Sitana laticeps Deepak & Karanth 2018: 56–57
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.20363/BZB-2020.69.2.157 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9202B13C-4294-4049-8DEB-42534205BDF5 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039187CC-FFA8-435C-718B-C0D2FCACB89D |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Sitana laticeps Deepak & Karanth 2018: 56–57 |
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Sitana laticeps Deepak & Karanth 2018: 56–57 View in CoL (in part)
Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , Table 1
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:89C261E1-7E11-48AB-9D91-927997D7A4AC
Holotype. ♂ adult ( NCBS-AL142 ); India, Karnata- ka, Bagalkot ; 16.139744° N, 75.672671° E; alt. 590 m; 14 Apr. 2018; M. Ambekar, A. Murthy & Z. Mirza leg. GoogleMaps
Paratypes. 2 ♀♀ adult ( BNHS 2510 View Materials , NCBS-AL143 ) ; 1 ♂ adult ( BNHS 2509 View Materials ); same data as for holotype GoogleMaps .
Diagnosis. Sitana dharwarensis sp. nov. is a large sized species in relation to members of the Sitana spinaecephalus clade, males reaching SVL of 52 mm. Dewlap large, coloration in breeding males cream to off-white, extending up to 47% of the trunk. Parietal bone with a subtle indentation on the anterior border, maxillary bone short in its length and covers a smaller area of the snout, squamosal long and slender gradually tapering at both ends in a sharp tip and, quadrate robust and stout.
Sitana dharwarensis sp. nov. differs from most known species within the genera Sitana and Sarada Deepak et al., 2016 in bearing a white colored moderately large dewlap (vs. dewlap in shades of red, blue and black in Sarada spp. , Sitana visiri Deepak, 2016 , S. attenboroughii Sadasivan et al., 2018 , S. marudhamneydhal Deepak et al., 2016 , S. bahiri Amarasinghem et al. 2015 , S. devakai Amarasinghe et al., 2015 ). The new species is similar to S. laticeps and S. spinaecephalus in sharing a white dewlap. It differs from S. laticeps in bearing a much larger dewlap, dewlap extending to about 47% of the trunk (vs. 29% in S. laticeps , 45% in S. spinaecephalus ). Sitana dharwarensis sp. nov. further differs from S. laticeps in bearing a subtle indentation on the anterior border of parietal (vs. a deep indentation in S. laticeps , Fig. 2 View Fig ), the maxillary bone is short and covers a smaller area of the snout (vs. much longer and covering a larger area of the snout in S. laticeps ), the squamosal is long and slender gradually tapering at both ends in a sharp tip (vs. squamosal short, abruptly ending in a blunt tip at both ends), quadrate is robust and stout (vs. slender in S. laticeps , Fig. 2 View Fig ).
Genetic divergence. Genetic divergence (un-correct- ed p-distance) between populations of S. dharwarensis sp. nov. was 1–2% whereas it was 3–4% from S. laticeps .
Description. The holotype male (NCBS-AL142) is in generally good condition, with an incision on the thigh made to remove muscle tissue. The entire tail is broken from its base and is preserved separately.
