taxonID	type	description	language	source
0386879896132D7EA2F8F8C3FE5FF8B1.taxon	description	(Figs. 3, 4 D – I, 5, 6 D – F, 7 B, 8; Tables 4 – 5)	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
0386879896132D7EA2F8F8C3FE5FF8B1.taxon	materials_examined	Type specimens: lectotype NHMUK 1946.8.3.3 (adult male); paralectotype NHMUK 1946.8.3.2 (adult female); both designated by Greer (1985). Type locality: Le Bosquet, Langbian Plateau, Vietnam (now near Da Tho Ward, Dalat City, Lam Dong Province, Langbian Plateau, southern Vietnam; geographic coordinates N 11.93255 °, E 108.53316 °; elevation 1,340 m asl.).	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
0386879896132D7EA2F8F8C3FE5FF8B1.taxon	vernacular_names	Suggested common names: Langbian Blind Skink (English), Th ằn l ằn giun Lang Biang (Vietnamese), Langbianskaya cherveobraznaya yascheritsa (ЛангбианскаЯ червеобраЗнаЯ ЯЩерица, Russian).	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
0386879896132D7EA2F8F8C3FE5FF8B1.taxon	materials_examined	Referred material: Morphological redescription of D. montanus is based on re-examination of two type specimens (lectotype NHMUK 1946.8.3.3 and paralectotype NHMUK 1946.8.3.2) and examination of the two newly collected adult male specimens (ZMMU Re- 18136 and ZMMU Re- 18137), both from Di Linh District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Specimens were collected from a coffee plantation located 3 km northwards from Di Linh (11.617 ° N, 108.075 ° E; elevation 955 asl.), by N. A. Poyarkov, P. Pawangkhanant, and H. M. Pham on September 08, 2022. We also refer one damaged adult female specimen VRTC NAP- 04859 (former ZMMU Re- 18138; not included in the morphological description) collected from the same locality by T. V. Nguyen on August 11, 2022 to Dibamus montanus.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
0386879896132D7EA2F8F8C3FE5FF8B1.taxon	diagnosis	Revised diagnosis. Dibamus montanus can be distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of morphological characters (based on Greer [1985] and this study): (1) maximum SVL of 130 mm; (2) tail comparatively long, TL comprising 17.3 – 18.4 % of SVL; (3) medial rostral, labial, and nasal sutures present and complete; (4) one postocular scale; (5) two to three scales bordering the posteromedial edge of the first infralabial; (6) the medial sublabial scale not enlarged; (7) 20 – 22 midbody scale rows; (8) 19 – 23 transverse scale rows just posterior to head; (9) 21 – 23 transverse scale rows just anterior to vent; (10) 187 – 225 ventral scales; (11) 45 – 49 subcaudal scales; (12) relative size of frontal to frontonasal 116.9 – 138.4 %; (13) relative size of interparietal to nuchal scale 148 – 188.7 %; and (14) the light-colored band on the body incomplete.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
0386879896132D7EA2F8F8C3FE5FF8B1.taxon	description	Morphological description of the lectotype (NHMUK 1946.8.3.3). An adult male, a specimen in a good state of preservation (Fig. 3 A); for measurements, see Table 4; SVL 130.0 mm; tail length 22.7 mm (17.5 % of SVL); head longer (HL 6.5 mm) than wide (HW 4.3 mm); snout bluntly rounded, projecting beyond the jaw (Fig. 3 B, Fig. 4 G); E-S 0.6 mm; E-N 1.7 mm; IN 1.1 mm; OI 2.5 mm; labial and nasal sutures present and complete; rostral suture present and complete (Fig. 3 B, Fig. 4 G); rostral pad with a large number of evenly distributed sensory papillae; single postocular scale on each side; ear opening absent; eyes barely visible below the single ocular scale; supralabial single (Fig. 3 B, Fig. 4 G); frontal scale slightly larger than frontonasal scale (FSW / FNSW 128.4 %); interparietal single, not enlarged, narrower than frontonasal and frontal, posteriorly bordered by four slightly smaller nuchals (Fig. 4 H); infralabials lanceolate, separated by a smaller mental; mental narrow, trapezoid in shape, bordered by the first infralabial on each side; two scales contacting the first infralabial, a small medial scale posterior to the mental, and three larger scales contacting the infralabial posteromedially (Fig. 4 I). Body wormlike, almost