A new species of Anadia (Reptilia, Squamata) from the Venezuelan “Lost World”, northern South America

Abstract

A new gymnophthalmid lizard of the genus Anadia Gray, 1845 is described from the summit of Abakapá-tepui, Bolívar state, Venezuela, between 2200-2242 m elevation. The new species, Anadia mcdiarmidi sp. nov., is endemic to the Chimantá Massif and seemingly also occurs on Amurí-tepui and Murei-tepui. The new taxon is mainly distinguished from all known congeners by the following combination of characters: body fairly robust, tail longer than SVL, dorsal scales small, quadrangular, middorsal scales 53-57, suboculars large, subequal in size, with sometimes one scale slightly protruding downward between 4th and 5th supralabial, nasal entire, without sub-nostril groove, body uniform greyish to bluish brown in life, devoid of any conspicuous pattern in males, venter immaculate golden grey in life, femoral pores not extending onto preanal area, 9-10 on each side in males, preanal pores absent, hemipenis globose, weakly bilobed, bordered by numerous flounces (>20) bearing comblike rows of minute weakly mineralized spinules.