Adult male SVL 52.8 mm. Head relatively long (HL/ SVL ratio 0.27), wide (HW/HL ratio 0.72), not depressed (HH/HL ratio 0.67), distinct from neck ( Fig. 1a View Fig ). Snout moderately long (SE/HL ratio 0.39) bluntly conical; lon- ger than eye diameter (OD/SE ratio 0.45) ( Fig. 1c View Fig ). Eye large (OD/HL ratio 0.56); pupil round, eyelids covered with small pentagonal and hexagonal scales, supraciliaries short. Snout obtusely pointed when viewed dorsally, rostral much wider than deep, bordered posteriorly by two supralabials, prenasal and dorsally by three small scales. Canthus rostralis and supraciliary edge moderately sharp consisting of nine scales. Nostrils positioned in the centre of a large, undivided nasal plate, bordered by eight scales (right side), including one prenasal, two postnasals and one supranasal, and separated from rostral by prenasal and supralabials. Ten rectangular, weakly keeled supralabials, bordered above by a single row of slightly smaller, rectangular, keeled scales. Loreal re- gion concave, scales of the loreal region heterogeneous in size, flat, keeled, some roughly hexagonal. Scales on postorbital and temporal region homogenous, imbricate, strongly keeled, and directed posteriorly and dorsally. Orbital scales small but not granular. Tympanum naked. Canthals enlarged, overlapping, becoming slightly small- er along subimbricate supraciliaries, protruding slightly laterally on supraorbital ridge. Scales on dorsal surface of snout, forehead, interorbital, and occipital region heterogeneous in size, and shape; mostly elongate, imbricate, strongly keeled longitudinally; those on snout smaller, rhomboidal, those on forehead largest, greatly elongate; supraorbital scales increase in size becoming more elongate from supraciliaries to inner edges of orbits, of which the enlarged scales follow the curvature of the orbit posterolaterally; occipital region with slightly smaller, less elongate; imbricate, and keeled scales. Parietal plate with pineal eye, the plate slightly larger than adjacent scales. Mental shield narrower than rostral; gular scales keeled. Dewlap moderately large, extends posteriorly over 47% of trunk length, with posterior scales extending slightly beyond axila, not extending to mid-venter, approximately four to five rows of anteriodorsal dewlap scales smaller, elongate, pointed, keeled, remainder of scales much larger, keeled, lanceolate, bluntly pointed, gradually increasing in size towards margin, single marginal row largest with many more pointed scales. 17 enlarged rows of scales on dewlap. Nuchal and dorsal crest absent. Scales on nuchal region smaller, less than half the size of those on interorbital region, imbricate, strongly keeled. Body slender, 59 rows of scales around midbody, of these 10–12 rows of scales on back, from occiput to pectoral region homogenous in size, shape, slightly larg- er than those on neck, imbricate, pointed, keeled, and directed posteriorly forming regularly arranged longitudinal rows; those on flanks heterogeneous in size, shape, smaller than those on back, obtusely pointed, keeled, with irregularly scattered, slightly larger, pointed, keeled scales; scales of upper rows directed backwards and up- wards; ventral rows backwards and downwards; ventral scales subimbricate, keeled, homogenous in size, shape, arranged in 65 rows; no precloacal or femoral pores. 48 scales in a row from nape to the cloaca. Fore and hind limbs relatively slender, tibia short (CL/SVL ratio 0.37); digits moderately long, ending in strong, elongate, slightly recurved claw; inter-digital webbing absent; subdigi- tal lamellae entire, tri-mucronate, 22 subdigital lamellae on toe IV; relative length of fingers 4>3>2>5>1, toes 4>3>2>1. Fore and hind limbs covered above and be- low with regularly arranged, enlarged, pointed, strongly keeled scales. Enlarged projecting scale on thigh present. Tail entire; tail base swollen; tail uniformly covered 162 Mayuresh Ambekar et al.
Coloration in life ( Figs 3–4 View Fig View Fig ). Dark-brown above with five dark rhomboidal markings on the trunk, first mark present just posterior to the neck and the last one on the flank. Each rhomboidal blotch has a light colored line running through it along the vertebral column. Limbs brown, banded with alternating dark and light bands. Head coloration same as the body, labials banded with light and dark bands. Dewlap yellowish white throughout with a steel-grey to blue line running from mental to a few scales below it. The colored line does not enter the dewlap and terminates just before the enlarged dewlap scales. Ventrally white.
with similar sized, keeled, weakly pointed, regularly arranged, posteriorly directed imbricate scales, no enlarged subcaudal row.
Coloration in preservative ( Fig. 1 View Fig ). Coloration much more faded, overall background coloration more yellowish. Rhomboidal marks turn much paler and are almost diffused towards the flank. Blue coloration on the lower chin turns black.
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Dharwar Craton where the species is distributed.
Variation. The paratypes resemble the holotype in most aspects except for ventral belly scale number. The paratype male possesses 31–32 scales. Other morphometric and meristic characteristics are presented in Table 1.
Natural history. A species inhibiting open dry scrub and rock terrain in northern Karnataka. The type locality is a barren hillock adjacent to a seasonal river. The locality is heavily disturbed from activities relating to stone quarrying. The species is common at the type locality and is found in gardens in the town. Other sympatric reptiles observed are Eutropis cf. carinata , Hemidactylus parvimaculatus Deraniyagala, 1953 and Hemidactylus
A new species of fan-throated lizard of the genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829 from northern Karnataka, India 163 uted south of a tributary (Panchgana) of Krishna River at the following localities: Bagalkot, Tumarguddi and Koppal.
vijayraghavani Mirza, 2018 . Based on available mtDNA ND2 gene sequences, the species appears to be distrib-
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