[Herpetology • 2024] Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit • A New Species of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus Group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Surat Thani Province, Thailand Underscores This Group’s Remarkable Diversity on the Thai-Malay Peninsula

Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit

 Termprayoon, Rujirawan, Grismer & Aowphol, 2024

 

ตุ๊กกายกาญจนดิษฐ์  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3390/ani14223226

Abstract

An integrative taxonomic study recognized a new species of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus group from Kanchanadit District, Surat Thani Province, Southern Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial ND2 gene revealed a new species, Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov., that is closely related to C. lekaguli. The new species differs from its sister lineage by bearing mean genetic divergence of 4.53% and significant differences in both mensural and morphometric characters (p < 0.05). Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov. can be differentiated from the remaining members of the C. pulchellus species group because of its genetic divergence of ≥7.99% and a combination of differences in body size: 11–15 supralabial and 10–12 infralabial scales, 29–35 paravertebral tubercles, 18–23 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles, 32–37 rows of ventral scales, 20–23 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe, 32–37 femoroprecloacal pores in adult males, and four or five dark body bands; weak tuberculation on body; absence of tubercles in the ventral body fold, absence of precloacal pores in females, and absence of scattered pattern of white tubercles on dorsum; presence of precloacal groove depression; and maculated white caudal bands. Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov. is currently known from its type locality.

Keywords: bent-toed gecko; genetic; Southeast Asia; taxonomy

 Live specimen of the adult male holotype of Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov. (ZMKU R 01091) from the type locality in Pa Ron Subdistrict, Kanchanadit District, Surat Thani Province, Thailand.

 Specimens of  Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov. from the type locality show variation in coloration and body pattern.
(A) Adult male specimen (ZMKU R 01092) in preservative, (B) live adult female specimen (ZMKU R 01094),
(C) an individual from its habitat (not collected) showing four dark dorsal bands with an irregular pattern on the 3rd band, and (D) a juvenile (not collected) bearing four dark body bands and having light yellow color on the body with a white tail tip.

Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of the C. pulchellus group by a combination of the following characters: (1) SVL 92.5–101.1 mm in adult males (n = 4), 108.2–108.5 mm in adult females (n = 2); (2) 11–15 supralabial and 10–12 infralabial scales; (3) weak tuberculation on body; (4) no tubercles on ventral surfaces of forelimbs, gular region, or in ventrolateral body folds; (5) 29–35 paravertebral tubercles; (6) 18–23 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; (7) 32–37 rows of ventral scales; (8) 20–23 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; (9) 32–37 femoroprecloacal pores in adult males; (10) absence of precloacal pores in adult females; (11) deep precloacal groove in males; (12) absence of scattered pattern of white tubercles on dorsum; (13) four or five dark dorsal body bands; (14) light caudal bands in adults infused with dark pigmentation; and (15) posterior portion of tail in hatchlings and juveniles white.

Etymology: The specific epithet kanchanadit refers to the type locality in Kanchanadit District, Surat Thani Province, Thailand.

Suggested common name: Kanchanadit Bent-toed Gecko ตุ๊กกายกาญจนดิษฐ์.

Habitat of Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov. at the type locality Phet Phanomwat Waterfall, Kanchanadit District, Surat Thani Province. (A) Waterfall and (B) outcrop along the stream bank.

Photographs by Siriporn Yodthong.

 Korkhwan Termprayoon, Attapol Rujirawan, Larry Lee Grismer and Anchalee Aowphol. 2024. A New Species of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus Group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Surat Thani Province, Thailand Underscores This Group’s Remarkable Diversity on the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Animals. 14(22), 3226. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/ani14223226

Simple Summary: This study discovered a new Cyrtodactylus population from Phet Phanomwat Waterfall in Southern Thailand. It has genetic divergences pertaining to mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene of ≥3.97% from its sister lineage, C. lekaguli, and bearing ≥ 7.99% genetic divergence from the congeners in the C. pulchellus group. This population can be separated from C. lekaguli by its morphologically significant differences. Based on the molecular and morphological evidence, this population is described as a new species, Cyrtodactylus kanchanadit sp. nov. The discovery of this new species increases the total number of Cyrtodactylus species to 377, of which 57 occur in Thailand.

