Petracola waka Kizirian, Bayefsky-Anand, Eriksson, Le & Donnelly, 2008, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kizirian, David
name: Bayefsky-Anand, Sarah
name: Eriksson, April
name: Le, Minh
name: Donnelly, Maureen A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Gymnophthalmidae
Petracola
Petracola waka

description: Petracola waka sp. nov.
(Figures 1–3; Table 1)
Holotype. KU 135079 (original number: Field Series THF 2234), a male from Cajabamba, Cajamarca Province, Peru, 2700 m, collected 18 April 1970 by Thomas H. Fritts.
Paratypes. FMNH 229377; KU 135059–78, 135080–89, 212685–88, 212707 (n = 36).
Diagnosis. Scales smooth, juxtaposed; prefrontals absent; suproculars usually two; anteriormost superciliary extends onto dorsal surface; superciliaries usually four, usually contiguous; loreal usually two; genials usually three; transverse dorsal scale rows 36–49; transverse ventral scale rows 23–28; palpebral disk nearly transparent; femoral pores 0–7, present in females; dorsum pale brown with dark brown spots arranged in regular rows or forming fine lines or bands; venter pale yellow with scattered dark brown, scattered spots (Table 1).
Compared to the parapatrically distributed congener P. ventrimaculatus (character state in parentheses), P. waka possesses a gracile (robust) body, complete (incomplete) superciliary row, a loreal (absent), three (two) genials, has a finely patterned (heavily patterned) venter, and small dark spots or fine stripes or bands (broad stripes) on the dorsum (Table 1). Compared with the only other congener, P. l a b i o o c u l a r i s (character state in parentheses), P. w a k a has two supraoculars (three) supraoculars, no (present) fusion of suboculars and labials, four (1–2) superciliaries, 5–7 (10–11) femoral pores in males, and 6–12 (0) scales between femoral pores (see Köhler & Lehr, 2004).
Description of holotype. SVL 49.5 mm, tail [74] mm (Fig. 1). Rostral scale wider than long, taller than adjacent supralabials, in contact with frontonasal, nasals, anteriormost supralabials. Frontonasal longer than wide, widest at level of nares, distinctly larger than frontal. Frontal approximately as long as wide, widest at anterior suture of anteriormost supraocular, barely extends between frontoparietals. Frontoparietals hexagonal, in broad contact medially, in broad contact with supraoculars. Interparietal septagonal. Parietals polygonal, longer than wide. Postparietals three, median scale much smaller than laterals, posterior sutures form a nearly straight line. Supraoculars two. Anterior supraocular larger than posterior supraocular. Superciliary series continuous, 4/4. Anterior superciliary extends dorsally, contacting frontal. Medial scales of anteriormost dorsal scale row, paired, larger than adjacent posterior dorsals (Fig 2).
Nasal subtriangular, pierced in center by nostril, shallow groove posterior to nares extends ventrally to first supralabial. Loreals 2/1. Central palbebral scale nearly transparent. Supralabials eight. Suboculars three. Postoculars two. Supratympanic temporals 2/3. Tympanum recessed, mostly transparent, weakly pigmented posteriorly (Fig. 2).
Infralabials seven. Genials three, meeting at broad midventral sutures. Anteriormost two pregular rows larger than posterior rows, in somewhat regular transverse rows. Gulars in 7/8 rows. Gular fold distinct, concealing one row of small scales (Fig 2).
Dorsals smooth, rectangular, in 41 transverse, 19 longitudinal rows (at tenth transverse ventral scale row). Ventrals smooth, in 24 transverse, 12 longitudinal, rows. Dorsals and ventrals separated by approximately three rows of small to granular scales, which are continuous with small to granular scales on body at insertion of limbs. Cloacal plate with two large anterior and three large posterior scales. Tail incomplete. Caudal scales rectangular, smooth, glossy, in [64] transverse rows.
Forelimbs pentadactyl, with claws. Anterodorsal scales smooth, glossy, polygonal, larger than those on posterior side. Dorsal scales on brachium much larger than ventrals. Ventral scales on brachium subgranular. Anterior scales on antebrachium polygonal, smooth, glossy. Posteroventral scales on antebrachium roundish, smooth, glossy. Palmar scales domed, some with central pits. Dorsal scales on I 2 /2, on II 4 /4, on III 6 /6, on IV 6 /6, on V 3 /3. Subdigital lamellae undivided; on I 4 /4, on II 7 /7, on III 9 /9, on IV 9 /9, on V 5 /6.
