Cnemaspis tigris, Khandekar & Thackeray & Agarwal, 2022
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.72.e76308 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:62E690DF-174B-45FD-B2A6-1595F7782E43 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F9CDF6C9-BC5F-40AD-A43F-0DB9EFFFC881 |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:F9CDF6C9-BC5F-40AD-A43F-0DB9EFFFC881 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Cnemaspis tigris |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Cnemaspis tigris sp. nov.
Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7A View Figure 7 , 16A View Figure 16
Holotype.
NRC-AA-1159 (AK 885), adult male, from near Kaiwara (13.3469°N, 77.9881°E; elevation ca. 910 m), Chickballapur district, Karnataka state, India, collected by Akshay Khandekar, Swapnil Pawar and Vaibhav Patil, on 7th June 2019.
Paratypes.
NRC-AA-1160 (AK 884), BNHS 2809 (AK 886), and BNHS 2810 (AK 887), adult males, BNHS 2811 (AK 888), adult female, same collection data as holotype.
Etymology.
The specific epithet is the Latin Cnemaspis tigris (tiger), treated here as a noun in apposition, referencing the tiger-like colour pattern in males of the new species with a strongly banded dorsum suffused with yellow.
Suggested Common Name.
Tiger dwarf gecko or Kaiwara dwarf gecko.
Diagnosis.
A small-sized Cnemaspis , snout to vent length less than 32 mm (n =5). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled, granular scales in the vertebral and paravertebral region with a few scattered enlarged keeled tubercles, intermixed with about three irregularly arranged rows of large, weakly keeled tubercles on each side of flank, tubercles in lowest row largest, spine-like; six rows of dorsal tubercles; ventral scales smooth, imbricate, 23-25 scales across belly, 91-107 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, entire, unnotched; nine or 10 lamellae under digit I of manus and 9-11 lamellae under digit I of pes, 15-17 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 17-21 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males (n =4/5) with two femoral pores on each thigh separated on either side by 6-9 poreless scales from a continuous series of two (rarely three, n =1/4)) precloacal pores; tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles forming whorls; a median row of sub-caudals smooth, slightly enlarged. Dorsal colouration grey-brown; continuous light brown mid-dorsal streak runs from occiput to tail base, a single medial dark ocellus on mid-dorsal streak just anterior to forelimb insertions; five or six yellow-orange elongate blotches on dorsum, original tail with indistinct bands.
Comparison with members of C. mysoriensis clade.
Cnemaspis tigris sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other six members of the Cnemaspis mysoriensis clade on the basis of the following differing or non-overlapping characters: males with two femoral pores on each thigh, separated on either side by 6-9 poreless scales from two (rarely three) continuous precloacal pores (versus femoral pores absent, continuous series of 2-5 precloacal pores in C. avasabinae ; three femoral pores on each thigh, separated by nine or ten poreless scales from continuous series of four precloacal pores in C. otai ; a single femoral pore on each thigh, separated by ten poreless scales from continuous series of three precloacal pores in C. rishivalleyensis ; three femoral pores on each thigh, separated by five or six poreless scales from two continuous precloacal pores in C. yercaudensis ); six rows of dorsal tubercles at mid-body (versus dorsal tubercles irregularly arranged at mid-body in C. avasabinae ; 7-10 rows of dorsal tubercles at mid-body in C. stellapulvis ); 23-25 ventral scales across belly at mid-body (versus 17-20 ventral scales across belly at mid-body in C. avasabinae ; 18 ventral scales across belly at mid-body in C. otai ; 20 or 21 ventral scales across belly at mid-body in C. mysoriensis ; 20-22 ventral scales across belly at mid-body in Cnemaspis stellapulvis ; 18-20 ventral scales across belly at mid-body in C. yercaudensis ); spine-like tubercles present on flank (versus spine-like tubercles absent on flank in C. avasabinae ); a single distinct black dorsal ocellus on mid-dorsal streak just anterior to forelimb insertions (versus distinct black dorsal ocellus absent just anterior to forelimb insertions in C. mysoriensis and C. yercaudensis ); a continuous light mid-dorsal streak runs from occiput onto tail base (versus a light mid-dorsal streak formed by seven fused, elongate chain-links that runs from occiput to tail base in C. otai and C. rishivalleyensis ).
Description of the holotype.