[Herpetology • 2024] Cyrtodactylus regicavernicolus • A New Species in the Cyrtodactylus intermedius Group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from an isolated Limestone Karst formation in southwestern Cambodia

Cyrtodactylus regicavernicolus 

Chhin, Neang, Chan, Kong, Ou, ..., Chhim, Stuart & Grismer, 2024

តុកកែភ្នំព្រះគុហារហ្លូង  ||  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5474.1.1 

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Abstract

The gekkonid lizard Cyrtodactylus intermedius was formerly considered to be a single widespread species in hilly areas across eastern Thailand through southern Vietnam but has recently been partitioned into a complex of 12 nominal species across its range. A population belonging to the C. intermedius group was recently found in an isolated limestone karst block in Kampot Province in southwestern Cambodia, part of which lies within the recently designated Phnom Preah Kuhear Loung Natural Heritage Site. Comparisons of morphometric, meristic, qualitative morphological and color pattern data, as well as a molecular analysis using the mitochondrial ND2 gene, revealed that this population differs from all other named members of the C. intermedius group, and so is described here as a new species. The karst-dwelling C. regicavernicolus sp. nov. was recovered as the sister species to C. laangensis, the most geographically proximate member of the complex and one that is also restricted to a small limestone karst habitat.

Reptilia, karst,site-specific endemism, molecular systematics, taxonomy, Touk Meas, Indochina

 

Cyrtodactylus regicavernicolus sp. nov. 

Sophea Chhin, Thy Neang, Somaly Chan, Komsreng Kong, Ratanak Ou, ..., Meng Chhim, Bryan L. Stuart and L. Lee Grismer. 2024. A New Species in the Cyrtodactylus intermedius (Squamata: Gekkonidae) Group from an isolated Limestone Karst formation in southwestern Cambodia. Zootaxa. 5474(1); 1-20. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5474.1.1

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[Herpetology • 2024] Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis • A New Species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1927 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the angularis group from the Karstic Landscape of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam

[A] Holotype of Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. 

Duong, L. V. Vu, H. T. Vu, Mulcahy, Bragin, Poyarkov & Grismer, 2024

 [B] C. cryptus.  [C] C. roesleri.  [E] C. phongnhakebangensis  

 

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5471.5.3 

 Researchgate.net/publication/381582908

 Photograph by Tang Duong & Thomas Ziegler. 

 

Abstract

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang (PNKB National Park in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is a bastion for the protection and conservation of Vietnam’s natural heritage. Thus, the discovery of yet another new species of Cyrtodactylus, C. hangvaensis sp. nov., within the PNKB continues to underscore the parks ever-growing importance. Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. is a karst dwelling species of the angularis group that based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis, is most closely related to C. roesleri from the PNKB and C. sommerladi from karstic areas in nearby Laos. Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. occupies a unique position in morphospace where it is well separated from closely related species and other species within the PNKB. It is potentially diagnosable from all other members of the angularis by having a unique combination of morphological and color pattern characters and bearing an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 9.5%–25.5%.

Reptilia, Bent-toed geckos, conservation, Indochina, limestone, molecular phylogenetics

Species comparisons. A. Holotype of Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. from Hang Va cave, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. Photograph by Tang Duong. B. C. cryptus from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (PNKB). Photograph by Thomas Ziegler. C. C. roesleri VNUH 220509 from PNKB. Photograph by Thomas Ziegler.
D. C. sommerladi VNUF R.2013.22 from Hin Nam No NPA, Khammouane Province, Laos. Photograph by Vinh Quang Luu. E. C. phongnhakebangensis from PNKB. Photograph by Thomas Ziegler.

Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov.

