Stenocercus orientalis Fritts 1972
Creators: name: Torres-Carvajal, Omar
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Squamata
Tropiduridae
Stenocercus
Stenocercus orientalis

description: Stenocercus orientalis Fritts
(Fig. 20)
Stenocercus orientalis Fritts, 1972:14. Holotype: KU 134466, a male from ‘‘ Chachapoyas, 2340 m, Departamento Amazonas, Perú ̕̕; Fritts, 1974:60.
Diagnosis.— Stenocercus orientalis is distinguished from other species of Stenocercus except S. chrysopygus, S. cupreus, S. latebrosus S. modestus, and S. ornatissimus by having granular scales on the posterior surface of thighs, conspicuous antehumeral and oblique neck folds, a distinct mite pocket under oblique neck fold, and by lacking a vertebral crest. Of these species, S. orientalis is unique in having prominently keeled dorsal head scales.
Description.—(1) Maximum SVL in males 79 mm (n = 17); (2) maximum SVL in females 66 mm (n = 17); (3) vertebrals 44–58; (4) paravertebrals 48–62; (5) scales around midbody 46–59; (6) supraoculars 5–6; (7) internasals 3–5; (8) postrostrals 4–7; (9) loreals 2–3; (10) gulars 20–26; (11) subdigitals on Finger IV 16–21; (12) subdigitals on Toe IV 21–30; (13) posthumeral mite pocket present as one or more vertical folds or ridges; (14) postfemoral mite pocket distinct with slit-like opening; (15) parietal eye always visible through interparietal cornea; (16) scales on occipitoparietal region small, keeled, imbricate; (17) projecting angulate temporals absent; (18) row of enlarged supraoculars occupying most of supraocular region absent; (19) scales on frontonasal region weakly imbricate anteriorly; (20) no preauricular fringe present; (21) antehumeral and oblique neck folds present; (22) lateral nuchals less than half the size of dorsal nuchals; (23) posterior gulars cycloid, smooth, slightly imbricate, notched; (24) lateral and dorsal body scales similar in size; (25) vertebrals and adjacent paravertebrals similar in size; (26) dorsolateral crest absent; (27) ventrals smooth, imbricate; (28) scales on posterior surfaces of thighs granular; (29) inguinal granular pocket absent; (30) inguinal groove absent; (31) preanals not projected; (32) tail not strongly compressed laterally in adult males; (33) tail length 65–69% of total length; (34) caudal whorls per autotomic segment three; (35) caudals not spinose; (36) dark brown stripe extending anterodorsally from subocular region to supraciliaries absent; (37) dark patch extensively covering gular region of females absent; (38) dark patch extensively covering gular region of adult males absent; (39) black patch on ventral surface of neck in adult males absent; (40) dark midventral longitudinal mark such as faint line, conspicuous stripe, or extensive patch in adult males absent; (41) dark patches on ventral surface of thighs in adult males absent; (42) postxiphisternal inscriptional ribs not in contact midventrally, Patterns 1B and 2C.
Color in life.—Dorsum brown with dark brown or black blotches, occasionally forming chevrons in males; light lateral stripe extends posteriorly from subocular region to dorsal aspect of tympanum and continues dorsolaterally to approximately the level of fore limb insertion; gular region and venter beige in males and grayish beige in females; ventrally, pelvic region and thighs yellow in males (Fritts, 1972).
Natural History.—This species has been found in open areas at the bases of shrubs (Fritts, 1972, 1974).
Distribution.— Stenocercus orientalis is known from the eastern Cordillera of the central Andes in northern Peru (6 ° S–5 ° S). This species occurs in the valley of Río Utcubamba (Atlantic drainage) at elevations between 2200–2900 m in Departamento Amazonas (Fig. 19).
description: Published as part of Torres-Carvajal, Omar, 2007, A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF SOUTH AMERICAN STENOCERCUS (SQUAMATA: IGUANIA) LIZARDS, pp. 76-178 in Herpetological Monographs 21 (1) on page 140, DOI: 10.1655/06-001.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14384794