Adult male in good state of preservation except head slightly bent towards right, a small portion of the regenerated tail taken for DNA extraction, and digit IV and V of manus of the right side are incomplete (Fig. 3A, B View Figure 3 ). SVL 30.9 mm, head short (HL/SVL 0.24), wide (HW/HL 0.73), not strongly depressed (HD/HL 0.38), distinct from neck. Loreal region slightly inflated, canthus rostralis not prominent. Snout half the head length (ES/HL 0.50), 2.5 times eye diameter (ED/ES 0.42); scales on snout and canthus rostralis large, weakly keeled, weakly conical; much larger than those on forehead and interorbital region; occipital and temporal region with much smaller, weakly keeled granules intermixed with slightly larger, weakly keeled, conical tubercles (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ). Eye small (ED/HL 0.21); with round pupil; left orbit without extra-brillar fringe scales (missing/damaged), right orbit with nine or 10 extra-brillar fringe scales, largest scales on anterior side; supraciliaries not elongate; interorbital scale rows across narrowest point of frontal seven or eight; 27 or 28 scale rows between left and right supraciliaries at mid-orbit (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ). Ear-opening deep, oval, small (EL/HL 0.05); eye to ear distance greater than diameter of eye (EE/ED 1.68) (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ). Rostral twice wider (1.2 mm) than long (0.6 mm), deformed on the right side; a single enlarged supranasal on each side, roughly same the size as postnasals, separated from each other by a single enlarged internasal and a smaller scale on the snout; rostral in contact with nostril, supralabial I, supranasal and internasal; nostrils oval, each surrounded by postnasals, supranasal, rostral and supralabial I; two rows of scales separate the orbit from the supralabials (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ). Mental enlarged, subtriangular, marginally wider (1.5 mm) than long (1.3 mm); two pairs of postmentals, inner pair marginally larger than outer pair, roughly rectangular, separated from each other below mental by a single enlarged chin shield; inner pair bordered by mental, infralabial I, outer postmental and two enlarged chin shields on right side, and by mental, infralabial I and II, outer postmental and two enlarged chin shields on the left side; outer postmentals roughly rectangular, bordered by inner postmentals, infralabial I and II, and four enlarged chin shields on left and by inner postmentals, infralabial II, and five enlarged chin shields on right; three enlarged gular scales prevent contact of left and right outer postmentals; chin shields bordering postmentals flat, smooth, smaller than outermost postmentals, rest flattened, small, smooth (Fig. 4B View Figure 4 ). Infralabials bordered below by a row or two of slightly enlarged scales, decreasing in size posteriorly. Eight supralabials up to angle of jaw and six at midorbital position on each side; supralabial I largest, decreasing in size posteriorly; eight infralabials up to angle of jaw, five at midorbital position on left and six on right side; infralabial I largest, infralabials decreasing in size posteriorly (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ).
Body relatively slender (BW/AGL 0.46), trunk less than half of SVL (AGL/SVL 0.40) without ventrolateral folds; spine-like scales present on flank on each side. Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; keeled, granular scales on the vertebral and paravertebral region with a few scattered enlarged keeled tubercles, intermixed with about three irregularly arranged rows of large, weakly keeled, tubercles on each side of flank (Fig. 5A View Figure 5 ). Scales on occiput and nape slightly smaller and weakly keeled than those on paravertebral rows; scales on flank slightly larger than those on dorsum, weakly keeled, conical or spine-like. Ventral scales much larger than granular scales on dorsum, those on belly smooth, subimbricate, equal from chest to vent except for those on precloacal region which slightly larger; mid-body scale rows across belly 24; 101 scales from mental to anterior border of cloaca (Fig. 5B View Figure 5 ). Scales on throat slightly smaller than those on belly and imbricate; gular region with much smaller, flattened scales with those on chin bordering postmentals, enlarged, juxtaposed and flattened (Fig. 4B View Figure 4 ). Two femoral pores on each thigh, separated by eight poreless scales on left and seven on right side from continuous series of two precloacal pores (Fig. 4D View Figure 4 ).
Scales on dorsal aspect of manus heterogenous, upper arm with scales much larger than dorsal granules, weakly keeled, imbricate; those near forelimb insertion much smaller than scales on upper arm; dorsal aspect of lower arm and elbow with scales much smaller than those on upper arm, weakly keeled, flat, roughly rounded; dorsal aspect of hand predominantly bearing large, flattened, weakly keeled, imbricate scales. Ventral aspect of upper arm with smooth, roughly rounded, subimbricate scales; scales on lower arm and wrist large, smooth, imbricate; scales on palm and sole smooth, flat and roughly circular. Scales on dorsal aspect of thigh much larger than those on dorsal granules, weakly keeled, imbricate except those near hindlimb insertion which are granular, much smaller than dorsal granules, conical. Scales on dorsal aspect of knee and shank fairly smaller than those on dorsum of thigh, subimbricate, weakly keeled; dorsal aspect of foot predominantly bearing small, flattened, strongly keeled, imbricate scales; scales on ventral aspect of thigh and shank larger than those on mid-body ventrals, smooth, subimbricate on thigh and imbricate on shank (Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ).