Tang Van Duong, Lien Van Vu, Hien Thi Thu Vu, Dan Mulcahy, Andrey M. Bragin, Nikolay A. Poyarkov and L. Lee Grismer. 2024. Another New Species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1927 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the angularis group from the Karstic Landscape of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam.  Zootaxa. 5471(5); 555-571. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5471.5.3 

 Researchgate.net/publication/381582908_A_new_species_of_Cyrtodactylus_from_karst_PNKB_central_Vietnam

[Herpetology • 2024] Cyrtodactylus phamiensis • A New Species of the Cyrtodactylus chauquangensis Group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the borderlands of extreme northern Thailand

Cyrtodactylus phamiensis

 L. L. Grismer, Aowphol, J. L. Grismer, Aksornneam, Quah, Murdoch, Gregory, Nguyen, Kaatz, Bringsøe & Rujirawan, 2024

ตุ๊กกายผาหมี  ||  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1203.122758

Abstract

Phylogenetic and morphological analyses delimit and diagnose, respectively, a new population of a karst-dwelling Cyrtodactylus from extreme northern Thailand. The new species, Cyrtodactylus phamiensis sp. nov., of the chauquangensis group inhabits karst caves and outcroppings and karst vegetation in the vicinity of Pha Mi Village in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Within the chauquangensis group, Cyrtodactylus phamiensis sp. nov. is the earliest diverging species of a strongly supported clade composed of the granite-dwelling C. doisuthep and the karst-dwelling sister species Cyrtodactylus sp. 6 and C. erythrops. The nearly continuous karstic habitat between the type locality of Cyrtodactylus phamiensis sp. nov. and its close relatives Cyrtodactylus sp. 6 and C. erythrops, extends for approximately 200 km along the border region of Thailand and the eastern limit of the Shan Plateau of Myanmar. Further exploration of this region, especially the entire eastern ~ 95% of the Shan Plateau, will undoubtably recover new populations whose species status will need evaluation. As in all other countries of Indochina and northern Sundaland, the continual discovery of new karst-dwelling populations of Cyrtodactylus shows no signs of tapering off, even in relatively well-collected areas. This only highlights the conservation priority that these unique karstic landscapes still lack on a large scale across all of Asia.

Key words: Bent-toed gecko, genetics, Indochina, integrative taxonomy, karst, morphology

Adult male holotype of Cyrtodactylus phamiensis sp. nov.
A dorsal view B ventral view C dorsal view of head D gular region E thighs and precloacal region F ventral view of right manus G ventral view of left pes H subcaudal region I lateral view of left side of head. Photographs by Attapol Rujirawan.

Selected individuals of the type series and referred specimen of  Cyrtodactylus phamiensis sp. nov. from Pha Mi Village, Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.

Cyrtodactylus phamiensis sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Cyrtodactylus phamiensis sp. nov. can be separated from all other species of the chauquangensis group by the combination of having a maximum SVL = 74.4 mm (female); 8–12 supralabials; 9–11 infralabials; 30–43 paravertebral tubercles; 19–25 rows of longitudinally arranged tubercles; 29–37 longitudinal rows of ventrals; 6–9 expanded subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; 12–14 unmodified subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; 19–22 total subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; 19–28 total number of enlarged femoral scales; 9–14 total number of femoral pores in males (n = 4); 6–11 enlarged precloacals; 4–6 precloacal pores in males (n = 4); two or three rows of large post-precloacal scales; enlarged femorals and enlarged ...

Etymology: The species name phamiensis is in reference to the type locality at Pha Mi Village, Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand (Fig. 1).

 L. Lee Grismer, Anchalee Aowphol, Jesse L. Grismer, Akrachai Aksornneam, Evan S. H. Quah, Matthew L. Murdoch, Jeren J. Gregory, Eddie Nguyen, Amanda Kaatz, Henrik Bringsøe and Attapol Rujirawan. 2024. A New Species of the Cyrtodactylus chauquangensis Group (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from the borderlands of extreme northern Thailand. ZooKeys. 1203: 211-238. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1203.122758

[Herpetology • 2024] Cyrtodactylus thalang • A New Species of the Cyrtodactylus brevipalmatus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Phuket Island, Thailand with a discussion of the group’s potential biogeography

Cyrtodactylus thalang

 Grismer, Pawangkhanant, Bragin, Trofimets, Nazarov, Suwannapoom & Poyarkov, 2024

Thalang Bent-toed Gecko | ตุ๊กกายถลาง  ||  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5437.2.2 