cylindrical; body scales smooth, subcycloid (Fig. 3); 22 midbody scale rows; 19 scale rows just posterior to head; 21 scale rows anterior to vent; 49 subcaudals; 206 ventrals; tail complete, rudimentary flap-like hind limbs present (HLL 2.8 mm) (Fig. 3 C); medial scales near vent elongated, lanceolate (Fig. 7 B); tail tip blunt, covered by a single rounded scale, not terminating in a spine. Morphometric data of the specimen are presented in Table 4. Coloration. Coloration in life is described on the basis of newly collected specimens from Di Linh (Fig. 5 A) and one not collected specimen from Di Linh (Fig. 5 B). In life, dorsum, flanks, and tail reddish-brown to pale brown (Fig. 5); head, snout, and ventral surfaces slightly paler; rostral and mental pads, anal region, and tip of legs lighter, cream-colored. Distinct dull-grey transverse body band at the front part of the body or at the midbody, incomplete, with irregular shape (Fig. 5); large irregular grey spots on the dorsum and a large light-grey spot anterior to the vent. In preservative after approximately one year of storage in ethanol, the general coloration pattern does not change, though reddish and brownish slightly fade to dull brown or beige. Variation. The measurements of the newly collected series (ZMMU Re- 18136 and ZMMU Re- 18137) and the lectotype and paralectotype (NHMUK 1946.8.3.3 and NHMUK 1946.8.3.2) revealed high variability in several morphological characters (Table 4). Head scalation of ZMMU Re- 18136 is shown in Figure 6 D – F; its cloacal region is detailed in Figure 7 B. The male lectotype NHMUK 1946.8.3.3 and the female paralectotype NHMUK 1946.8.3.2 have a greater snout-vent length than ZMMU Re- 18136 and ZMMU Re- 18137 (SVL 130.0 mm and 120.0 mm vs. 87.6 mm and 81.0 mm, respectively), which may be related to the different age of the specimens in these series. The specimens NHMUK 1946.8.3.3 and NHMUK 1946.8.3.2 exhibit a slightly higher number of midbody scale rows (MBSR 22), while the specimens ZMMU Re- 18136 and ZMMU Re- 18137 have 21 and 20 midbody scale rows, respectively (MBSR, see Table 4). In addition, the number of scale rows just posterior to the head varies from 19 (in NHMUK 1946.8.3.3) to 23 (in NHMUK 1946.8.3.2) (PHSR, Table 4), while the number of scale rows just anterior to the vent varies from 21 (in ZMMU Re- 18136 and ZMMU Re- 18137) to 23 (in NHMUK 1946.8.3.3 and NHMUK 1946.8.3.2) (VSR, Table 4). Variation was also observed in the number of subcaudal scales. In female paralectotype NHMUK 1946.8.3.2, the number of subcaudal scales is 43 (SC, Table 4), while in other specimens it was notably higher (46 in ZMMU Re- 18136, 47 in ZMMU Re- 18137, and 49 in NHMUK 1946.8.3.3). Finally, the male specimen ZMMU Re- 18137 has only two scales on the posteromedial edge of the infralabial, while all other specimens have three scales on the posteromedial edge of the infralabial (PIS, Table 4). Furthermore, we observed an abnormal structure of the frontonasal scale in the specimen ZMMU Re- 18137, in which this scale is divided by an additional suture that is absent in other specimens. Hemipenial morphology. The morphology of the hemipenial structures is unknown, as in all specimens these structures were not everted prior to preservation. Osteological description. The following description of skeletal features of Dibamus montanus is based on the microCT data obtained from the male specimen ZMMU Re- 18136. Skeletal morphology of this specimen is presented in Figure 8; osteological terminology generally follows Greer (1985), Rieppel (1984), and Kliukin et al. (2023, 2024 a, 2024 b). Skull elongated, small relative to the body; shoulder girdle absent; pelvic girdle and rudiments of hind limbs present (Fig. 8 A). Body with 116 presacral vertebrae, 2 distinct sacral vertebrae, and 26 tail vertebrae (Fig. 8 A). The pelvic girdle includes the fused ilium, ischium, and pubis; hind limbs include the femur, tibia, fibula, and a rudimentary bony cap (Fig. 8 E – F). The premaxilla is an unpaired bone (Fig. 8 B – D); the transverse process of the premaxilla is pierced by paired apical foramina. Four labial