New lizard genus discovered in Guyana
Philippe Kok, herpetologist with our Vertebrates Department, recently discovered the Kaieteurosaurus hindsi, a lizard species that can be assigned to a new genus. On the following pages, Philippe Kok answers the most frequently asked questions about this particular genus.
What exactly is a genus?
In biology, the genus is a taxonomic category ranking below a family and above the species. It generally consists of a group of species exhibiting similar characteristics and having natural relations. A genus may contain only one species and is then called a monospecific genus.
What does Kaieteurosaurus hindsi look like?
Kaieteurosaurus hindsi, or Hinds’ Kaieteur lizard, is a small terrestrial lizard (barely 10cm in length) that belongs to the Gymnophthalmidae family. The Gymnophthalmidae family currently includes less than 40 genera, distributed in temperate, subtropical and tropical areas from southern Mexico to the south of South-America.
The most important characteristic that distinguishes Kaieteurosaurus is without a doubt its very peculiar ventral scalation, formed by long, sharp, lanceolate scales, while most genera of the Gymnophthalmidae family have quadrangular ventral scales. Some gymnophthalmids have mucronate ventral scales, but never as sharp and lanceolate as seen in Kaieteurosaurus hindsi. The head scalation and the tongue anatomy are equally particular. A long list of morphological characteristics makes Kaieteurosaurus clearly distinct from the other known Gymnophthalmidae.
Photos and drawings: © Philippe Kok
Currently, only one specimen of this lizard has been collected. We are trying to obtain more specimens and tissue samples that will be used to determine the position of this animal within the Gymnophthalmidae family through molecular systematics.
Why this name?
I wanted to dedicate the new lizard to its area of origin: the Kaieteur National Park. The suffix “saurus" meaning lizard, Kaieteurosaurus can literally be translated as “lizard of Kaieteur”. The species name, hindsi, was dedicated to Guyana’s Prime Minister, M. Samuel Hinds, without whom my research in the National Park (in close collaboration with Guyanese colleagues) would probably never have taken place. M. Hinds always fully supported our studies, and thanks to him numerous problems regarding the issue of research permits could be resolved.
Where can the new lizard be seen at the Institute of Natural sciences?
The unique specimen is not on show at the museum. It is kept in the depositories, where the scientific collections are preserved. The depositories are not accessible to the public; this way the specimen can be protected from excessive light and heat, which would harm its preservation.
