Eublepharis hardwickii Gray, 1827

Mirza, Zeeshan A. & Gnaneswar, Chandrashekaruni, 2022, Description of a new species of leopard geckos, Eublepharis Gray, 1827 from Eastern Ghats, India with notes on Eublepharis hardwickii Gray, 1827, Evolutionary Systematics 6 (1), pp. 77-88 : 77

Eublepharis hardwickii Gray, 1827

Figs 2 , 6

Eublepharis hardwickii Günther 1864: 119 (in part); Boulenger 1885: 231 (in part); Boulenger 1890: 107 (in part); Smith 1935: 126 (in part); Grismer 1988:465; Mirza et al. 2014: 90

Gymnodactylus lunatus Blyth, 1847 nomen nudum

Holotype.

Adult male NHMUK 1946.8.26.67 from Chittagong (The specimen is regarded as a holotype by the virtue of monotypy and recommendations of the code Article 73 and provision 73.1.2.) ( International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1999).

Referred material.

male BNHS 855, Barajamda, Singbhum, Jharkhand, India; juvenile NHMUK 1927.8.9.1 Dhalbhum, Chota Nagpur, India.

Diagnosis.

A medium sized Eublepharis reaching SVL of 140 mm, with 24 rows of flat, tubercle-like moderately keeled scales across the dorsum intermixed with much smaller scales, a single pale band between the nuchal loop and caudal constriction; smooth subdigital lamellae on digit IV of pes 17; 16 precloacal pores in an angulate series lacking a diastema.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Major-General Thomas Hardwicke (1756-1835) of the Bengal army of the East India Company.

Description of holotype NHMUK 1946.8.26.6.

(Fig. 2 ): the type is in good condition of preservation, it is preserved in a linear ‘S’ shaped manner. The anterior interocular region bears a deep grove, which may be an artifact of preservation or an injury.

A large sized gecko (SVL 140 mm) with a fairly large head (HL/SVL ratio 0.14), head as long as wide (HW/HL ratio 0.99), head depressed (HH/HL ratio 0.58), distinct from neck (Fig. 2a, b ); canthus rostralis inflated; snout short (SE/HW ratio 0.48), obtusely pointed from dorsal view and acutely in lateral view (Fig. 2c ); longer than eye diameter (OD/SE ratio 0.51); scales on the snout heterogenous in shape and size, smaller ones with rounded edges and larger ones sub-hexagonal, convex; size of the scales increases in size towards the temporal region and are more flat intermixed with small rounded smooth scales. The scales post the temporal region are large, tubercle-like and sub-conical. These scales cover the dorsum of the animal, the hind limbs up-until the caudal constriction; eyes large (OD/HL ratio 0.25), pupil vertical with crenulated edges; supraciliaries 22, anterior ones smaller, these gradually increase in size and turn sub-conical from rounded towards the posterior portion; ear-opening large, sub-oval, obliquely oriented, smaller than orbital diameter (EL/OD ratio 0.77) lobules absent; eye to ear distance much greater than diameter of eye (EE/OD ratio 1.99); rostral quadrangle, much wider than deep, divided by a median suture for its entire length; rostral in contact with nasal, first supralabial and internasals; two large and a slightly smaller internasal between nasals, nostrils large situated medially in the nasal scale; mental sub-quadrangular, wider than long; (Fig. 4b ); scales bordering the mental and infralabials large, gradually these reduce in size on throat up till the upper thoracic region, overall these scales are circular, convex, smaller than the ones ventral aspect of trunk; supralabials eleven on left and nine on right side; supralabials (to angle of jaw) twelve on either side; infralabials (to angle of jaw) nine on either sides.

Body elongate (TRL/SVL ratio 0.33) and dorsoventrally flattened; lacking distinct ventrolateral furrow; dorsal scalation on trunk comprises of large sub-conical scales intermixed with small, round-edged flat scales, the large sub-conical scales are fairly arranged in 24 longitudinal rows at mid-body; ventral scales on trunk smooth, flat, smaller than dorsal scales; mid body scales across belly 26; a continuous series of 16 precloacal pores; (Fig. 2b ).

Limbs short, stout; digits bearing horizontally oriented smooth, un-notched lamellae on ventral surface; clawed, claw slightly smaller than length of the lamellar region; forelimbs short (FL/SVL ratio 0.09), equal in length with the hind limbs (CL/SVL ratio 0.10). Terminal phalanx of all digits curved, arising angularly from distal portion of expanded lamellar pad, free portion of phalanx of all digits half to more than half long as the dilated portion. Lamellae beneath the digits, right manus 8-12-13-14-12; right pes 8-13-15-17-16. Relative lengths of digits: III>V>IV>II>I (left manus), V>II>IV>III>I (left pes).

Tail stout, subtly flat on its ventral aspect, round in cross section, longer than snout-vent length (TL/SVL ratio 0.67). Caudal segments distinct on original tail; pholidosis of original tail dorsum with small, juxtaposed scales intermixed with large sub-conical tubercles in a whorl or 9-10 rows on the first segment, thereafter reduces in number on subsequent segments, scales on regenerated portion of tail heterogenous, lacking tubercles. Ventral aspect with large, broad scales, median row of scales not enlarged. Two sub-conical post cloacal spurs.

Distribution and natural history

(Fig. 5 ). The northernmost range of the species appears to be Aushgram in Burdwan district (West Bengal) is the northern most record of the species ( Chandra et al. 1997) and other records are from Chaibasa ( Cantor 1847, Smith 1935) and BNHS 855 Barajamda (Jharkhand) Belpahari (West Bengal) ( Samanta et al. 2021) and Similipal ( Dutta et al. 2009) and Balasore (Odisha) ( Agarwal et al. 2022) is the southernmost record of the species. Nothing is known about the biology of the species.

Figures

Figure 2. Eublepharis hardwickii holotype male NHMUK 1946.8.26.67 a. Dorsal view; b. Ventral view; c. Head dorsal view; d. Head ventral view; e. Lateral view. Scale bars: 20 mm.

Figure 4. Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. paratype male NHMUK 1962.238 a. Dorsal view; b. Ventral view. Scale bars: 20 mm.

Figure 5. Map of east India showing the distribution of E. hardwickii (black circles) and E. pictus sp. nov. (blue rhombus). Locality details for E. hardwickii (black numbers) 1. Chittagong, 2. Aushgram, 3. Chaibasa, 4. Barajamda, 5. Balasore; E. pictus sp. nov. (blue numbers) 1. Visakhapatnam, 2. Jaypore, 3. Kapilash, 4. Kandhamal, 5. Khurda, 6. Angul. Image of E. pictus sp. nov. by Gnaneshwar C. H.

Figure 6. Eublepharis hardwickii juvenile (uncollected) in its natural habitat. Photo by Supriya Samanta a, b. Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. in life from Visakhapatnam (uncollected). Photo by Zeeshan A. Mirza; c. Habitat near Visakhapatnam where Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. was observed (not collected). Photo by Zeeshan A. Mirza.