Hemidactylus endophis, Carranza & Arnold, 2012

Carranza, Salvador & Arnold, Edwin Nicholas, 2012, 3378, Zootaxa 3378, pp. 1-95 : 65-67

Hemidactylus endophis sp. nov.

( Fig. 30, Appendix I)

MorphoBank M101997–M102030

Hemidactylus sp : Arnold, 1977: 102; Arnold, 1980: 279 (part.); Arnold, 1986: 420; van der Kooij, 2000: 110.

Holotype

BMNH1976.1323 , male, lodged in the gullet of a Platyceps rhodorachis ( BMNH 85.11.7.16) labeled as “ Muscat ”, collected by A.S.G. Jayakar (MorphoBank M 101997–M102030).

Diagnosis

Hemidactylus endophis can be distinguished from all currently described Arabian members of Hemidactylus based on the following combination of characters: A medium-sized Hemidactylus (only known specimen 59 mm SVL); large tubercles on dorsum relatively weakly keeled, arranged in 16 regular rows at mid-body, largest on lower flanks; scaling on belly coarse (about 26–28 in transverse row at mid-belly), coarse bluntly pointed and imbricate scales in front of vent similar to those on belly; adhesive pads on digits not especially broad, about half as wide as long on 4 th toe of pes; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6, lamellae under the 4 th toe 9; 7 femoral pores under each thigh (14 in total), broadly separated medially by 6 scales.

Etymology From the classical Greek prefix end ŏ - meaning inside, and ŏ phis, a snake.

Distribution Presumably the Muscat region of North Oman.

Habits Unknown.

Description of Holotype

Fifty-nine mm SVL. Head and body apparently not very markedly depressed; head not especially broad or neck well defined. Head length about 24% of SVL, head width 68% of head length, and head height 46% of head length. Adhesive pads on digits not especially broad, maximum width of pad on fourth hind toe about a third of its length.

Nostril between rostral, supranasal and two superposed postnasals, with the first upper labial scale usually also entering narrowly into its border. One scale separating supranasals on midline. About 12–13 scales in a straight line from postnasal to edge of orbit. Small rounded and slightly keeled tubercles scattered in posterior interorbital, crown of head and temporal area above the level of ear opening and immediately in front of the upper part of this. The anterior part of the palpebral fold with very coarse scales. Ear opening with its smooth-edged, fairly rounded, longest axis less than half diameter of eye. Supralabial scales 9/11, infralabials 9/10. Mental broadly triangular posteriorly, bordered by two large postmentals making contact behind this, a second pair of more lateral postmentals also present, their hind borders rounded and extending posterior of those of the larger more medial postmentals which contact the first and second supralabials; second and more posterior infralabials bordered by more irregular and smaller enlarged scales. Gulars small and imbricate.

Enlarged tubercles present on back, arranged in obliquely diagonal rows running from near midline posteriorly to flank, 16 across mid-body, and 19 in a paravertebral row from the level of the axilla to that of the groin, where they are separated by spaces of about their own length. Tubercles weakly keeled. The largest and most backwardly pointed on posterior flanks where tubercles finely striated and spaces between them smaller than tubercles themselves. Belly scales much larger than dorsals and flat and imbricate, about 26–28 in a transverse row at midbody between lateral folds. Femoral pores 7 under each thigh (14 in total), broadly separated medially by 6 scales. Scales on upper forelimb flat and imbricate above and largest distally, where there are a few enlarged tubercles posteriorly. Seven large tubercles on dorsal surface of femur and eleven on tibia. Underside of hindlimb with flat overlapping scales more or less like those on belly. Lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6, under the 4 th toe of pes 9. Tail missing

In alcohol beige grey above and paler below. No pattern discernible, probably because of partial digestion.