foramina are present on both the left and the right maxilla. Each of the maxillary bones bears eight slightly curved teeth (Fig. 8 D). The nasal bones are distinct, perforated by four foramina on each side (Fig. 8 C). The prefrontal is a triangular bone forming the posterodorsal edge of the lacrimal foramen. The lacrimal, postfrontal, postorbital, jugal, and epipterygoid bones are absent. The paired frontals form the anteromedial processes dividing the posterior portions of the nasals (Fig. 8 C), the anterolateral processes (lateral prongs) of the frontals are relatively long. The unpaired parietal bone forms supratemporal processes that overlay the dorsal portions of the prootics and a wide posterior medial process that meets the supraoccipital in a suture (Fig. 8 C). The medial (sagittal) ridge on the parietal is relatively small (Fig. 8 C). The vomers, palatine, pterygoids, and ectopterygoids are paired bones (Fig. 8 B) with morphology similar to that described for the other members of the genus Dibamus by Greer (1985) and Kliukin et al. (2023, 2024 a, 2024 b). The parabasisphenoid complex (corresponding to the ‘ parasphenoid + basisphenoid’ of Rieppel 1984) forms a broad, massive bone meeting the basioccipital with a distinct suture. Exoccipitals, basioccipitals, supraoccipitals, prootics, and opisthotics are separate bones (Fig. 8 B-D). The stapes is characterized by a broad stapedial footplate slightly elongated anteroposteriorly (Fig. 8 D). The quadrate bone is short and flattened; its vertical axis is slightly tilted posteriorly. Five labial foramina are present on the right side of the dentary (Fig. 8 D), and four labial foramina are present on the left side of the dentary. The dentary bears eight teeth on each side. Coronoid process of the dentary is comparatively small; a distinct coronoid bone is present. The compound bone is formed by the fused splenial, articular, angular, and supraangular bones; the retroarticular process of the compound bone is comparatively short (Fig. 8 D). The lower jaw with mandibular, anterior, and posterior supraangular foramina. Distribution and natural history notes. The status of the earlier records of Dibamus montanus from other parts of Southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam) is addressed in detail in the Discussion section; below we demonstrate that all these records are based on misidentifications with other species of Dibamus. Dibamus montanus is therefore endemic to the Langbian Plateau in southern Vietnam and is currently reliably known from three localities, all located in Lam Dong Province: from the environs of Dalat City (locality 12, see Fig. 1) and from the environs of Di Linh Ward (localities 13 – 14, see Fig. 1). The locality 14 from Suoi Lanh Stream, Gung Re Commune, ca. 12 km South of Di Linh District, Lam Dong Province, is based on a photographed and not collected specimen (Fig. 5 B), which generally agrees with the description of D. montanus presented above for the characters that can be examined from the photo. The type locality of D. montanus at Le Bosquet in Da Lat City (now Da Tho ward, 11.93255 ° N, 108.53316 ° E; elevation 1,340 asl.) currently represents a heavily modified habitat in the eastern suburbs of the Da Lat City with pine groves formed by Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon and Pinus dalatensis Ferré. In Di Linh District, the two adult male specimens of D. montanus (ZMMU Re- 18136 and ZMMU Re- 18137) were collected in a heavily modified habitat on a coffee plantation at the base of a single tree in an area of 1 m 2 (Fig. 9) by N. A. Poyarkov, P. Pawangkhanant, and Pham Minh Hieu on September 8, 2022 (geographic coordinates N 11.61551 °, E 108.07204 °; elevation 946 m asl.). This habitat is located 3 km North of Di Linh Ward, and all the area around represents farmland without any remnants of forest. One additional specimen (ZMMU Re- 18138) of D. montanus was collected from the same location near Di Linh Ward by T. V. Nguyen on August 11, 2022. The specimens were hiding in leaf litter, under fallen logs, and in the upper layer of soil. The sympatric species