Cnemaspis avasabinae, Agarwal & Khandekar, 2020

Agarwal, Ishan & Khandekar, Akshay, 2020, A new species of South Asian Cnemaspis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Eastern Ghats, India, Zootaxa 4802 (3), pp. 449-462 : 452-459

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4802.3.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:920F0404-8E5B-41B2-A450-CFA02C0C4095
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EA256696-789E-4B67-9ADC-AEEC551BF9F6
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:EA256696-789E-4B67-9ADC-AEEC551BF9F6
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cnemaspis avasabinae
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cnemaspis avasabinae sp. nov.

( Figures 2–5 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 , Table 1, 2)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EA256696-789E-4B67-9ADC-AEEC551BF9F6

Holotype. NCBS-BH754 , adult male, from along a small stream near Penchalakona (14.31775°N, 79.43127° E; ca. 170 m asl.), Nellore district , Andhra Pradesh state, India, collected by Aparna Lajmi, Aniruddha Datta-Roy, V. Deepak and Ishan Agarwal on 17 March 2014. GoogleMaps

Paratypes. NCBS-BH755 , NCBS-BH756 , adult males, same collection data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ avasabinae ” honors Ava Sabin of the Sabin family, philanthropic supporters of herpetofaunal conservation.

Suggested Common Name. Sabin’s Nellore dwarf gecko

Diagnosis. A small-sized Cnemaspis , snout to vent length less than 29 mm. Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled granular scales in the vertebral and paravertebral region, intermixed with a few scattered, enlarged, weakly keeled, conical tubercles on the flanks; enlarged tubercles absent in paravertebral rows; spine-like scales absent on flanks. Ventral scales smooth, imbricate, 17–20 scales across belly, 102–114 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca. Subdigital scansors smooth, entire, unnotched; nine lamellae under digit I of both manus and pes; 14 or 15 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 16–18 lamellae under digit IV of pes. Males with continuous series of 3–5 precloacal pores, no femoral pores. Tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles forming whorls; a median row of sub-caudals smooth, slightly enlarged and covering less than 1/3 rd tail base. Dorsal colouration pink-grey with a broad, light mid-dorsal streak running from occiput onto tail, single medial dark spot on nape which forms an indistinct cross bar, six pairs of dark paired spots on either side of mid-dorsal streak between forelimb insertions and tail base.

Comparison with Indian congeners. Cnemaspis avasabinae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other Indian congeners on the basis of the following differing or non-overlapping characters: A small-sized Cnemaspis SVL up to 29 mm (versus medium-sized Cnemaspis SVL 40–50 mm in C. anandani Murthy, Anandan, Sengupta & Deepa k, C. bangar a, C. boiei (Gray) , C. jerdonii (Theobald) , C. kolhapurensis Giri, Bauer & Gaikwad , C. heteropholis Bauer , C. kottiyoorensis Cyriac & Umesh , C. nilagirica Manamendra-Arachchi, Batuwita & Pethiyagoda , C. graniticola , C. yelagiriensis , C. sisparensis (Theobald) , C. wynadensis (Beddome) , C. ornata (Beddome) and C. thackerayi ; large-sized Cnemaspis SVL> 50 mm in C. anamudiensis Cyriac, Johny, Umesh, & Palot , C. beddomei (Theobald) , C. maculicollis Cyriac, Johny, Umesh, & Palot , C. nairi Inger, Marx & Koshy ; spine-like scales absent on flanks (versus spine-like scales present on flanks in C. amboliensis Sayyed, Pyron & Dileepkumar , C. assamensis Das & Sengupta , C. flaviventralis Sayyed, Pyron & Dahanukar , C. goaensis Sharma , C. jerdonii , C. koynaensis Khandekar, Thackeray & Agarwal , C. littoralis (Jerdon) , C. monticola Manamendra-Arachchi, Batuwita & Pethiyagoda , C. mysoriensis , C. nilagirica , C. otai , and C. yercaudensi s); scales on dorsal aspect of trunk heterogeneous (versus scales on dorsal aspect of trunk homogeneous in C. adii , C. assamensis , C. australis Manamendra-Arachchi, Batuwita & Pethiyagoda , C. boiei , C. indica (Gray) , C. jerdonii , C. kolhapurensis , C. littoralis , C. nilagirica and C. sisparensis ); sub-caudal scales smooth, median row slightly enlarged (versus sub-caudal scales smooth, median row not enlarged in, C. amba Khandekar, Thackeray & Agarwal , C. ajijae Sayyed, Pyron & Dileepkumar , C. flaviventralis , C. girii Mirza, Pal, Bhosale & Sanap , C. limayei Sayyed, Pyron & Dileepkumar and C. koynaensis ; keeled sub-caudals in C. amboliensis , C. australis , C. goaensis and C. monticola ; sub-caudal scales smooth, median row slightly enlarged in C. adii , C. agarwali ,, C. boiei , C. gracilis (Beddome) , C. heteropholis , C. indica , C. jerdonii , C. kolhapurensis , C. nairi , C. nilagirica , C. ornata , C. shevaroyensis , C. sisparensis , C. thackerayi , and C. wynadensis ); males with continuous series of 3–5 precloacal pores and no femoral pores (versus precloacal pores absent, femoral pores present in C. ajijae , C. flaviventralis , C. girii , C. indica , C. jerdonii , C. kottiyoorensis , C. limayei , C. littoralis , C. mahabali Sayyed, Pyron & Dileepkumar , C. sisparensis , C. heteropholis , C. wynadensis ; both femoral and precloacal pores present in C. adii , C. agarwali , C. australis ; C. bangara , C. goaensis , C. gracilis , C. graniticola , C. mysoriensis , C. otai , C. shevaroyensis , C. thackerayi , C. yelagiriensis , C. yercaudensis ; both femoral and precloacal pores absent in C. boiei , and C. assamensis ; femoral pores absent and a continuous series of 7–9 precloacal pores in C. beddomei , ten continuous precloacal pores in C. maculicollis , seven or eight continuous precloacal pores in C. nairi , 6–8 continuous precloacal pores in C. ornata ; and a continuous series of 26–28 precloacal-femoral pores in C. kolhapurensis ).