Scales on anterior surface of thigh polygonal, smooth, glossy, distinctly larger than adjacent scales. Scales on anteroventral surface of thigh polygonal to round, smooth, glossy. Femoral pores [4]/6. Scales on posterior surface of thigh small, round, smooth, glossy. Scales on dorsal surface of crus rounded diamonds, subimbricate, smooth, glossy. Scales on ventral surface of crus significantly larger than adjacent scales. Scales on dorsal surface of foot polygonal, irregularly arranged, subimbricate, of varying sizes. Dorsal scales on I 2 /2, on II 5 /5, on III 8 /8, on IV 10/9, on V 6 /6, single except for proximal rows on some toes. Plantar scales ovoid, slightly domed. Subdigital lamellae single or divided in 5/5 rows on I, 8/8 on II, 12/13 on III, 16/16 on IV, 9/ 10 on V.
Dorsum pale brown with evenly distributed dark brown microscopic specks, often forming larger spots. Shoulder stripe consists of pale brown stripe bordered by dark brown, gradually disintegrating into spots posteriorly. Larger dark brown spots arranged in lines on trunk and tail, become larger laterally. Dorsum of head with scattered microscopic dark brown specks, and scattered irregularly shaped and roughly symmetrically arranged larger spots. Spots on tail tend to be interconnected to adjacent lateral spots along posterior scale edges. Ventral surface of head and neck white with irregularly shaped spots generally in center of scales. Ventral surface of trunk white to pale yellow with brown spots positioned centrally and anteriorly in scales, especially posteriorly. Ventral spots become larger and more abundant posteriorly. Subcaudals white with pigmentation concentrated centrally and on anterior and posterior scale sutures. Limbs brown with scattered dark brown specks and larger dark brown spots.
Variation. Cajabamba Valley specimens (n = 24) usually have two postoculars (16 with 2/2, 8 with 2/3 or 3/2, none with 3/3) and 39–49 transverse dorsal scale rows. Río Marañon specimens (n = 14) have 3 postoculars and 37–40 transverse dorsal scale rows.
In life, adults have a “light grey to tannish grey dorsum sometimes with faint beige dorsolateral stripe and black fleck on all cephalic and dorsal body scales; males sometimes with pinkish chin; males with yellow subcaudals; juveniles with bronze-tan dorsum, medium grey lateral body, beige dorsolateral stripe edged with brown dorsally; most with yellow or yellowish-tan tails; all with dirty white venter" (Thomas H. Fritts field notes for KU 135059–68).
Sexual dimorphism is apparent in ventral color pattern. Males tend to have large dark spots, females have smaller and fewer dark spots, and juveniles tend to be nearly unicolored pale brown.
Distribution and ecology. Petracola waka is known only from 2650–2900 m in the middle Río Marañon and Cajamarca-Cajabamba basin (Río Crisnejos drainage; Fig. 3). Some localities in the “agriculturalized Cajabamba valley” were characterized by “numerous agave, sod grass, small shrubs, briars, and eucalyptus trees” and specimens were collected “along open ditchbanks under rocks in grassy areas” and more commonly “under rocks near bushes or plants than under rocks isolated or surrounded by sod” (Thomas H. Fritts field notes, 18 April 1970).
Etymology. The specific epithet, an indeclinable word, is adapted from wak’a (= huaca), a word in Quechua (and possibly Aymara) used for objects and places of special significance. Examples include shrines, temples, fetishes, crystals, tombs of ancestors, Inca emperors, battlefields, mountains, hills, caves, springs, palaces, bridges, forts, boundary markers, and frequently, stones (Rowe, 1946), under which this species is found. In some regions of the Andes, certain gymnophthalmids known as sukullukus in Quechua (e.g., Doan & Castoe, 2003) are found under stones and are thought to possess supernatural properties. Such thinking may have arisen from association of the lizards with wak’as.
description: Published as part of Kizirian, David, Bayefsky-Anand, Sarah, Eriksson, April, Le, Minh & Donnelly, Maureen A., 2008, A new Petracola and re-description of P. ventrimaculatus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), pp. 53-62 in Zootaxa 1700 on pages 54-56, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.180786