of reptiles recorded in the same habitat in Di Linh City include Indotyphlops braminus (Daudin) and Scincella sp. In Suoi Lanh Stream, Gung Re Commune, South of Di Linh District, D. montanus was recorded in secondary montane polydominant forest within ca. 10 m of the bank of the Suoi Lanh stream (11.47117 ° N, 108.07013 ° E; elevation 1,190 m asl.). The male specimen (Fig. 5 B) was collected from under a flat stone near the forest trail; when uncovered, it tried to retreat by digging in the soil. The secondary montane evergreen forest in Gung Re Commune, Di Linh District, is strongly impacted by various anthropogenic pressures including logging, industrial crop planting, and the establishment of new coffee plantations. Sympatric lizard species recorded in the Gung Re Commune, Di Linh District, include Lipinia microcercus (Boettger), Scincella sp. (Scincidae), Cyrtodactylus cf. irregularis (Smith), Gekko trinotaterra (Brown) (Gekkonidae), Acanthosaura murphyi Nguyen, Do, Hoang, Nguyen, McCormack, Nguyen, Orlov, Nguyen & Nguyen, Acanthosaura coronata Günther, Paracalotes microlepis (Boulenger), and Bronchocela vietnamensis Hallermann & Orlov (Agamidae). Reproductive biology, diet, enemies, and parasites of D. montanus remain completely unstudied.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
0386879896132D7EA2F8F8C3FE5FF8B1.taxon	conservation	Conservation status. Though our study expands the known distribution of Dibamus montanus to the Di Linh ward and Gung Re communes of the Di Linh District of Lam Dong Province, southern Vietnam, this species still appears to be a narrowly distributed endemic of the Langbian Plateau. During recent years, forest communities of southern Vietnam, including the Lam Dong Province, have been subjected to progressively growing pressure from intensifying logging and farming activities (De Koninck 1999; Laurance 2007; Meyfroidt & Lambin 2008, 2009; Meyfroidt et al. 2013; Quy et al. 2018). The greatest threat for the montane forests of the Langbian Plateau is habitat loss and degradation due to logging and the progressing industrial crop cultivation, construction, and tourism development in Lam Dong Province. We demonstrate that in the Di Linh area, D. montanus is recorded in both forested areas and in the completely transformed agricultural landscapes lacking any remnants of forest. We also note that sometimes this species is killed by local farmers due to confusion with snakes. Therefore, we propose to classify this species as a Vulnerable (VU) species following IUCN’s Red List categories (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2019).	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	description	urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: FDBA 85 FE- 8849 - 4 F 77 - A 735 - A 25 BFF 86913 A (Figures. 4 A – C, 6 A – C, 7 A, 10 – 11; Tables 4 – 5)	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. Adult male (ZMMU Re- 15720; field tag ABV- 1519) collected from Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Gia Lai Province, central Vietnam (geographic coordinates N 14.20418 °, E 108.31532 °; elevation 873 m asl.) on June 01, 2017, by A. B. Vassilieva.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	vernacular_names	Suggested common names: Anna’s Blind Skink (English); Th ằn l ằn giun An-na (Vietnamese); Cherveobraznaya yascheritsa Anny (ЧервеобраЗнаЯ ЯЩерица Анны, Russian).	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Dibamus annae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of morphological characters: (1) maximum SVL of 92.7 mm; (2) tail comparatively long, TL comprising 18.9 % of SVL in a single male; (3) labial and nasal sutures present and complete, rostral suture present and incomplete; (4) one postocular scale; (5) two scales bordering the posteromedial edge of the first infralabial; (6) the medial sublabial scale not enlarged; (7) 19 midbody scale rows; (8) 21 transverse scale rows just posterior to head; (9) 18 transverse scale rows just anterior to vent; (10) 180 ventral scales; (11) 45 subcaudal scales; (12) relative size of frontal to frontonasal 136.3 %; (13) relative size of interparietal to nuchal scale 133.9 %; and (14) the light-colored band on the body present closer to the head.