Cyrtodactylus psarops, Harvey, Michael B., O’Connell, Kyle A., Barraza, Gabriel, Riyanto, Awal, Kurniawan, Nia & Smith, Eric N., 2015

Harvey, Michael B., O’Connell, Kyle A., Barraza, Gabriel, Riyanto, Awal, Kurniawan, Nia & Smith, Eric N., 2015, Two new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Southern Bukit Barisan Range of Sumatra and an estimation of their phylogeny, Zootaxa 4020 (3), pp. 495-516 : 498-503

Cyrtodactylus psarops sp. nov. Harvey, O’Connell, Barraza, Riyanto, Kurniawan & Smith

Holotype. An adult female ( MZB 9699; field number ENS 14612, Fig. 1 ) from Gunung Tanggamus, above Gisting, 5.424° S, 104.692° N, 1163 m, Kabupaten Tanggamus, Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, collected June 11, 2013, by M. B. Harvey, E. N. Smith, and field parties from BC, MZB, UB, and UTA.

Paratypes (14). Four males ( MZB 9686–9687, MZB 9700, UTA R- 61589) and one unsexed juvenile ( UTA R- 61579) from forest above Ngarip, 5.280– 5.284 ° S, 104.557– 104.558 °E, 1318–1419 m; four females ( UTA R- 61580–61581, MZB 9690–9691) and one male ( UTA R- 61590) from forest NE of Ngarip, 5.298- 5.314 ° S, 104.528–104.546, 950– 1065 m; one male ( MZB 9697) and two females ( UTA R- 61582–61583) from Gunung Tanggamus, above Gisting, 5.422– 5.424 ° S, 104.692– 104.695 ° N, 1016–1163 m, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia; and one female ( MZB 9700) from Gunung Pesagi (known locally as “Masagi”), Remanan Jaya, Muara dua, Sumatera Selatan Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. M. B. Harvey, E. N. Smith, and field parties from BC, MZB, UB, and UTA collected the paratypes on 9–17 June 2013.

Diagnosis. A medium-size species of Cyrtodactylus reaching 82 mm SVL and distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) body moderately robust; limbs and digits relatively long; (2) tail 1.06–1.35 times longer than body; (3) subpyramidal, weakly keeled tubercles extending from frontal region and supraorbital skin to base of tail, 23–26 irregular longitudinal rows of tubercles at midbody, 28–38 irregular transverse rows between limbs; (4) dorsal antebrachium and often brachium tuberculate; (5) tubercles on tail restricted to basal third; (6) 38–49 ventrals in a transverse row at midbody; (7) subcaudals not transversely enlarged; (8) deep, subtriangular depression in precloacal region of males; (9) 28–32 femoral and precloacal pores in males, arrayed in a continuous series (fewer pore primordia usually present in females), precloacal pores sunken into precloacal depression; (10) scale at anterior apex of pore-bearing scales greatly enlarged, sunken into precloacal depression in males, superficial in females; (11) pore-bearing series sharply transitioning to tiny granular scales of postaxial surface of thigh; (12) 18–22 lamellae under fourth toe; (13) cloacal tubercles usually single; (14) dorsal pattern of brown blotches edged first in dark brown to black then in pale gray or brown; at least some tubercles on flanks yellow to pale cream; (15) labials charcoal or dark brown with yellow or cream spots; occiput with few large blotches; long postocular stripe extending beyond arm onto flank; (16) 7–9 transverse, irregular or broken bands on body; 10–13 regular bands on tail, mostly complete ventrally.

Description. Medium-size Cyrtodactylus reaching at least 82 mm SVL in females, 74 mm in males; smallest juvenile 42 mm SVL; body moderately robust, accounting for 64.9–74.3% (n = 6) of SVL in males, 70.1–74.3% (n = 8) of SVL in females; tail 1.06–1.35 (1.21 ± 0.10, n = 6) times longer than body and accounting for 51.6–57.4% (54.7 ± 2.2, n = 6) of total length; head triangular in dorsal view; head 25.7–35.1% (29.1 ± 3.2, n = 6) of SVL, 57.8–63.2% (61.2 ± 2.2, n = 6) as wide as long, and 33.7–44.0% (37.7 ± 4.5, n = 6) as deep as wide in males and 27.3–29.8% (28.7 ± 0.8, n = 8) of SVL, 54.5–62.4% (58.4 ± 2.8, n = 8) as wide as long, and 31.7–40.6% (36.6 ± 3.1, n = 8) as deep as wide in females.

