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~University of Kansas Publications~

~Museum of Natural History~

Vol. 10, No. 9, pp. 587-598, 2 figs.

May 2, 1960

A New Subspecies of Lizard, Cnemidophorus sacki, from Michoacan, Mexico

WILLIAM E. DUELLMAN

~University of Kansas~ ~Lawrence~ 1960

~University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History~

Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Henry S. Fitch, Robert W. Wilson

Volume 10, No. 9, pp. 587-598, 2 figs. Published May 2, 1960

~University of Kansas~ Lawrence, Kansas

PRINTED IN THE STATE PRINTING PLANT TOPEKA, KANSAS 1960

28-2494

A New Subspecies of Lizard, Cnemidophorus sacki, from Michoacan, Mexico

WILLIAM E. DUELLMAN

The systematic status of the populations of lizards assignable to Cnemidophorus sacki in western Mexico (Sonora southward to Jalisco) has been reviewed in detail by Zweifel (1959, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist, 117 (2):57-116), who stated that the use of the specific name sacki for the western populations rests upon a reasonable, but as yet unproved, assumption that intergradation occurs. Although Zweifel examined specimens of the nominal subspecies from the upper Balsas Basin, he did not study specimens from the intervening area--the Tepalcatepec Valley in Michoacan.

Field studies and the examination of large series of preserved specimens of Cnemidophorus from the Tepalcatepec Valley show the presence of Cnemidophorus sacki in the region between the ranges of C. sacki sacki in the upper Balsas Basin and C. sacki occidentalis in Jalisco and southern Nayarit. Furthermore, the populations of sacki inhabiting the Tepalcatepec Valley have characters of scutellation and coloration that distinguish them from other described subspecies of sacki. In recognition of the important contributions to the systematics of the genus Cnemidophorus made by Dr. Richard G. Zweifel, I propose that the subspecies of Cnemidophorus sacki in the Tepalcatepec Valley be named as follows:

+Cnemidophorus sacki zweifeli+ new subspecies

Holotype.--University of Michigan Museum of Zoology No. 119542, from Capirio, Michoacan, Mexico (185 meters), an adult male, one of a series collected on June 13, 1958, by William E. Duellman, Jerome B. Tulecke, and John Wellman. Original number WED 12310.

Paratopotypes.--UMMZ Nos. 119536-119541 and 119543-119550.

Diagnosis.--A race of Cnemidophorus sacki characterized by large size (more than 130 mm. snout-vent length in males), approximately 106 dorsal granules around the midbody, about 41 femoral pores, and a dorsal color-pattern in adult males consisting of lateral and dorsolateral rows of spots, paravertebral rows fused with middorsal light green area at least anteriorly, and pink throat having a median light blue spot or transverse band.

Description of Holotype.--Snout-vent length, 128 mm.; tail length, 252 mm.; tail/body ratio, 1.97; scutellation typical of sacki--four supraoculars, enlarged postantebrachials, and enlarged mesoptychials; 107 granules around midbody (excluding enlarged ventrals); 45 femoral pores; three enlarged preanal scales; supraorbital semicircle-series extending anteriorly to posterior edge of frontal (Fig. 1).

~Fig. 1.~ Top view of the head of the holotype of Cnemidophorus sacki zweifeli (UMMZ 119542) showing scutellation. x5.

Top of head and nape dusty brown; tip of rostral and lateral edges of superciliaries dark cream-color; upper labials and sides of head anterior to eyes cream-color, mottled with blue; lower labials and postocular region pale blue; mental, postmental, and sublabials cream-color. Upper surfaces of forelimbs dull bluish gray, spotted with pale greenish yellow; dorsal surfaces of proximal one-fourth of tail light brownish gray turning to pale orange-brown posteriorly; lateral surfaces of tail bluish gray anteriorly and creamy brown posteriorly. Nuchal region light bluish gray; flanks dark gray; dorsal ground-color dark brown, somewhat paler posteriorly. Body having a row of cream-colored spots in place of a lateral stripe, and another row in place of dorsolateral stripe; dorsally, large diffuse tan or light green spots partially fused and tending to form irregular transverse markings. Chin to posterior end of sublabials pale pink, bordered posteriorly by bluish white area, and then pink. Mesoptychials, under surfaces of hind limbs, and belly cream-colored; anterior edges of belly scales dark blue; lateral two rows of ventrals on posterior two-thirds of body dark blue having light blue or cream-colored spots. Under surfaces of forelimbs bluish cream; ventral surface of tail cream-colored.

Variation in Size and Scutellation.--The largest male has a snout-vent length of 132 mm., the largest female, 114 mm., and the smallest juvenile, 34 mm. The number of dorsal granules at the midbody varies from 91 to 117 (106.2 +- 0.43); the ratio of the number of granules between the paravertebral stripes to the number of granules around the body (PV/GAB) varies from 0.064 to 0.157 (0.097 +-0.007); the number of femoral pores varies from 32 to 49 (41.1 +- 0.20). Usually there are only three enlarged preanals, but 18 specimens have a somewhat enlarged scale anterior to the normal complement of three. In 15 specimens the supraorbital semicircle-series terminate short of the posterior edge of the frontal; in the others the series reach the frontal.

Variation in Coloration.--The coloration of juveniles and subadults varies little; large adults vary considerably especially in the amount of diffusion of the light green middorsal area. In some individuals the vertebral pale area does not include the paravertebral spots; in other individuals the pale area includes not only the paravertebral rows, but, at least anteriorly, the dorsolateral rows. In large males of about equal size (and collected at the same time) there is considerable variation in the amount of blue on the belly. In a few of the males the belly is white with only the anterior edge of each scale blue; in some only the lateral rows of ventrals on the posterior two-thirds of the body are blue; in others all of the posterior two-thirds of the belly is blue.

Ontogenetic Change in Color Pattern.--The metamorphosis of color pattern in Cnemidophorus sacki zweifeli results in the dorsal ground-color becoming paler with age, the replacement of the stripes by spots, and finally in large males the suffusion of these spots.