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	description	Description of holotype. An adult male in a good state of preservation (Fig. 10); SVL 92.7 mm; tail length 17.5 mm (18.9 % of SVL); head longer (HL 3.56 mm) than wide (HW 2.08 mm); snout bluntly rounded, projecting beyond the jaw (Fig. 4 A, Fig. 6 A; E-S 1.6 mm; E-N 1.2 mm; IN 0.66 mm; OI 1.59 mm); labial sutures complete; nasal suture rudimental; rostral suture rudimental (Fig. 4 A, Fig. 6 A); rostral pad with a large number of evenly distributed sensory papillae; one postocular scale on each side; ear opening absent; eyes barely visible below the single ocular scale; supralabial single (Fig. 4 A, Fig. 6 A); frontal scale slightly larger than frontonasal scale (FSW / FNSW 136.3 %); frontonasal scale wider than long (FNSL / FNSW 49.5 %); interparietal single, not enlarged, narrower than frontonasal and frontal, posteriorly bordered by three slightly smaller nuchals (Fig. 4 B, Fig. 6 B); infralabials lanceolate, separated by a smaller mental; mental narrow, trapezoid in shape, bordered by the first infralabial on each side; two scales contacting the first infralabial, a small medial scale posterior to the mental, and three larger scales contacting the infralabial posteromedially (Fig. 4 C, Fig. 6 C). Body wormlike, almost cylindrical (Fig. 11); body scales smooth, subcycloid (Fig. 4 B, Fig. 6 B); 19 midbody scale rows; 21 scale rows just posterior to head; 18 scale rows anterior to vent; medial scales near vent thick, flattened (Fig. 7 A); 45 subcaudals; 180 ventrals; tail complete, rudimentary flap-like hind limbs present, but the right hind limb damaged (Fig. 7 A; HLL 2.95 mm); tail tip blunt, covered by a single rounded scale, not terminating in a spine. Morphometric and meristic data of the holotype are given in Tables 4 – 5. Coloration. Coloration in life is unknown. In preservation, dorsum, flanks, and tail light brown (Fig. 10 A – B); ventral surface, snout, and head slightly paler; rostral and mental pads lighter (Fig. 6 A – C). Scales on the tip of hind limbs and in the cloacal region light brown. A distinct transverse cream-colored band present, complete, and located just behind the head basis (Fig. 10 A – B); other light bands or markings absent. Variation. The new species is known only from a single specimen (the holotype); its measurements and counts are presented in Table 4. Hemipenial morphology. Unknown, as the hemipenial structures were not everted before the preservation of the specimen. Osteological description. The following description of skeletal features of the new species is based on the microCT data obtained from the holotype specimen ZMMU Re- 15720. The skeletal morphology of this specimen is presented in Fig. 11. Skull small relative to the body, elongated; shoulder girdle absent; pelvic girdle and rudiments of hind limbs present (Fig. 11 A). Body with 111 presacral vertebrae, 2 distinct sacral vertebrae, and 25 tail vertebrae (Fig. 11 A). The pelvic girdle includes the fused ilium, ischium, and pubis; hind limbs include the femur, tibia, fibula, and a rudimentary bony cap (Fig. 11 E-F). The premaxilla is an unpaired bone (Fig. 11 B-D); the transverse process of the premaxilla is pierced by paired apical foramina. Three labial foramina are present on the left maxilla, and five labial foramina are present on the right maxilla. Each of the maxillary bones bears seven slightly curved teeth (Fig. 11 D). The nasal bones are distinct, perforated by three foramina on each side (Fig. 11 C). The prefrontal is a triangular bone forming the posterodorsal edge of the lacrimal foramen. The lacrimal, postfrontal, postorbital, jugal, and epipterygoid bones are absent. The paired frontals form the anteromedial processes dividing the posterior portions of the nasals (Fig. 11 C), with the anterolateral processes of the frontals absent. The unpaired parietal bone forms supratemporal processes that overlay the dorsal portions of the prootics and a wide posterior medial process that