Description of the holotype. Adult male in good state of preservation except the tail is bent towards the right, a small patch of skin ~ 1.5 mm long is missing from the dorsum near the hindlimb insertion, hemipenes partially everted on both sides ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 ). SVL 27.0 mm, head short (HL/SVL 0.24), wide (HW/HL 0.67), not strongly depressed (HD/HL 0.43), distinct from neck. Loreal region slightly inflated, canthus rostralis not prominent. Snout just less than half head length (ES/HL 0.46), 2.5 X eye diameter (ED/ES 0.41); scales on snout and canthus rostralis large, round, weakly keeled, juxtaposed; much larger than those on forehead and interorbital region; occipital and temporal region with much smaller granules intermixed with slightly larger conical tubercles ( Figure 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Eye small (ED/HL 0.19); with round pupil; orbit with extra-brillar fringe scales that are largest anteriorly; supraciliaries not elongate. Ear-opening deep, vertical, small (EL/HL 0.07); eye to ear distance greater than diameter of eye (EE/ED 1.76) ( Figure 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Rostral much wider (1.1 mm) than long (0.4 mm), incompletely divided dorsally by a strongly developed rostral groove for more than half of its length; single enlarged supranasal on each side, twice the size than postnasals, separated from each other by single slightly smaller internasal and two still smaller scales on the snout; rostral in contact with supralabial I, nasal, supranasal and internasal; nostrils oval, each surrounded by postnasals, supranasal, rostral and supralabial I; two rows of scales separate the orbit from the supralabials ( Figure 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Mental enlarged, subtriangular, marginally wider (1.2 mm) than long (1.1 mm); two pairs of postmentals, inner pair large, roughly rectangular, in contact with each other, bordered by mental, infralabial I, outer postmentals and single enlarged chin shield on each side; outer postmentals slightly smaller than inner postmentals, roughly rectangular, bordered by inner postmentals, infralabial I and II, and four enlarged chin shields; two enlarged gular scales prevent contact of left and right outer postmentals; chin shields small, smooth except those bordering postmentals flat, smooth, smaller than outermost postmentals. Infralabials bordered below by a row of slightly enlarged scales, decreasing in size posteriorly ( Figure 3B View FIGURE 3 ). Eight supralabials to angle of jaw and five at midorbital position on both sides; supralabial I largest, decreasing in size posteriorly; six infralabials upto angle of jaw and four at midorbital position on both sides; infralabial I largest, infralabials decreasing in size posteriorly ( Figure 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Six extra-brillar fringe scales on both sides, interorbital scale rows across narrowest point of frontal seven or eight; 31 or 32 scale rows between left and right supraciliaries at midorbit ( Figure 3A, C View FIGURE 3 ).

Body relatively slender (BW/SVL 0.21), trunk less than half of SVL (AGL/SVL 0.40) without ventrolateral folds or spine-like tubercles on flanks. Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled, granular scales in the vertebral and paravertebral region, intermixed with a few scattered, enlarged, weakly keeled, conical tubercles on the flanks ( Figure 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Scales on occiput slightly smaller than those on nape and paravertebral rows ( Figure 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Scales on flank slightly larger than those on dorsum, weakly keeled, somewhat conical. Ventral scales much larger than granular scales on dorsum, those on belly smooth, imbricate, equal in size from chest to vent; midbody scale rows across belly 20; 106 scales from mental to anterior border of cloaca ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Scales on throat slightly smaller than those on belly; gular region with much smaller, flattened scales with those on chin bordering postmentals, enlarged, juxtaposed and flattened ( Figure 3B View FIGURE 3 ). A continuous series of four precloacal pores, no femoral pores or enlarged femoral scales ( Figure 3D View FIGURE 3 ).

