. protogigas
from Fogo versus
Brava
and Rombos (Appendix 5). The population from
Brava
presents very low values of genetic divergence with the population from Rombos: D4–D5
p-
dist (cyt
b
) = 0.4 ± 0.3%. Therefore, only one of the three lines of evidence (morphology) differentiates the population of Fogo from
Brava
and Rombos. Consequently, according to the IPC protocol,
T. p. protogigas
and
T. p.
hartogi
comb. nov.
are considered only distinct subspecies (
Fig. 2
). The lack of differentiation in at least two of the three lines of evidence precludes any further differentiation between the island populations from
Brava
and Rombos.
TARENTOLA PROTOGIGAS PROTOGIGAS
JOGER,