meets the supraoccipital in a suture (Fig. 11 C). The medial (sagittal) ridge on the parietal is absent (Fig. 11 C). The vomers, palatine, pterygoids, and ectopterygoids are paired bones (Fig. 11 B) with morphology similar to that described for the other members of the genus Dibamus by Greer (1985) and Kliukin et al. (2023, 2024 a, 2024 b). The parabasisphenoid complex (corresponding to the ‘ parasphenoid + basisphenoid’ of Rieppel 1984) forms a broad, massive bone meeting the basioccipital in a distinct suture. Exoccipitals, basioccipitals, and supraoccipitals are separate bones, while prootics and opisthotics are fused (Fig. 11 B-D). The stapes is characterized by a broad stapedial footplate slightly elongated anteroposteriorly (Fig. 11 D). The quadrate bone is short and flattened; its vertical axis is slightly tilted posteriorly. Four labial foramina present are on each side of the dentary (Fig. 11 D). The dentary bears eight teeth on each side. The coronoid process of the dentary is comparatively high; a distinct coronoid bone is absent. The compound bone is formed by the fused splenial, articular, angular, and supraangular bones; the retroarticular process of the compound bone is comparatively short (Fig. 11 D). The lower jaw bears the mandibular, anterior, and posterior supraangular foramina.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The new species epithet honors Dr. Anna B. Vassilieva, a Russian herpetologist currently working at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Vassilieva collected the holotype of the new species; furthermore, she has also spent over 10 years researching the herpetofauna of Vietnam.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	discussion	Comparisons. Comparative morphological data for the new species and the currently recognized nominal species of the genus Dibamus is presented in Table 5. The new species was provisionally identified by A. B. Vassilieva as D. montanus, and morphological comparisons with this species appear to be the most pertinent. Dibamus annae sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from D. montanus by having incomplete medial rostral and labial sutures (vs. complete), by having three scales posterior to the interparietal (vs. four scales), by the presence of a complete band on the body (vs. absent), by a slightly lower number of midbody scale rows (MBSR 19 vs. 20 – 22), by a lower number of scale rows anterior to vent (VSR 18 vs. 21), by a notably lower number of ventrals (VEN 180 vs. 200 – 225), and by having two scales posterior to the infralabial (vs. generally three in D. montanus). ...... continued on the next page When compared to D. greeri, another congener inhabiting Gia Lai Province, Dibamus annae sp. nov. can be easily differentiated by a lower number of supralabial scales (SL 1 vs. 2 in D. greeri), by a slightly lower number of midbody scale rows (MBSR 19 vs. 20 in D. greeri), by a lower number of subcaudal scales (SC 45 vs. 53 in D. greeri), by a shorter tail (TL / SVL 18.9 % vs. 23.8 – 28 % in D. greeri), and by a notably smaller interparietal scale. Regarding the remaining species of Dibamu s, one postocular scale distinguishes the new species from D. alfredi Taylor, D. celebensis, D. deimontis, D. dezwaani Das & Lim, D. ingeri Das & Lim, D. kondaoensis, D. manadotuaensis Koppetsch, Böhme & Koch, D. novaeguineae, D. seramensis, D. smithi, D. taylori Greer, D. tebal Das & Lim, D. tropcentr, and D. vorisi Das & Lim. Dibamus annae sp. nov. is further diagnosed from D. bogadeki, D. booliati Das & Yaakob, D. bourreti, D. dalaiensis, D. deharvengi, D. elephantinus, D. floweri Quah, Anuar, Grismer & Grassby-Lewis, D. leucurus (Bleeker), D. somsaki Honda, Nabhitabhata, Ota & Hikida, D. tiomanensis, and D. nicobaricus (Steindachner) by a lower number of subcaudal scales (vs. 45 in Dibamus annae sp. nov.; see Table 5). The absence of lateral rostral sutures distinguishes the new species from D. bogadeki and D. bourreti, the only two species of Dibamus in which these sutures are present. By the presence of an incomplete medial rostral suture, Dibamus annae sp. nov. can be