Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis, Schneider & Luu & Sitthivong & Teynié & Le & Nguyen & Ziegler, 2020

Schneider, Nicole, Luu, Vinh Quang, Sitthivong, Saly, Teynié, Alexandre, Le, Minh Duc, Nguyen, Truong Quang & Ziegler, Thomas, 2020, Two new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northern Laos including new finding and expanded diagnosis of C. bansocensis, Zootaxa 4822 (4), pp. 503-530 : 507-516

Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Holotype. One adult male, IEBR A.2013.109, collected by Alexandre Teynié in June 2013 from Houaphan Province, near Viengxai , at an elevation of 850 m a.s.l.

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from all its congeners by a unique combination of characters: SVL 75.8 mm; supralabials 9 or 10; infralabials 8 or 9; ventral scales 35; dorsal tubercles in 20 rows at midbody; precloacal pores in the male 6; femoral pores absent; subcaudals enlarged; five irregular, brown bands between limb insertions.

Description of holotype. Adult male, SVL 75.8 mm; tail regenerated (TaL 59.1 mm); head depressed (HL/HW 1.4), distinct from neck; snout scales small, homogeneous, granular, larger than those in frontal and parietal regions; rostral wider than high (RW 3.8 mm, RH 2.6 mm), square-shaped, medially with a straight, vertical suture, in contact with nasorostral, nare, and first supralabial on each side; internasal single; nares oval, surrounded by supranasal, rostral, first supralabial, and three postnasals; supralabials 9 or 10; ears oval; mental triangular, slightly narrower than rostral (MW 3.3 mm), in contact with two enlarged postmentals and the first infralabial on each side, postmentals surrounded by first infralabial on each side (and second on right side) and seven granular scales posteriorly, two outer ones enlarged; infralabials 8 or 9; gular scales granular; scales between fifth supralabials across the dorsal head surface in 43 rows; scales between anterior corners of eye orbits 31; interorbital region with small, round or oval, convex scales; dorsal surface of head with enlarged tubercles; pupil vertical ( Fig. 3 a–d).

Dorsal scales granular to flattened; dorsal tubercles on head, back and tail base conical, each surrounded by 8 or 9 granular scales, in 20 irregular longitudinal rows at midbody; scales around midbody 127; ventral scales smooth, medial scales 2 or 3 times larger than dorsal scales, round or oval, in 35 longitudinal rows at midbody; scales between mental and cloacal slit 184; ventrolateral folds present; precloacal groove absent; femoral scales enlarged, femoral pores absent; precloacal scales enlarged, precloacal pores 6; postcloacal tubercles 2 on each side; subcaudals enlarged ( Fig. 3e ); tubercles on forelimbs absent, present on hindlimbs; fingers and toes free of webbing; lamellae under fourth finger 17, under fourth toe 19–21 ( Table 1).

Coloration in life: Ground color of dorsal head and back dark brown with a yellow pattern; a discontinuous nuchal loop, extending from posterior corner of the eye above tympanum to the neck, dark brown, ending in two dark spots; head with dark brown blotches; dorsum with five irregular and sometimes interrupted dark brown bands on the back between limb insertions; ventral surface yellowish-beige; dorsal surface of fore and hind limbs with irregular dark bands; regenerated tail with irregular dark brown and beige pattern ( Fig. 2 ).

Comparisons. We compared the new species with its congeners from Laos ( Table 2 ) and with other Cyrtodactylus from the Indochina region including Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia ( Table 3 ). Morphologically, C. houaphanensis sp. nov. resembles the members of the C. wayakonei group due to the low amount of precloacal pores. Therefore, below we compared the new species with members of the C. wayakonei species group.

Morphologically, C. houaphanensis sp. nov. is most similar to the genetically only distantly related C. chauquangensis Hoang, Orlov, Ananjeva, Johns, Hoang & Dau from Vietnam but can be distinguished from the latter species in morphology by its smaller size (SVL 75.8 mm vs. 91–99.3 mm), having generally fewer infralabials (8 or 9 vs. 9–11), and the presence of an internasal scale which is absent in C. chauquangensis ( Hoang et al. 2007) .

From its sister species C. puhuensis Nguyen, Yang, Le, Nguyen, Orlov, Hoang, Nguyen, Jin, Rao, Hoang, Che, Murphy & Zhang , the new species differs by the absence of enlarged femoral scales (vs. presence), and having slightly more precloacal pores in males (6 vs. 5).

