A NEW SPECIES OF TUPINAMBIS (SQUAMATA: TEIIDAE) FROM CENTRAL BRAZIL, WITH AN ANALYSIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL AND GENETIC VARIATION IN THE GENUS

We describe a new species of Tupinambis from central Brazil. Tupinambis cerra- densis is apparently endemic to the Cerrado biome and associated with gallery forests. Tupinambis cerradensis is sympatric with T merianae, and probably with T rufescens, throughout its range. A discriminant analysis of eight size-independent morphometric variables and body size indicated that relative limb size is the most striking difference among the species of Tupinambis, and that the discriminatory power of morphometric characters is low. A discriminant analysis of 10 meristic characters indicated that the number of femoral pores, dorsals, and scales around midbody are the best discriminators among the species of Tupinambis, and that the discriminatory power of meristic characters is high. Allelic frequencies from six variable presumed electrophoretic loci produced greater genetic distances between T cerradensis and T merianae than between T cerradensis and T teguixin. Tupinam2bis cerradensis feeds mostly on arthropods and molluscs, ingesting much less plant material and vertebrates than the larger species of the genus.

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