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

description: Stenocercus praeornatus Fritts
(Fig. 21)
Stenocercus praeornatus Fritts, 1972:16. Holotype: KU 134231, a male from ‘‘ Comas, 3220 m, Departamento Junín, Perú ̕̕; Fritts, 1974:62.
Diagnosis.— Stenocercus praeornatus and S. imitator are unique among species of Stenocercus with granular scales on the posterior surface of thighs in that adult males have a distinct black transverse band across the ventral surface of neck and a pink or lavender ventral background. S. praeornatus can be distinguished from S. imitator by having more vertebrals (65–71, X = 67.83 and 49–66, X = 56.87, respectively), more gulars (38–50, X = 46.50 and 29–44, X = 34.98, respectively), and more scales around midbody (99–122, X = 107.67 and 85–124, X = 102.96, respectively).
Description.—(1) Maximum SVL in males 100 mm (Cadle, 1991); (2) maximum SVL in females 81 mm (Cadle, 1991); (3) vertebrals 65–71; (4) paravertebrals 90–101; (5) scales around midbody 99–122; (6) supraoculars 4–7; (7) internasals 4–5; (8) postrostrals 5–9; (9) loreals 3–5; (10) gulars 38–50; (11) subdigitals on Finger IV 19–22; (12) subdigitals on Toe IV 27–30; (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 not visible through interparietal cornea; (16) scales on occipitoparietal region small, smooth, juxtaposed; (17) projecting angulate temporals absent; (18) row of enlarged supraoculars occupying most of supraocular region absent; (19) scales on frontonasal region juxtaposed anteriorly; (20) preauricular fringe present; (21) antegular (continuous medially), antehumeral, gular, longitudinal, oblique, and postauricular neck folds present; (22) lateral nuchals less than half the size of dorsal nuchals; (23) posterior gulars cycloid, smooth, slightly imbricate, not notched; (24) lateral scales reduced in size, approximately half the size of dorsal body scales; (25) vertebrals larger than adjacent paravertebrals; (26) dorsolateral crest absent; (27) ventrals smooth, imbricate; (28) scales on posterior surfaces of thighs granular; (29) inguinal granular pocket present; (30) inguinal groove present; (31) preanals not projected; (32) tail not strongly compressed laterally in adult males; (33) tail length 62–66% 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 always present; (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, Pattern 1A.
Color in life.—Dorsum in males grayishbrown with faint, dark brown, diamondshaped marks; dorsum in females grayish beige with pairs of brown blotches middorsally; head brown with yellowish-beige spots in males; nape with diagonal yellow marks and spots in males; lateral aspect of body yellowish-brown with dull yellow spots in males; chin bluish-green with yellow spots in males, beige with brown spots or reticulations in females; gular region rose pink with gray reticulation in males; ventral aspect of neck black in males; venter grayish-white in females and rose pink with narrow, yellow midventral line in males; ventrally, base of tail yellowish-orange in males and thighs slightly yellow in females (Fritts, 1972).
Natural History.—This species has been collected in large rock piles and terraces made of rocks (Fritts, 1972, 1974).
Distribution.— Stenocercus praeornatus is known only from its type locality, 11 ° 46'0"S, 75 ° 5'0"W, 3220 m, in the eastern Cordillera of the central Andes in Peru (Fig. 10). This locality lies in the upper valley of Río Tulumayo (Atlantic drainage), Departamento Junín. Specimens of S. praeornatus reported from northwestern Peru by Fritts (1972, 1974) correspond to S. imitator (Cadle, 1991).
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 146-147, DOI: 10.1655/06-001.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14384794