 Researchgate.net/publication/379778084

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Abstract

Model based integrative analyses supports the recognition of a new species of the Cyrtodactylus brevipalmatus group from Phuket Island, Thailand. Cyrtodactylus thalang sp. nov. is most closely related to the sister species C. brevipalmatus from the Thai-Malay Peninsula and C. cf. brevipalmatus from Langkawi Island, Kedah State, Peninsular Malaysia. Based on the mitochondrial gene ND2, C. thalang sp. nov. bears an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 14.7% and 15.1% from C. cf. brevipalmatus and C. brevipalmatus, respectively, significantly different (p<0.05) mean values of meristic and morphometric characters, and discrete categorical morphological differences. A multiple factor analysis morphospatially statistically placed C. thalang sp. nov. well outside all other species of the brevipalmatus group. The BAYAREALIKE model of a BioGeoBEARS analysis indicated the origin of the brevipalmatus group was in western Indochina with subsequent south to north speciation along the Tenasserim Mountains followed by a west to east invasion of northern Thailand, Laos, and northwestern Vietnam northeast of the Chao Phraya Basin and north of the Khorat Plateau.

Reptilia, Indochina, phylogeny, integrative taxonomy, gecko, ND2, BioGeoBEArS

Etymology. The name of the new species is a noun in apposition and is therefore invariable; the species name “thalang” is given in reference to the historical name of Phuket Island, formerly known as Thalang (in Thai: “ถลาง”, Tha-Laang). The name also refers to the northern district of the Phuket Province, where the type locality is located. We recommend the names “Thalang Bent-toed Gecko” and “Tuk-Kai Tha-Laang” (ตุ๊กกายถลาง) as common names of the new species in English and Thai, respectively.

L. Lee Grismer, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Andrey M. Bragin, Alexey V. Trofimets, Roman A. Nazarov, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom and Nikolay A. Poyarkov. 2024. A New Species of the Cyrtodactylus brevipalmatus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Phuket Island, Thailand with a discussion of the group’s potential biogeography.  Zootaxa. 5437(2); 193-222. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5437.2.2

  Researchgate.net/publication/379778084_A_new_species_of_the_Cyrtodactylus_brevipalmatus_group_from_Phuket_Island_Thailand

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[Herpetology • 2024] Calotes iadina & C. yunnanensis • Systematic Revision of the Calotes jerdoni complex (Squamata: Agamidae) in the Pan-Himalaya

Calotes iadina

Wang, Deepak, Das, Grismer, Liu & Che, 2024

DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e109088

photos by Jens V. Vindum.

Abstract

Owing to the harsh terrain, few biodiversity surveys have been carried out in the Pan-Himalaya Region. Among the understudied taxa from this region, Jerdon’s forest lizard, Calotes jerdoni, is believed to have a wide distribution, from northeast India to southwestern China. However, given the heterogeneous environment across its range and the lack of studies on this species, its taxonomy remains questionable. Using integrative taxonomic methods, we combined both morphological and genetic data from the type and topotypic specimens and examined the current taxonomic hypothesis of C. jerdoni across its range. Molecular data reveal that C. jerdoni as currently recognized, contains three deeply diverged lineages: one from the type locality in Northeast India, one from Western Myanmar, and another one from Southwestern China. The uncorrected genetic distances of mitochondrial coding gene ND2 among these three clades ranged over 10%. The Chinese population is sister to C. medogensis and paraphyletic to the remaining two clades of C. jerdoni. Morphological analyses confirm the results of the molecular analyses, where the Myanmar and Chinese populations can be diagnosed statistically in both univariate and multivariate space from the true C. jerdoni, as well as by a suite of reliable categorical morphological characters, including the size and shape of gular scales and ventral scales. To resolve the current taxonomic confusion, we resurrect the junior synonym, C. yunnanensis, for the Chinese population and expand its distribution to Myanmar, redescribe the elusive C. maria and C. medogensis based on its type material, and describe the remaining western Myanmar population as a new species. We further discuss the possibility of additional cryptic species within the complex in the Pan-Himalaya Region and provide a diagnostic key to all recognized members of the C. jerdoni complex.

