Proctoporus chasqui (Chávez, Siu-ting, Duran & Venegas 2011)

Proctoporus chasqui is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. It is endemic to Peru.

Adult male (CORBIDI 06963) (Fig. 1a, 2a, b); SVL = 73.0 mm, tail (complete) length = 124.0 mm; axilla to groin distance 31.4 mm; head length 20.2 mm; head width 13.8 mm; shank length 10.7 mm. Head scales smooth, glossy; rostral scale wider (3.2 mm) than long (1.6 mm), higher than adjacent supralabials, in contact with frontonasal, nasoloreal, and first supralabials posteriorly; frontonasal slightly longer (3.5 mm) than wide (3.4 mm), widest posteriorly, in contact with nasoloreal and frenocular laterally, prefrontals posteriorly; nasoloreal suture present; prefrontals present, in contact with each other medially, in contact with fused anteriormost superciliary-anteriormost supraocular, frontal posteriorly; frontal longer (3.7 mm) than wide (3.0 mm), anterior suture angular with point directed anteriorly, lateral sutures straight, posterior suture angular with point slightly directed posteriorly, in contact with second and third supraoculars laterally, frontoparietals posteriorly; frontoparietals pentagonal, in contact with third and fourth supraocular, parietals and interparietal posteriorly; supraoculars four, none incontact with ciliaries; superciliary series complete, anteriormost superciliary fused with anteriormost supraocular; interparietal heptagonal, longer (4.8 mm) than wide (2.7 mm), in contact with parietals laterally, postparietals posteriorly; parietals polygonal, in contact with fourth supraocular anterolaterally, temporal scales laterally, dorsalmost postocular, postparietals posteriorly; postparietals three, lateral postparietals polygonal, medial postparietal squarish; palpebral disc an undivided oval, unpigmented; frenocular squarish, in contact with nasoloreal anteriorly; postoculars three; temporals polygonal; supratympanic temporals three; supralabials seven; infralabials five; mental wider (2.9 mm) than long (1.5 mm), in contact with first infralabials, postmental posteriorly; postmental single, pentagonal, posterior suture angular, point directed posteriorly, in contact with first and second infralabials; genials in two pairs, anterior pair subquadrangular, in contact with second and third infralabials; posterior genials subpentangular, in contact with fourth and fifth infralabials laterally; scale rows between genials and collar fold (along midventral line) 12; medialmost scales of three penultimate gular scale rows slightly enlarged; posteriormost gular row enfolded posteriorly, concealing two granular scale rows; lateral neck scales rounded, smooth. Dorsal scales rectangular, longer than wider, juxtaposed, keeled, 40 in a longitudinal count; some middorsal scales irregularly arranged; transverse dorsal count (enlarged rows at midbody) at fifth transverse ventral scale row 16, at 10th transverse ventral scale row 29, at 15th transverse ventral scale row 26; lateral scale rows at fifth transverse ventral scale row 14/ 16, at 10th transverse ventral scale row 4/4, at 15th transverse ventral scale row 3/3; lateral scales on body near insertion of forelimb small to granular; ventrals rectangular and juxtaposed; complete longitudinal ventral count 21; longitudinal ventral scale rows at midbody 12; 49 scales around midbody; anterior preanal plate scales two; posterior preanal plate scales four, all the scales at the same size; scales on tail rectangular and juxtaposed, keeled; at midventral subcaudals squarish. Limbs pentadactyl; digits clawed; forelimb reaching anteriorly to fourth supralabial; dorsal brachial scales polygonal, of varying sizes, subimbricate, smooth; midbrachial anterodorsal scale at least twice as large as adjacent scales, smooth; anteroventral, ventral, and posteroventral scales roundish, imbricate, smooth; antebrachial scales polygonal, of various sizes; medial antebrachial scales small, rounded, smooth; dorsal manus scales polygonal, subimbricate; palmar scales small, oval, domelike; dorsal scales on fingers smooth, quadrangular, covering dorsal half of digit, overhanging supradigital scales, two on I, 5/4 on II, seven on III, nine on IV, five on V; subdigital scales 5/4 on I, 10/9 on II, thirteen on III, 14/15 on IV, 7/8 on V; anterodorsal thigh scales polygonal, at least five times as large as adjacent scales, becoming smaller ventrally, smooth; posterodorsal thigh scales small, rounded, arranged irregularly; anterior and anteromedial shank scales polygonal, subimbricate, smooth, anteriormost scales many times larger than lateral, posterolateral, and posteromedial shank scales; lateral, posterolateral, and posteromedial shank scales polygonal or roundish, juxtaposed, smooth; dorsal pes scales polygonal, subimbricate, smooth; scales on dorsal surface of digits single, quadrangular, smooth, overhanging supradigital scales, two on I, five on II, eight on III, 10/10 on IV, 6/7 on V; subdigital scales single or double, 6/7 on I, 9/10 on II, 16/15 on III, 22/21 on IV, 10/11 on V; femoral pores nine or 10; two scales between medialmost femoral pores. The completely everted hemipenis is an acapitate organ without a medial welt; apex with two large protrusions separated by the distal end of the sulcus spermaticus; sulcus spermaticus single, flounces lacking calcified spines and forming two chevrons on distal half of hemipenis; sulcate flounces about as wide as asulcate flounces; asulcate flounces becoming shorter distally, three in the basal half and eleven in each protrusion, distal chevrons separated by a small expansion pleat; sulcus spermaticus single, flanked by a broad naked expansion pleat widened distally.