Rostral narrower than mental to as wide as mental (67.6–100.0%, 85.2 ± 8.7, n = 15, of width of mental), posteriorly forming border of nostril; dorsal margin of rostral deeply notched medially by shallow groove; rostral groove bifurcating slightly ventral to center of nostril; rostral bordered posteriorly by three (60%, n = 15), four (27%, n = 15), or five (13%, n = 15) postrostrals; postrostral at midline projecting into posterior margin of rostral, except in UTA R-61582 where posterior margin of rostral straight; internarial region narrow, 16.8–22.6% (19.3 ± 1.8, n = 15) as wide as head; distance between anterior margins of orbit 30.3–38.6% (35.3 ± 2.5, n = 15) as wide as head; shallow, key-hole shaped depression occupying most of prefrontal, frontal, and parietal areas (depression bordered laterally by slightly raised canthal, circumorbital, and supratemporal ridges and thickened skin at occiput); scales on dorsal snout granular, subpyrimidal, smooth, subequal in size, about as large as tubercles in parietal regions and distinctly smaller than granules between eyes; tubercles extending to frontal region and supraorbital skin; tubercles on dorsal surface of head subpyrimidal and smooth, much smaller than those on body, each surrounded by seven or eight granular scales; dorsal body tubercles unicarinate, oval, slightly projecting from dorsum, about five times as large as dorsal granules, 23–26 (23 ± 2, n = 14) longitudinal rows at midbody including scales in ventrolateral folds, 28–38 (33 ± 3, n = 14) irregular transverse rows between limbs; dorsal granules smooth.

Nostril oval, directed postero-laterally and somewhat dorsally; bordered by rostral, postrostral, supranasal, nasal, and narrow antero-dorsal process of first supralabial; supranasal rounded to rhomboidal, about three times as large as adjacent postnasals; postnasals 5–7 (6 ± 1, n = 14); snout length 34.5–42.6% (38.1 ± 2.1, n = 15) of head length and distance from orbit to nostril accounting for 73.4–80.3% (77.0 ± 2.0, n = 15) of snout length; loreal region sloping; lips somewhat flared; 16–22 (20 ± 2, n = 15) loreals between nasal and anterior border of orbit; lorilabials in front of orbit flat, plate-like, enlarged relative to other loreals (1.5–3 times as large as loreals above them, but much smaller than supralabials); eye separated from supralabials by one or two longitudinal rows of tiny granules; diameter of orbit 19.0–25.7% (23.3 ± 2.0, n = 15) of head length; temporal region with granular scales separating large, rounded, smooth or weakly keeled tubercles; distance from posterior border of orbit to anterior border of auditory meatus 24.1–33.5% (29.3 ± 2.4, n = 15) of head length; auditory meatus deep, elliptical, directed postero-dorsally at about 40° to vertical, positioned at posterior end of head and with its ventral margin at same level as rictus; smallest diameter of auditory meatus 60–70% smaller than greatest diameter; enlarged supralabials 9–12 (11 ± 1, n = 16), last separated by 1–5 small granular scales from rictus (12–16 total supralabials; 8–10 from center of orbit to rostral); first supralabial with antero-dorsal extension reaching nostril and separating lorilabials from rostral; remaining supralabials subrectangular with rounded dorsal edges, reducing in size to rictus.

Mental triangular; infralabials 8–11 (10 ± 1, n = 16; 6–8 from center of orbit); pair of postmentals in contact medially; second pair of postmentals oval to squarish, about half as wide as first pair, separated from one another medially by 6–11 (9 ± 1, n = 15) small granular scales bordering first pair of postmentals; sublabial row decreasing in size posteriorly, not differentiated from adjacent gulars at level of eye; gulars small, smooth, granular, nonimbricate, much smaller than ventrals; in front of pectoral girdle, gulars grading into progressively larger, imbricate scales; scale of chest like ventrals; ventrals smooth, imbricate, flat, circular, about as wide as tubercles on dorsum; ventrals in transverse row at midbody 38–49 (44 ± 4, n = 13); ventrolateral skin fold distinct, containing tubercles.

Tail subcylindrical, though somewhat flattened dorsally and ventrally; tubercles restricted to 16.0–24.9% (19.1 ± 3.1, n = 6) of intact tails; distribution of tubercles at base of tail like dorsal body, distally tubercles not projecting and arrayed in 3–6 verticils; verticils separated by 6–9 small scales along dorsal midline; tubercles on tail not extending to ventral side, although some scales of verticils may be slightly enlarged relative to other subcaudals; subcaudals flat, homogenous, 1.5–2 times as large as scales on sides of tail; each subcaudal about as long as wide; transversely enlarged subcaudal plates absent; cloacal tubercles rounded, smooth, single, slightly smaller than dorsal tubercles; tip of tail capped by granular scales.

Brachium covered in small, homogenous, weakly keeled scales; brachial tubercles usually present (67%, n = 15); antebrachium tuberculate; antebrachial tubercles subpyrimidal, unicarinate, about four times as large as granular scales between them, slightly smaller than those on dorsum; ventral surfaces of brachium and antebrachium covered in smooth, slightly imbricate, homogenous scales; scales on palm and dorsal surface of hand smooth, imbricate; scales under finger I 8–11 (n = 15 for all digits), under finger II 13–15, under finger III 14–18, under finger IV 16–19, under finger V 13–16 (all counts excluding ungual scale); one or two scales widened and similar to lamellae extending onto palm at base of digits.