differentiated from species that completely lack a rostral suture, namely D. alfredi, D. bogadeki, D. booliati, D. bourreti, D. celebensis, D. leucurus, D. novaeguineae, D. seramensis, D. smithi, and D. taylori, and also from the two species that have a complete rostral suture: D. montanus and D. somsaki. The presence of an incomplete nasal suture further differentiates Dibamus annae sp. nov. from the species in which this suture is complete, including D. bourreti, D. celebensis, D. dalaiensis, D. deharvengi, D. dezwaani, D. elephantinus, D. ingeri, D. kondaoensis, D. leucurus, D. manadotuaensis, D. montanus, D. nicobaricus, D. novaeguineae, D. seramensis, D. somsaki, D. taylori, D. tebal, and D. tiomanensis, as well as from D. floweri, in which this suture is completely absent. By having the complete labial suture, Dibamus annae sp. nov. can be differentiated from those species that have an incomplete labial suture, namely, D. alfredi, D. deimontis, D. leucurus, D. smithi, D. tropcentr, and D. vorisi, as well as from three species in which this suture is typically absent: D. deharvengi, D. floweri, and D. smithi. Finally, Dibamus annae sp. nov. is substantially different from D. montanus in a number of osteological traits. Dibamus annae sp. nov. has a slightly lower number of presacral vertebrae (111 vs. 116) and tail vertebrae (25 vs. 26). The pelvic girdle contains the same set of bones in both species, but in Dibamus annae sp. nov., the pubis, ischium, and ilium are fused (Fig. 11 E-F), while in D. montanus all pelvic girdle bones remain separate (Fig. 8 E-F). Dibamus annae sp. nov. can be further diagnosed from D. montanus by the slightly higher medial (sagittal) ridge on the parietal and by the presence of a posteromedial process on the prefrontal bone (Fig. 11 C) (vs. an almost triangular prefrontal in D. montanus; Fig. 11 C). The new species can be further distinguished from D. montanus by the fusion of prootics, opisthotics, and basioccipitals, while in D. montanus these bones remain separate. In both species, there is a distinct suture between the parabasisphenoid complex and the basioccipital. Dibamus annae sp. nov. and D. montanus have almost equal numbers of labial foramina on each side of the maxillary (four in D. montanus and three to five in Dibamus annae sp. nov.) and almost equal number of labial foramina on each side of the dentary (four to five in D. montanus and four in the new species). Finally, Dibamus annae sp. nov. remarkably differs from D. montanus by the absence of the separate coronoid (Fig. 11 D) (vs. separate coronoid present in D. montanus; Fig. 8 D).	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
03868798960A2D77A2F8F8D7FF4DFA29.taxon	conservation	Conservation status. To date, Dibamus annae sp. nov. is known only from a single specimen collected from one locality in Kon Ka Kinh N. P., Gia Lai Province, Vietnam. Any specific threats to Dibamus annae sp. nov. are unknown, and the area of specimen collection is comparatively well-protected by the National Park and the local authorities. According to the available information, we suggest Dibamus annae sp. nov. be regarded as a Data Deficient (DD) species following IUCN’s Red List categories criteria (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2019).	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
0386879896012D75A2F8FDD7FA31F86C.taxon	discussion	As a result of the combination of the examined material and literature data, we propose the following identification key to the species of the genus Dibamus of Indochina (including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Peninsular Malaysia) and southern China.	en	Kliukin, Nikita S., Nguyen, Tan Van, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Pham, Hieu Minh, Le, Son Xuan, Gorin, Vladislav A., Bos, Collin, Krone, Isaac W., Poyarkov, Nikolay A. (2025): A new species of Dibamus from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with redescription of Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 (Squamata: Dibamidae). Zootaxa 5693 (1): 1-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5693.1.1