Euspondylus chasquiis known from two localities within a studied area of approximately 12 km² in the Río Apurímac valley (Fig 4). It inhabits secondary forests and human settlements. The individuals observed were mostly found at midday under the rocks or foraging between stones, always near medium-sized rocks that they use for hiding. The soil under these rocks is generally more damp compared to the rest of the soil around. A clutch with two eggs was foundunder the litter, as well as several gravid females (CORBIDI 06955, 06966, 06968–69, 08417, 08420–21, 08424, 08431–32) from the dry and wet season (August and December, 2010) containing two eggs inside the abdominal cavity. This suggests that the maximum clutch size is two and that the reproductive cycle and birth of neonates can be at least twice a year. The egg length range is 3.4–14.1 mm (x- = 8.3 mm, n= 20) and width range is 2.8–5.9 mm (x- = 4.5 mm, n=20), SVL range of gravid females is 48.5–72.7 mm. We did not see nests sharing the same area.Euspondylus chasquidoes not occur sympatrically with any other species ofEuspondylusorProctoporus; however, a marsupial frog, Gastrotheca rebeccae, was found at the same location.Euspondylus chasquiwas the most abundant species in the type locality, where 35 individuals were found in four hours by four surveyers. Morphometric and pholidosis characters inEuspondylus chasquiandEuspondylus oreades. Individuals measured forEuspondylus chasquiinclude: eleven males, thirteen females, and a juvenile; forEuspondylus oreades: four males, eight females, and a juvenile. Range is followed by mean value and standard deviation in parenthesis.Euspondylus chasqui(n=25)Euspondylus oreades(n=13)Max SVL (mm)males74.061.0females72.758.0Tail length/SVLmales1.2–2.1 (1.6+0.3)1.0–1.8 (1.4+0.3)females1.0–2.0 (1.5+0.4)1.0–1.9 (1.4+0.4)Head length/Head widthmales1.0–1.8 (1.6+0.2)1.4–1.7 (1.6+0.1)females1.6–2.0 (1.9+0.1)1.4–2.0 (1.7+0.2)Number of femoral poresmales8–11 (9.7+1.0)3–8 (6.0+1.9)females8–10 (9.1+0.5)2–8 (5.8+2.3)Number of genials4 (4.0+0.0)4 (4.0+0.0)Number of postparietals3 (3.0+0.0)3 (3.0+0.0)Number of supratympanic temporals2–3 (2.6+0.5)3 (3.0+0.0)Number of scales around midbody20–28 (23.2+2.4)20–25 (22.7+1.8)Longitudinal dorsal count37–43 (39.1+1.7)32–43 (39.0+2.9)Number of longitudinal ventral scale rows19–22 (20.1+0.9)20–22 (21.0+0.8)Number of transversal ventral scale rows10–14 (12.4+0.9)10–12 (10.6+0.9)Lamellae under 4th finger10–15 (13.6+1.2)8–12 (10.1+1.1)Lamellae under 4th toe 17–26 (21.2+1.9)11–19 (15.2+2.0)