Thigh, shank, and postaxial half of dorsal foot (at base of toes IV–V) tuberculate; tubercles of leg subpyrimidal, unicarinate, about same size as those on dorsum, about five times as large as small granular scales between them; preaxial and ventral surface of thigh covered in rounded, flat, imbricate scales; ventral thigh with enlarged row of pore-bearing scales and similarly enlarged row of scales anterior to pore-bearing row; this doubled row of scales arranged in an inverted V with its apex at midline of belly; abrupt transition to tiny granules on postaxial surface of thigh; postfemoral granules only one-fifth to one-sixth size of pore-bearing scales; sole covered in flat, imbricate, rounded scales; scales under toe I 8–11 (n = 15), under toe II 13–15, under toe III 16–20; under toe IV 18–22, under toe V 17–21; one or two scales widened and similar to lamellae extending onto sole at base of digits.

Arrangement of pore-bearing scales sexually dimorphic; both sexes with single, greatly enlarged scale at apex of pore-bearing series ( Fig. 2 ); apical scale twice as long as wide, with single pore or pore primordium at its posterior end; apical scale superficial in females and juveniles, sunken into precloacal depression of males; total pores 28–32 (30 ± 2, n = 6) in males; pore rows of males continuous, extending onto thighs; pore primordia present (75%, n = 8) or absent (25%) in females; when present, total pore primordia 13–29 (20 ± 6, n = 6); in two specimens distal primordia separated by gaps of 2/4 and 3/3 (right/left) scales on thigh; in specimens without gaps, primordia extending for short distance onto thigh (50%, n = 6) or restricted to body (50%).

Coloration. In life (based on field notes of M.B. Harvey and photos of all specimens in the type series), Cyrtodactylus psarops has a gray, greenish gray, or greenish brown ground coloration with brown markings widely edged in black. On the flanks, tubercles edging the brown dorsal markings are frequently bright yellow, sharply contrasting with the adjacent color. Anastomosing brown and pale yellow markings cover the dorsal snout. The supraciliaries are also yellow with some black areas. The rostral, mental, narial region, and labials are mostly charcoal to black, and the labials are marked by widely spaced, distinctive yellow spots. Dorsally, several large subcircular blotches cover the parietal area. A wide postocular stripe extends beyond the arm onto the flank. A transverse nuchal band may partially fuse to the postocular stripe, although the two markings are usually separate from one another.

The iris is reddish brown, edged in black and with a black reticulum. The ciliary body is only slightly lighter than the iris and indistict. In Cyrtodactylus psarops , the distal third of the tongue is black above and below, whereas the rest of the tongue is pink.

Cyrtodactylus psarops ( Fig. 3 ) has one band on the neck, 7–9 (8 ± 1, n = 15) bands on the body, and 10–13 (11 ± 1, n = 6) bands on the tail. Bands on the neck and body frequently break up into subcircular blotches. Bands on the tail are narrower than the pale interspaces at the base of the tail but longer than the interspaces distally. Distally, the caudal interspaces become increasingly more pale. Ventrally the caudal bands are continuous (i.e., the tail is ringed). Regenerated tails are entirely tan above and below. The brachium, antebrachium, thigh, and shank each bears three to four bands. Banding extends onto the hand and foot, although the digits are mostly charcoal or dark brown.

Except for the tail, the venter is pale pink to purple. Palms and soles are heavily melanic, whereas the porebearing scales are distinctly paler than scales around them. Adult males have a distinctive chalky white, semilunar area anterior and lateral to the precloacal depression. This chalky area extends to the groin.

Etymology. This species’ name psarops is a noun in apposition derived from the Greek words psaros, meaning speckled, and ops, meaning face. The new name alludes to the characteristic yellow speckling of the labials and snout in this species.

Standard English name. Speckle-faced Bent-toed Geckos.

Standard Indonesian name. Cicak Jari Lengkung Muka Bintik.

Distribution and natural history. We collected most of the type specimens from humid forest, coffee plantations, and adjacent secondary growth on Gunung Tanggamus and mountains surrounding Ngarip, a small town in the southern Bukit Barisan Range, Lampung, Sumatra ( Fig. 4 ). Cyrtodactylus psarops extends into adjacent Sumatera Selatan at Gunung Pesagi. We encountered most specimens on the forest floor at night (19:00– 21:10 hrs), however this species readily ascends into low vegetation. We found UTA R-61581 about 2 m aboveground on the stem of a plant at the forest edge and MZB 9702 about 1 m aboveground on a dead tree in a coffee plantation. Cyrtodactylus psarops occurs between 950–1419 m, however, its elevational range may be broader. We did not visit sites at higher or lower elevations in the vicinity of the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 1. An adult female Cyrtodactylus psarops from Gunung Pesagi, Sumatera Selatan (A, MZB 9700, head length 22.4 mm) and adult females of C. psarops (B, MZB 9699, holotype, SVL 69 mm; C – D, UTA 61580, SVL 52 mm) from montane forest around Ngarip, Lampung, Sumatra.

FIGURE 2. Precloacal region of Cyrtodactylus psarops (UTA 61590) showing distribution and morphology of pore-bearing scales and precloacal depression.

FIGURE 3. Dorsal color variation in the type series of Cyrtodactylus psarops (Top row, from left to right: MZB 9686, 9699 (holotype), 9700, and 9691. Bottom row: MZB 9702, 9690, 9687, and 9697).

FIGURE 4. Distribution of selected bent-toed geckos discussed in this study.