#gerrhonotus

[herpsandbirds]

Texas Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis), family Anguidae, Aguascalientes, México

photograph by Bruno Sanchez Perez

[skull-hoarder]

I found a lizard in my backyard

It is a Texas alligator lizard (gerrhonotus infernalis) they are quite common for my region, more now in early spring

They feed on insects (moths, crickets, grasshoppers, etc.) although I have read that they can also eat small eggs or newborn mice

They are also able to drop the tail as a defense method (which grows back, but not as long as before) although they generally prefer to hiss and show the inside of their almost black mouth and their blue tongue (like skinks).

They are slow moving, although if they are in need they can move very fast combining a movement of crawling with running, in addition, they are semi-arboreal so their tail is semi-prehensile

Unfortunately many people believe they are poisonous and kill them, in addition to being in constant danger by feral/stray cats and dogs.

Anyway, later I'm going to leave him in the woods to try and keep him from going into the wrong backyard and I could take the opportunity to see if I find any new skull hahaha

[herpsandbirds]

Wiegmann's Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus liocephalus), family Anguidae, Oaxaca, Mexico

photograph by Elí García-Padilla

[herpsandbirds]

Isthmian Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus rhombifer), juvenile, family Anguidae, Costa Rica

photograph by Diego Aviles

[herpsandbirds]

Texas Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis), family Anguidae, Texas, USA

Photograph by Frank Portillo

[herpsandbirds]

Phylogenomic Analyses Reveal Hidden Diversity in Gerrhonotus (Anguidae: Gerrhonotinae) and Description of a New Species from Western Mexico

Adrián Nieto-Montes de Oca, John J. Wiens, Uri Omar García Vázquez

ABSTRACT

The genus Gerrhonotus has a wide geographic range, extending from Texas in the United States southward and eastward to Panamá. Despite this enormous distribution, only seven species are currently recognized within the genus. However, both morphological and molecular studies have provided evidence for the presence of an undescribed species in western Mexico that has historically been confused with G. liocephalus. This species remains undescribed. In addition, molecular studies have revealed significant genetic structuring within some of the most broadly distributed morphology-based species in the genus, including G. infernalis, G. liocephalus, and G. ophiurus. These findings suggest the potential for unrecognized species diversity. Here, we used double-digested restriction-site associated sequencing (ddRADseq) to construct a new phylogenomic data set for the genus Gerrhonotus. We performed maximum-likelihood analyses on concatenated matrices with varying minimum taxon coverage to assess the impact of different numbers of loci and proportions of missing data on matrix informativeness, and identified the optimal matrix. We then performed a maximum-likelihood analysis of this matrix. Based on the resulting tree, current taxonomy, and the geographic distribution of samples, we identified 10 potentially independent lineages (putative species) within the genus. Subsequently, we conducted species-tree analyses for these lineages and utilized the resulting topologies to estimate their genealogical divergence index (gdi), providing a preliminary assessment of their evolutionary distinctness. All of the analyses consistently corroborated the existence of an undescribed species from western Mexico. Moreover, gdi values indicated the potential presence of additional hidden species diversity within the genus. We describe the lineage from western Mexico as a distinct species, based on 18 adult specimens. The new species appears to be restricted to the western slopes of Mexico from southern Nayarit to central Guerrero, spanning elevations from sea level to about 1500 m. Its preferred habitats include tropical deciduous, tropical semideciduous, oak, and pine-oak forests.

Read the paper:

Phylogenomic Analyses Reveal Hidden Diversity in Gerrhonotus (Anguidae: Gerrhonotinae) and Description of a New Species from Western Mexico

[herpsandbirds]

Smooth-headed Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus ophiurus), family Anguidae, Misantla, Veracruz. Mexico

Photograph by Bruno RF (@b.r.u.n.o.rf)

[herpsandbirds]

Isthmian Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus rhombifer), juvenile, family Anguidae, Costa Rica

photograph by Cesar Barrio Amorós