Keywords: Dragon lizards, East Himalaya, questionable records, taxonomic revision, Tibet, Xizang Autonomous Region

Type series of Calotes iadina sp. nov. in life, including the holotype (CAS 219992) (A) and paratypes [CAS 233207 (B), CAS 224511 (C), and CAS 219993 (D)].

Photos by Jens V. Vindum.

Calotes iadina Wang, Deepak & Grismer, sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Calotes iadina sp. nov. can be diagnosed by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) body size large, SVL 63.2–102.5 mm; (2) tail slender, long, TAL 293.9–367.9% SVL; (3) conical scales of two parallel ridges triangular shaped, relatively low, not in spine shape; (4) inferior row of conical scales 2–3 scale rows away from superior tympanum, TRD 14.8–28.8% TD; (5) mental larger than first pair of chin shields; (6) gular scale count 16–19, much larger than ventrals, strongly keeled, mucronate, each bearding a distinctively elongated tip on posterior end; (7) gular pouch feeble or absent, transverse gular fold absent; (8) shoulder fold present, covered with granular scales underneath; (9) nuchal crests relatively short, lanceolate shape, TNC 8.27–13.3% HL, dorsal crests moderately developed; (10) neck scales oriented ...

Etymology: The species name iadina is derived from Greek, which means “emerald” and refers to the bright green coloration of the new species.

 Kai Wang, V. Deepak, Abhijit Das, L. Lee Grismer, Shuo Liu and Jing Che. 2024. Systematic Revision of the Calotes jerdoni complex (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae) in the Pan-Himalaya. Vertebrate Zoology. 74: 169-192. DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e109088

[Herpetology • 2023] Cyrtodactylus disjunctus • A New Species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Thai-Malay Peninsula and the Independent Evolution of Cave Ecomorphology on Opposite Sides of the Gulf of Thailand

Cyrtodactylus disjunctus 

Grismer, Pawangkhanant, Idiiatullina, Trofimets, Nazarov, Suwannapoom & Poyarkov, 2023

 

Pawang Bent-toed Gecko | ตุ๊กกายสามขีด  ||  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.4 

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Researchgate.net/publication/374383521

  

Abstract

An integrative taxonomic analysis recovers a distinctive new species of the gekkonid genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 from Satun Province in extreme southern Thailand as the sister species to the Cyrtodactylus intermedius group of southern Indochina, approximately 600 km to the northeast across the Gulf of Thailand. Based on 1449 base pairs of the mitochondrial gene NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) and its flanking tRNAs, the new species, Cyrtodactylus disjunctus sp. nov., bears a pairwise sequence divergence from the mean divergences of the intermedius group species ranging from 17.9–23.6%. Three different principal component analyses (PCA) and a multiple factor analysis (MFA) recover C. disjunctus sp. nov. as a highly distinctive karst cave-adapted species based on morphology and color pattern. Its sister species relationship to the intermedius group—to which it is added here—further underscores a growing body of analyses that have recovered a trans-Gulf of Thailand connection across the submerged Sunda Shelf between the southern Thai-Malay Peninsula and southern Indochina. Fragmented karstic archipelagos stretching across Indochina have served as foci for the independent evolution of nearly 25% of the species of Cyrtodactylus. The description of C. disjunctus sp. nov. continues to highlight the fact that karstic habitats support an ever-increasing number of threatened site-specific endemics that compose much of the reptile diversity of many Asian nations but, as of yet, most of these landscapes have no legal protection.

Keywords: Reptilia, gecko, Indochina, integrative taxonomy, karst, Southeast Asia, habitat preference

the holotype of Cyrtodactylus disjunctus sp. nov. [ZMMU re-17674]in life
from Satun Province, Thailand.

Photographs by Parinya Pawangkhanan 

ตุ๊กกายสามขีด Cyrtodactylus disjunctus

Etymology. the new species name “disjunctus” is a Latin adjective in the nominative singular, masculine gender, meaning “dijunct”, “remote”, and is given in reference to the approximately 600 km wide hiatus across the Gulf of thailand separating Cyrtodactylus disjunctus sp. nov. from the other members of the intermedius group incentral Indochina.  