Fore-limbs and hind-limbs slightly long, slender (LAL/SVL 0.12); (CL/SVL 0.16); 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 unpaired, narrower distal lamellae by a single large scale at the inflection; proximal lamellae series: 1-3-4-4-4 (right manus), 2-4-5-7-5 (right pes), 1-3-4-4-4 (left manus; Fig. 4E View Figure 4 ), 1-4-6-7-5 (left pes; Fig. 4F View Figure 4 ); distal lamellae series: 8-10-12-6*-8* (right manus; * = incomplete), 8-10-12-12-12 (right pes), 8-10-12-12-10 (left manus; Fig. 4E View Figure 4 ), 8-10-12-12-12 (left pes; Fig. 4F View Figure 4 ). Relative length of digits (measurements in mm in parentheses): IV (2.6)> III (2.4)> V (2.2)> II (2.1)> I (1.4) (left manus); IV (3.4)> V (3.0)> III (2.9)> II (2.7)> I (1.4) (left pes).
Tail regenerated, sub-cylindrical, relatively slender, flattened beneath, not entire, less than half of the snout-vent length (TL = 14.9) (Fig. 3A, B View Figure 3 ). Dorsal scales at tail base granular, similar in size and shape to those on mid-body dorsum, intermixed with much enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles forming whorls, six tubercles on first whorl; rest of the tail regenerated, covered above with weakly keeled, imbricate scales without enlarged tubercles. Ventral scales at tail base similar (or marginally larger) in size to mid-body ventrals, smooth, imbricate; a single enlarged postcloacal spur on each side (Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ). Scales on ventral aspect of regenerated tail much larger than those on dorsal, smooth and imbricate; medial series with smooth, enlarged roughly rectangular scales (Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ).
Colouration in life (Fig. 6A).
Dorsal ground colouration of head, body and limbs brown-grey; head heavily mottled with small grey and brown blotches. A dark preorbital streak runs from nostril to orbit, two fine dark postorbital streaks extend till temporal region; supraciliaries and labials with alternating light and dark bars radiating out of the orbital region, snout reticulated. A straw-coloured mid-dorsal streak runs from occiput to regenerated part of the tail; dark medial ocellus outlined by a few orange scales anterior to forelimb insertions, flanked on either side by brown blotch with fine black speckles; followed by five or six yellow-orange elongate blotches alternating with patches of brown scales interspersed with fewer dark scales. Flank with smaller dark and larger yellow blotches, enlarged spine-like tubercles yellow. Tail colouration of regenerated tail grey without bands. Dorsum of forelimbs with few light and dark blotches, hindlimbs with alternating dark and light bands and two strong dark horizontal streaks on the posterior of each femur, digits with distinct alternating dark and light bands. Ventral surfaces dull-white, underside of head and neck, throat yellow, fine black spots under forelimbs, minor markings on the throat and no dark markings on belly; underside of regenerated tail dull-white without any dark markings. Pupil black, iris bronze outlined by silver.
Variation and additional information from type series.
Mensural, meristic and additional character states evaluation data for the type series is given in Tables 3 View Table 3 - 5 View Table 5 respectively. There are three male and a single female specimen ranging in size from 24.7-31.2 mm. All paratypes resemble the holotype except as follows: inner postmentals bordered by mental, infralabial I outer postmental and two enlarged chin scales on each side in all four paratypes; outer postmentals bordered by inner postmental, infralabial I & II and four enlarged chin scales on each side in NRC-AA-1160, BNHS 2809 and BNHS 2811; outer postmentals bordered by inner postmental, infralabial I & II and three enlarged chin scales on each side in BNHS 2810. Two paratypes- BNHS 2810 and BNHS 2811 with original and complete tail, slightly longer than body (TL/SVL 1.13 and 1.16 respectively) All paratypes agree with the holotype in overall colouration except for female paratype (BNHS 2811) which is overall duller, lacking yellowish colouration on the body (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Original tail (in BNHS 2810 and BNHS 2811) with enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles forming whorls; median row of sub-caudals smooth, slightly enlarged. Regenerated portion of tail (in NRC-AA-1160) is light brown, and without enlarged tubercles (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ).
Distribution and Natural history.
Like most of the other South Asian Cnemaspis , C. tigris sp. nov. is currently known from its type locality (near Kaiwara village in Chickballapur district, Karnataka), at an elevation of ca. 910 m asl (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). The species was encountered during a single day of fieldwork at the base of a rocky granite hillock with large boulders, predominantly covered by thorny scrub forest (Fig. 16A View Figure 16 ). Numerous individuals (n => 30) of the new species were observed to be active in day-time on granite boulders <2 m of height from the ground. All the individuals were only seen in the shaded and relatively cooler areas among the rocks. Sympatric lizards recorded by us at the type locality include Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril and Bibron, 1836; Hemidactylus rishivalleyensis Agarwal, Thackeray and Khandekar, 2020; Eutropis carinata (Schneider, 1801) and Psammophilus dorsalis (Gray, 1831).
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