Echinosaura panamensis, BARBOUR, 1924

Vásquez-Restrepo, Juan D., Ibáñez, Roberto, Sánchez-Pacheco, Santiago J. & Daza, Juan M., 2020, Phylogeny, taxonomy and distribution of the Neotropical lizard genus Echinosaura (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), with the recognition of two new genera in Cercosaurinae, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 189, pp. 287-314 : 309

ECHINOSAURA PANAMENSIS BARBOUR, 1924

( FIGS 6F, 10E)

Echinosaura panamensis Barbour, 1924: 7–10 (original description). Holotype: Male (MCZ 17746) from ‘La Loma in the mountains of Bocas del Toro Province, western Panama [according to Uzzell (1965) on the Atlantic slope along the trail from Chiriquí Grande to Boquete, Bocas del Toro, about 600 m (but see Geographic distribution below)]’.

Echinosaura horrida panamensis ( Barbour, 1924) – Uzzell, 1965: 86.

Type material: Barbour (1924) described Echinosaura panamensis based on a single specimen ( MCZ 17746), although he mentioned a series of ‘no less than five [specimens]’. However, Barbour did not provide museum numbers for the remaining specimens (paratypes according to the Art. 74.4.5 of the ICZN). Later, Uzzell (1965) mentioned the existence only of three paratypes ( MCZ 18857–59), but according to the written museum catalogue (available online), there is a fourth specimen ( MCZ 18860). Additionally, in the MCZ data portal (http://mczbase.mcz.harvard. edu, accessed July 30 of 2019) this last specimen, also flagged as paratype, was sent to Chicago in 2015. Its current location is unknown. Although the existence of a fourth paratype is not in conflict with the original description (i.e. at least five), we consider as paratypes only those revised by Uzzell (1965), until physical evidence of the existence of MCZ 18860 is given. The above follows Art. 72.4.1.1 of the ICZN.

Diagnosis: The following data are based on the original description, eight examined specimens (referred material listed in Supporting Information, Appendix SII) and data taken from the literature ( Uzzell, 1965; Köhler et al., 2004). Echinosaura panamensis possesses the following characteristics: (1) snout pointed; (2) internasal divided longitudinally; (3) frontonasals paired; (4) frontal divided transversely, the anterior being larger than the posterior; (5) frontoparietals paired; (6) supraoculars large, usually three; (7) supralabials 4–6 (usually five); (8) infralabials 4–6 (usually five); (9) postmental single; (10) large chin shields in one pair; (11) two longitudinal paravertebral ridges formed by tubercular scales arranged in zig-zag or sinuous pattern; (12) series of tubercular scales forming oblique lines on lateral surface of body; (13) ventral scales squared, smooth; (14) subdigital lamellae on the fourth finger 13–16; (15) subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe 20–22; (16) femoral pores per hind limb in males usually 3–9; (17) each caudal autotomic segment dorsally with two small crests, oblique or V-shaped (coded as ‘<pattern’) and sometimes almost straight; laterally, last scales of each caudal segment forming transverse rings, and without more-developed scales forming longitudinal ridges; (18) subcaudals per caudal segment three (when tail is not regenerated); (19) dorsum brown, sometimes with yellowish marks