L. Lee Grismer, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Sabira S. Idiiatullina, Alexei V. Trofimets, Roman A. Nazarov, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom. Nikolay A. Poyarkov. 2023. A New Species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Thai-Malay Peninsula and the Independent Evolution of Cave Ecomorphology on Opposite Sides of the Gulf of Thailand.  Zootaxa. 5352(1); 109-136. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.4

Researchgate.net/publication/374383521_A_new_species_of_Cyrtodactylus_from_the_Thai-Malay_Peninsula

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[Herpetology • 2023] Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe & C. wangkhramensis • Two New Karst-adapted Species in the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus Group (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from southern Thailand

Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe & C. wangkhramensis 

Termprayoon, Rujirawan, Grismer, Wood & Aowphol, 2023

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1179.109712

Abstract

The exploration of unsurveyed areas in southern Thailand discovered two new karst-adapted species, Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov. and Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov., from Thung Wa and La-ngu Districts, Satun Province, respectively. These new species are members of the C. pulchellus group that occur along the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by their key morphological characters and genetic divergence. Morphologically, Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov. and Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from other members by having a combination of differences in body size; degree of dorsal tuberculation; absence of tubercles on ventral surfaces; number of ventral scales, paravertebral tubercles and femoroprecloacal pores in males only; deep precloacal groove only in males; absence of a scattered pattern of white dorsal tubercles; number of dark body bands; and the extent of caudal tubercles on an original tail. Although the two species are sister taxa and have nearly identical morphologies, they are considered to be different species, based on a relatively high uncorrected pairwise genetic divergence of the mitochondrial ND2 gene (6.59–6.89%), statistically significant univariate and multivariate morphological differences (PERMANOVA and ANOVA) and diagnostic characteristics of caudal tuberculation on the original tail. Moreover, Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov. and Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov. are currently restricted to their karstic type localities which may serve as a geographic barrier to dispersal and gene flow.

Key words: Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov., Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov., morphology, phylogeny, Southeast Asia, Sundaland, taxonomy, Thai-Malay Peninsula

 Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov.

  Thung Wa Bent-toed Gecko

Diagnosis: Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of the C. pulchellus group by a combination of the following characters: (1) SVL 89.7–102.7 mm in adult males (n = 4), 87.3–104.6 mm in adult females (n = 4); (2) 12–16 supralabial and 10–13 infralabial scales; (3) weak tuberculation on body; (4) no tubercles on ventral surfaces of forelimbs, gular region or in ventrolateral body folds; (5) 30–38 paravertebral tubercles; (6) 19–22 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; (7) 32–40 rows of ventral scales; (8) 20–24 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; (9) 29–34 femoroprecloacal pores in adult males; (10) absence of precloacal pores in adult females; (11) deep precloacal groove in males; (12) absence of scattered pattern of white tubercles on dorsum; (13) four dark dorsal body bands; (14) nine or twelve dark caudal bands on original tail; (15) light caudal bands in adults infused with dark pigmentation; (16) caudal tubercles extended 1/8–1/10 of anterior portion of tail and (17) posterior portion of tail in hatchlings and juveniles white.

Etymology: The specific epithet sungaiupe is derived from the old name of Thung Wa District (Sungai Upe District), the type locality of the new species.

 Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov.

  Wangkhram Bent-toed Gecko

Diagnosis: Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of the C. pulchellus group by a combination of the following characters: (1) SVL 87.4–95.5 mm in adult males (n = 5), 89.4–98.8 mm in adult females (n = 7); (2) 11–14 supralabial and 9–13 infralabial scales; (3) weak tuberculation on body; (4) no tubercles on ventral surfaces of forelimbs, gular region or in ventrolateral body folds; (5) 28–35 paravertebral tubercles; (6) 19–21 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; (7) 34–40 rows of ventral scales; (8) 18–22 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; (9) 32–36 femoroprecloacal pores in adult males; (10) absence of precloacal pores in adult females; (11) deep precloacal groove in males; (12) absence of scattered pattern of white tubercles on dorsum; (13) four or five dark dorsal body bands; (14) 11 dark caudal bands on original tail; (15) light caudal bands in adults infused with dark pigmentation; and (16) caudal tubercles extending 1/5–1/7 of anterior portion of tail.

Etymology: The specific epithet wangkhramensis refers to the type locality at Tham Wangkhram in La-ngu District, Satun Province.

