Stenocercus latebrosus Cadle 1998
Creators: name: Torres-Carvajal, Omar
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Squamata
Tropiduridae
Stenocercus
Stenocercus latebrosus

description: Stenocercus latebrosus Cadle
Stenocercus latebrosus Cadle, 1998:268. Holotype: MHNSM 16744, a male from ‘‘ Bosque de Cachil, approximately 3 km (airline) SE Contumazá, 7 ° 23'S, 78 ° 47'W, 2500 m, Departamento Cajamarca, Peru.̕̕
Diagnosis.— Stenocercus latebrosus is distinguished from other species of Stenocercus except S. chrysopygus, S. cupreus, S. modestus, S. orientalis, 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. latebrosus and S. ornatissimus are unique in having deep neck mite pockets under both antehumeral and oblique neck folds. S. latebrosus differs from S. ornatissimus (character states in parentheses) in having lateral and dorsal nuchals similar in size (lateral nuchals less than half the size of dorsal nuchals), and by lacking small black dots on the venter in adult males (small ventral black dots usually present). See Cadle (1998) for a more detailed comparison between these two species.
Description.—(1) Maximum SVL in males 76 mm (n = 20); (2) maximum SVL in females 67 mm (n = 18); (3) vertebrals 43–53; (4) paravertebrals 42–56; (5) scales around midbody 38–57; (6) supraoculars 5–7; (7) internasals 2–4; (8) postrostrals 4–6; (9) loreals 1–3; (10) gulars 18–26; (11) subdigitals on Finger IV 17–23; (12) subdigitals on Toe IV 23–28; (13) posthumeral mite pocket present as one or more vertical folds or ridges; (14) postfemoral mite pocket present as one or more vertical folds or ridges; (15) parietal eye always visible through interparietal cornea; (16) scales on occipitoparietal region small, smooth or keeled, juxtaposed; (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) preauricular fringe present; (21) antehumeral and oblique neck folds present; (22) lateral and dorsal nuchals similar in size; (23) posterior gulars cycloid, smooth, slightly imbricate, not 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 compressed laterally in adult males; (33) tail length 63–69% 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.
Color in life.—Dorsum chestnut-brown with longitudinal series of dark brown marks (sometimes as a paired series of triangles) middorsally, as well as grayish white or yellowish-brown dorsolateral stripes in some females and subadults; dorsal aspect of neck and anterior body with bright blue flecks in some males; dorsal aspect of head blackish brown with irregular light brown marks; supra- and infralabials blackish brown; lorilabials and loreals white; throat and ventral aspect of neck white with dark streaking (less conspicuous in females), or black with large white spots (males only); pectoral region, venter, and ventral aspect of limbs and base of tail with brilliant yellow or blue streaks in males; ventrolateral edges of body with orange tint in some females (Cadle, 1998).
Natural History.—Gravid females and hatchlings of S. latebrosus were collected in August 1994 at Bosque de Cachil in Departamento Cajamarca, Peru (Cadle, 1998). This species has been observed in disturbed areas including secondary growth areas, agricultural land, stone fences, and eucalyptus forests (Cadle, 1998).
Distribution.— Stenocercus latebrosus is known from the western Cordillera of the central Andes in northern Peru between 8 ° S– 7 ° S (Fig. 15). This species occurs in the upper valleys of Río Chicama and Río Chilete (Pacific drainage), and Río Marañón (Atlantic drainage) at elevations of 2400–2600 m in Departamentos Cajamarca and La Libertad.
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 pages 131-132, DOI: 10.1655/06-001.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14384794