Scales on palm and sole smooth, flat and roughly circular; scales on dorsal aspect of manus and pes heterogenous, upper arm with scales much larger than dorsal granules, weakly keeled, imbricate; those near forelimb insertion much smaller; dorsal aspect of lower arm and elbow with scales smaller much than those on upper arm, weakly keeled, flat, rounded; dorsal aspect of hand predominantly bearing large, flattened, weakly keeled, imbricate scales. Ventral aspect of upper arm with smooth, rounded, weakly conical granules; scales on lower arm and wrist with larger, smooth, weakly imbricate. Scales on dorsal aspect of thigh much larger than those on dorsal granules, weakly keeled, imbricate except those near hindlimb insertion which are much smaller, conical granules. Scales on dorsal aspect of knee and shank slightly smaller than those on dorsum of thigh, subimbricate, weakly keeled; dorsal aspect of foot predominantly bearing small, flattened, weakly keeled, imbricate scales; Scales on ventral aspect of thigh and shank larger than those on midbody ventrals ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Forelimbs and hindlimbs moderately elongate, slender (LAL/SVL 0.14); (CL/SVL 0.18); digits long, with a strong, recurved claw, distinctly inflected, distal portions laterally compressed conspicuously. Series of unpaired lamellae on basal portion of digits, separated from narrower distal lamellae by a single large scale at the inflection; proximal lamellae series: 1–3–4–4–4 (right manus; Figure 3E View FIGURE 3 ), 1–5–5–5–5 (right pes; Figure 3F View FIGURE 3 ), 1–4–4–4–3 (left manus), 1–5–5–6–5 (left pes); distal lamellae series: 8–9–11–10–12 (right manus; Figure 3E View FIGURE 3 ), 8–9–12–11–11 (right pes; Figure 3F View FIGURE 3 ), 8–9–11–10–12 (left manus), 8–9–12–12–10 (left pes). Relative length of digits (measurements in mm in parentheses): IV (2.2)> III (2.1)> V (1.9)> II (1.8)> I (1.2) (right manus); IV (3.1)> III (2.8)> V (2.7)> II (2.2)> I (1.2) (right pes).

Tail entire, more than half of its length original, cylindrical, relatively slender, flattened beneath, marginally longer than snout-vent length (TL/SVL 1.04) ( Figure 2C, D View FIGURE 2 ). Dorsal scales at tail base granular, weakly keeled, similar in size and shape to those on midbody dorsum, gradually becoming larger, flatter, pointed, subimbricate posteriorly, intermixed with enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles forming whorls; six tubercles on first eight or nine whorls; scales on dorsal and ventral aspect of regenerated portion of the tail slightly smaller than the granular scales on original tail, smooth, subimbricate. Scales on ventral aspect of original tail much larger than those on dorsal, imbricate, smooth, with a series of three enlarged subcaudal scales of which the median series is slightly larger than adjunct two rows, roughly sub-triangular; those on tail base much smaller, imbricate and smooth, a single enlarged postcloacal spur on each side ( Figure 2D View FIGURE 2 ).

Colouration in life. ( Figure 5A View FIGURE 5 ) Dorsal ground colour of head, body, limbs and tail grey-pink; head finely speckled with white and black. Faint brown preorbital streak runs from nostril to orbit; labials dull grey with lighter and darker bars. A broad straw-coloured mid-dorsal streak runs from occiput to tail base, interrupted on the nape by a horizontally elliptical dark ocellus fringed by a few orange scales that forms an indistinct cross-bar, six pairs of dark brown blotches on dorsum. Flank with some smaller black spots and elongate light yellow markings. Tail suffused with orange, indistinctly banded. Dorsum of forelimbs with few dark tubercles, hindlimbs with light brown bands, digits with alternating dark and light bands; dorsum of tail with 11 alternating brown and light grey bands, tail tip yellow. Ventral surfaces dull-white, mottled with brown under limbs, gular region with a pair of dark streaks below the chin, no dark markings on belly and underside of tail. Pupil black, iris silver with an orange streak toward the posterior of the pupil.

Variation and additional information from type series. The two paratypes closely agree with the holotype in morphology ( Table 2). The colouration is also almost identical except the mid-dorsal streak continues ~3/4 down the tail (the entire original length) and only five pairs of dorsal spots are distinct in paratype NCBS-BH756 ( Figure 4 View FIGURE 4 ). The colouration of the regenerated tail in life is yellow or orange.

Distribution and Natural history. Cnemaspis avasabinae sp. nov. is known only from its type locality (near Penchalakona, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh), at an elevation of ca. 170 m asl. ( Figure 1 View FIGURE 1 ). The new species was encountered among rocks on the edge of a small stream in a dry evergreen patch of forest at dusk and just after dark.