 Korkhwan Termprayoon, Attapol Rujirawan, L. Lee Grismer, Perry L. Wood Jr and Anchalee Aowphol. 2023. Two New Karst-adapted Species in the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus Group (Reptilia, Gekkonidae) from southern Thailand.  ZooKeys. 1179: 313-352. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1179.109712

 

[Herpetology • 2023] Dixonius fulbrighti • A New Species of Dixonius (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands, Vietnam

 Dixonius fulbrighti 

Luu, Grismer, Hoang, Murdoch & Grismer, 2023

 DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.105850

Abstract

Another new species of Dixonius, D. fulbrighti sp. nov., is described from Gia Lai Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, using an integrated approach based on morphological, categorical (color pattern), and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2) and its flanking tRNAs data. Phylogenetic analyses recovered Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov. as closely related to D. gialaiensis from Gia Lai Province and part of a clade that includes D. minhlei, D. siamensis, and D. somchanhae. Multivariate (PCA, DAPC, and MFA) and univariate (ANOVA) analyses of 15 meristic (scale counts), six morphometric (mensural), and five categorical (color pattern and morphology) characters from 44 specimens of all eight species of Dixonius from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia clearly demonstrated that Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov. is statistically different and diagnostically distinct from all closely related species of Dixonius. This new species discovery highlights the underestimated gecko diversity and the importance of continued fieldwork in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Key Words: Integrative taxonomy, new species, leaf-toed gecko, morphology, molecular phylogeny, Indochina, Southeast Asia

Habitat of Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov. in Grong Village, Ia Krieng Commune, Duc Co District, Gia Lai Province

Dorsal views of  Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov. 

A. Adult male holotype VNUF R.2022.81 (Field no. GL01); B. Adult female paratype VNUF R.2022.82 (Field No. GL02); C. Juvenile female paratype VNUF R.2022.83 (Field no. GL03); D. Juvenile female paratype VNUF R.2022.4 (Field no. GL04) in Grong Village, Ia Krieng Commune, Duc Co District, Gia Lai Province.

Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov.

 Fulbright Leaf-toed Gecko 

Diagnosis: Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov. can be separated from all other species of Dixonius by possessing the unique combination of having a maximum SVL of 46.0 mm; 16–20 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody; 22–24 longitudinal rows of ventrals across the abdomen; seven–nine supralabials, sixth in at midorbital position; five–seven infralabials; eight or nine interorbital scales; seven precloacal pores in the adult male, femoral pores lacking; seven precloacal-pitted scales, femoral pores absent in adult female; 13–15 lamellae on fourth toe; dorsal ground color grey-brown with the presence of thick, irregular-shaped, black brown blotches from head to body; canthal stripe extending from the nostrils continuing behind orbit to back of head; dark bars on the lips absent; two rows of regularly disposed whitish tubercles along the flanks to originale portion of tail. These characters are scored across all Dixonius species from Vietnam and Laos in Tables 6 and 7.

Etymology: The new species is named after Mr. J. William Fulbright, the founder of the Fulbright Program which has provided opportunities for thousands of students, scholars, and professionals from around the world to study, teach, and conduct research in the United States and other countries in order to promote a greater understanding and cooperation between nations.

Vinh Quang Luu, Jesse L. Grismer, Tuoi Thi Hoang, Matthew L. Murdoch and L. Lee Grismer. 2023. Another New Species of Dixonius (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands, Vietnam. Evolutionary Systematics. 7(2): 267-284.  DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.105850

[Herpetology • 2023] Hemiphyllodactylus cattien • A New Species of the Genus Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from a lowland monsoon forest in Southern Vietnam

Hemiphyllodactylus cattien 

Yushchenko, Grismer, Bragin, Dac & Poyarkov, 2023

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5306.5.2 

 Researchgate.net/publication/371806194

Abstract

An integrative taxonomic analysis delimits and diagnoses the new species Hemiphyllodactylus cattien sp. nov. from Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam—the eighth species of Hemiphyllodactylus to be described from Vietnam. The new species is recovered as the sister species to a clade comprised of H. indosobrinus from Laos and H. flaviventris from Thailand based on phylogenetic analyses using ND2 mtDNA gene sequences. Unlike the vast majority of Hemiphyllodactylus which are site-restricted upland endemics, Hemiphyllodactylus cattien sp. nov. is a lowland species collected from one of the most well-surveyed regions in Vietnam. Its discovery further emphasizes the need for continued re-sampling of survey sites already considered to be well-explored.

