Anolis guentherii Bocourt
Creators: name: Köhler, Gunther
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Dactyloidae
Anolis
Anolis guentherii

description: Anolis guentherii Bocourt
Anolis guentherii Bocourt 1873:61; holotype (MNHN 712) from “ Mexique.” Troschel (1874:160), Boulenger (1885:54), Cope (1885:391), Cope (1887:28),
Anolis guentheri Günther (1885:46), Barbour (1934:133), Guibé (1954:37), Stuart (1955:4) Anolis guntheri Stuart (1955:19), Peters and Donoso-Barros (1970:59), Fitch and Henderson (1973:126) Anolis guntherii. Smith and Taylor (1950a:63), Smith and Taylor (1950b:320), Brygoo (1989:52)
Description of the holotype of Anolis guentherii (MNHN 712; Fig. 2). Adult female as indicated by shape of base of tail and absence of dewlap; SVL 45.5 mm; tail incomplete, regenerated; tail slightly compressed in cross section, tail height 1.7 mm, tail width 1.6 mm; axilla to groin distance 18.5 mm; head length 12.8 mm, head length/ SVL ratio 0.28; snout length 6.0 mm; head width 7.7 mm; longest toe of adpressed hind limb reaching to a point between tympanum and eye; shank length 10.6 mm, shank length/head length ratio 0.83; longest finger of extended forelimb reaching to tip of snout; longest finger of adpressed forelimb failing to reach anterior insertion of hind limbs by 2.5 mm. Scales on snout keeled; 6 postrostrals; 8 scales between nasals; 1 elongate prenasal scale in contact with rostral; scales in shallow prefrontal depression keeled; supraorbital semicircles well developed, separated by a minimum of 2 scale rows; supraorbital disc composed of 5–7 distinctly enlarged keeled scales; circumorbital row of small scales complete; a single elongate superciliary; 3–4 rows of small scales extending between enlarged supraorbitals and superciliary; interparietal scale well developed, 1.7 x 1.2 mm (length x width), surrounded by scales of moderate size; 4 scales present between interparietal and supraorbital semicircles; canthal ridge distinct, composed of 3 large (anteriormost one largest) and 3 small anterior canthal scales; 9 scales present between second canthals; 11 scales present between posterior canthals; 28 (right)–29 (left) mostly obtusely keeled loreal scales in a maximum of 5 horizontal rows; subocular scales in a single series, 3 scales broadly contacting supralabials; 6 (right)–7 (left) supralabials to level below center of eye; ear opening 0.6 x 1.1 mm (length x height), ratio tympanum height/parietal scale length 0.65; mental distinctly wider than long, almost completely divided medially, bordered posteriorly by 5 postmentals (outer pair largest); 6 infralabials to level below center of eye; 2 anterior sublabials greatly enlarged, in contact with infralabials; slightly keeled granular scales present on chin and throat; dewlap absent; dorsal trunk scales weakly keeled, juxtaposed to subimbricate with rounded posterior margins, 2 medial rows slightly enlarged, largest dorsal scales about 0.24 x 0.23 mm (length x width); about 60 medial dorsal scales in one head length; about 94 medial dorsal scales between axilla and groin; lateral scales keeled, granular, homogeneous, average size 0.15 mm in diameter; ventrals at midbody smooth, slightly bulging, subimbricate, about 0.29 x 0.34 mm (length x width); about 48 ventral scales in one head length; about 64 ventral scales between axilla and groin; about 94 scales around midbody; caudal scales keeled; caudal middorsal scales enlarged; lateral caudal scales keeled, homogeneous, although indistinct division in segments discernible; postcloacal scales not enlarged; no tube-like axillary pocket present; scales on dorsal surface of forelimb weakly keeled, imbricate; digital pads greatly dilated, dilated pad (width 1.3 mm) several times the width of non-dilated scales on distal phalanx (0.3 mm); 36 (right)–35 (left) lamellae under phalanges II–IV of fourth toe; 6 scales under distal phalanx of fourth toe.
Snout and frontal region cream color with a suffusion of grayish brown; dorsal surfaces of posterior portion of head, neck, and anterior body with a faint pattern of pale spots; ventral surface of head pale grayish brown with brown wavy longitudinal lines, forming a reticulum on sides of head; venter pale grayish brown; dorsal and ventral surfaces of limbs and tail pale cream color.
Taxonomic conclusions: A comparison of the holotype of Anolis guentherii with all other known species of anoles leads me to the conclusion that it is conspecific with A. grahami Gray 1845. Diagnostic characters include:
(1) two anterior sublabials greatly enlarged, in contact with infralabials;
(2) digital pads greatly dilated, dilated pad several times the width of non-dilated scales on distal phalanx;
(3) supraorbital semicircles well developed, separated by a minimum of 2 scale rows, 4 scales present between interparietal and supraorbital semicircles;
(4) a single elongate superciliary;
(5) longest toe of adpressed hind limb reaching to a point between tympanum and eye, shank length/head length ratio 0.83;
(6) smooth ventral scales;
(7) dorsal trunk scales weakly keeled, juxtaposed to subimbricate with rounded posterior margins, 2 medial rows slightly enlarged;
(8) ventral surface of head pale with brown wavy longitudinal lines, forming a reticulum on sides of head, dorsal surfaces of posterior portion of head, neck, and anterior body with a faint pattern of pale spots.
Therefore, I herewith place Anolis guentherii Bocourt 1973 in the synonymy of A. grahami Gray 1845. This species occurs natively on Jamaica, and has been introduced on Bermuda (Russell and Bauer 1991, Schwartz and Henderson 1991). Because of its smooth ventral scales and its large interparietal plate, MNHN 712 is assigned to the nominal subspecies. The type locality “ Mexique ” as stated in the original description of A. guentherii is clearly erroneous.
description: Published as part of Köhler, Gunther, 2012, Taxonomic status of two enigmatic Mexican anoles: Anolis cumingii Peters 1863 and Anolis guentherii Bocourt 1873 (Reptilia, Squamata, Dactyloidae), pp. 82-88 in Zootaxa 3551 on pages 85-86, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.282852