Keywords: Reptilia, biodiversity, Cat tien National Park, conservation, Gekkota, Southeast asia, systematics

 Holotype of Hemiphyllodactylus cattien sp. nov. (female; VRTC NAP-10586, formerly ZMMU Re-17039) in life.

Photograph by Nikolay A. Poyarkov.

Hemiphyllodactylus cattien sp. nov. 

Platon V. Yushchenko, L. Lee Grismer, Andrey M. Bragin, Le Xuan Dac and Nikolay A. Poyarkov. 2023. A New Species of the Genus Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from a lowland monsoon forest in Southern Vietnam. Zootaxa. 5306(5); 537-550. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5306.5.2  

Researchgate.net/publication/371806194_A_new_species_of_Hemiphyllodactylus_from_Southern_Vietnam

[Herpetology • 2023] Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis • A New Species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Ha Giang Province, Vietnam

Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis

Luu, Nguyen, Do, Pham, Hoang, Nguyen, Le, Ziegler, Grismer et Grismer, 2023.

Lungcu Slender Gecko | Thạch sùng dẹp lũng cú  ||  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1167.103713

Abstract

An integrative analysis recovered a new species of the Hemiphyllodactylus typus group from a karst formation in Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, northeastern Vietnam. Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis sp. nov. is embedded within clade 6 of the typus group, bearing an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 4.6–20.2% from all other species based on a 1,038 base pair segment of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2). It is diagnosable from other species in clade 6 by statistically significant mean differences in normalized morphometric, meristic, and categorical characters. A multiple factor analysis using the three aforementioned character types recovered its unique, non-overlapping placement in morphospace as statistically significantly different from that of all other species in clade 6. The description of this new Hemiphyllodactylus species contributes to a growing body of literature underscoring the high degree of herpetological diversity and endemism in karst landscapes in Vietnam as well as in the genus Hemiphyllodactylus.

Key words: Genetics, Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis sp. nov., integrative approach, karst forest, morphology, Southeast Asia

Dorsal views of Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis sp. nov. in life from Ha Giang Province, northeastern Vietnam
A adult male holotype VNUF R.2021.01 B adult female paratype VNUF R.2021.08.

 Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis sp. nov.

  Verbatim name. Lungcu Slender Gecko

 

Diagnosis: Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: a maximum SVL of 44.2 mm; trunk not particularly elongate (AG/SVL ratio 0.52); chin scales 8–10, distinct enlarged postmentals; circumnasal scales two or three; supralabial scales 11 or 12; infralabial scales 10 or 11; ventral scale rows 6–9; dorsal scale rows 12–16; digital lamellae formula 4(3)–4–5(4)–4 (forefoot) and 4–5–5–5 (hindfoot); precloacal pores 17–25 and continuous series in males, 0–22 pitted precloacal scales in females; cloacal spur single in both sexes; enlarged subcaudal scales absent; dorsal surface brown sand color, with irregular dark brown streaks; a distinct dark postorbital stripe extending to at least the base of the neck, uneven dark streaks running along the flanks and ending at the base of tail, a cream-colored V-shaped postsacral mark with anteriorly projecting arms; a pale yellow ventral view of the body and limbs; and unpigmented caecum and gonads.

Etymology: Specific epithet lungcuensis is a toponym in reference to the type locality [Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province] of the species. For the common names, we suggest Lungcu Slender Gecko (English) and Thạch sùng dẹp lũng cú (Vietnamese).

Vinh Quang Luu, Thuong Huyen Nguyen, Quyen Hanh Do, Cuong The Pham, Tuoi Thi Hoang, Truong Quang Nguyen, Minh Duc Le, Thomas Ziegler, Jesse L. Grismer and L. Lee Grismer. 2023. A New Species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. ZooKeys. 1167: 353-382. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1167.103713