The new species has enlarged subcaudal scales and thus differs from the following species which are lacking enlarged subcaudals: C. bobrovi Nguyen, Le, Pham, Ngo, Hoang, Pham & Ziegler ; C. otai Nguyen, Le, Pham, Ngo, Hoang, Pham & Ziegler ; C. vilaphongi Schneider, Nguyen, Le, Nophaseud, Bonkowski & Ziegler ; C. wayakonei Nguyen, Kingsada, Rösler, Auer & Ziegler.

The new species is lacking femoral pores in males and thus differs from the following species which have femoral pores in males: C. huongsonensis Luu, Nguyen, Do & Ziegler ; C. soni Le, Nguyen, Le & Ziegler ; C. sonlaensis Nguyen, Pham, Ziegler, Ngo & Le ; C. muangfuangensis Sitthivong, Luu, Ha, Nguyen, Le & Ziegler ; and the new Cyrtodactylus species described below.

The new species differs from C. cucphuongensis Ngo & Chan by the absence of enlarged femoral scales (vs. present), the presence of precloacal pores in males (vs. absent), and having fewer ventral scales (35 vs. 42); from C. martini Ngo by the absence of enlarged femoral scales (vs. present), having more precloacal pores in males (6 vs. 4), and having fewer ventral scales (35 vs. 39–43); from C. spelaeus Nazarov, Poyarkov, Orlov, Nguyen, Milto, Martynov, Konstantinov & Chulisov by having fewer precloacal pores in males (6 vs. 8–9), by its smaller size (75.8 mm vs. 91 mm) and by having a different color pattern of dorsum (banded vs. blotched); from C. taybacensis Pham, Le, Ngo, Ziegler & Nguyen by its smaller size (maximum SVL 75.8 mm vs. 97.5), the absence of enlarged femoral scales (vs. present), and having fewer precloacal pores in males (6 vs. 11–13).

Natural history notes. The holotype was found on a large rock partially covered with vegetation 1.2 m above the ground. A second specimen was observed active at the bottom of a rock cavity 2 m above the ground. Both specimens were discovered on a steep rock at night (20:30–20:45) during the rainy season at the foot of a limestone cliff of the karst formations. The adjacent lowland was mainly covered with various small-scale agricultural crops, patches of secondary forests and some scrub and grasslands, where no large primary forest remained.

Distribution. Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis sp. nov. is currently known only from the type locality in Houaphan Province, Laos.

Etymology. We name this species after its type locality in Houaphan Province, Laos and propose Houaphan Bent-toed Gecko as a common name.

Figures

FIGURE 2. The holotype of Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis sp. nov. (IEBR A.2013.109, adult male) from Houaphan Province. Photo: A. Teynié.

FIGURE 3. Details of head (dorsal view (A), lateral view right side (B), ventral view (C), lateral view left side (D)) and cloacal region (E) of the holotype of Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis sp. nov. (IEBR A.2013.109, adult male) in preservative. Photos: N. Schneider.

Tables

TABLE 2. Morphological characters, distribution and habitat information of all Laotian Cyrtodactylus species. Abbreviations are as follows: SVL: snout–vent length (in mm); TaL: Tail length (in mm); SPL: Supralabials; IFL: Infralabials; SMC: along the midbody from mental shield to anterior edge of cloaca; MS: midbody scales; V: ventral scales; DTR: dorsal tubercle rows; EPS: enlarged precloacal scales; EFS: enlarged femoral scales; FP: femoral pores; PP: precloacal pores; LD4/LT4: subdigital lamellae under fourth finger/toe; *=regenerated tail;?=unknown character.

Taxa	max. SVL	max. TaL	SPL	IFL	SMC	MS	V	DTR	EFS	LD4	LT4	Color pattern of dorsum	Enlarged subcaudals
Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis sp. nov.	75.8	59.1*	9–10	8–9	184	127	35	20	absent	16–18	19–23	banded	present
Cyrtodactylus ngoiensis sp. nov.	95.3	101.8	6–9	8–11	179–199	102–121	38–43	15–21	present	16–18	19–20	banded	present
C. bansocensis	74.0	103.5	8–12	8–10	158–204	86–102	34–35	14–20	present	16–20	18–21	banded	present
C. buchardi	65.0	54.0	13–14	10–11	?	69	30	25	absent	14	12	blotched	absent
C. calamei	89.3	107.5	9–11	8–11	183–193	101–114	39–42	10–16	present	17	19/21	banded	present
C. cryptus	83.6	73.0	7–8	6–7	211–218	122–131	40–43	15–17	absent	17–19	17–19	blotched	absent
C. darevskii	100.0	113.0	10–12	9–11	180–216	?	38–46	16–20	present	17–20	18–22	banded	present
C. hinnamnoensis	100.6	108.3	9–12	7–11	179–201	93–112	35–48	14–19	present	16–21	18–22	banded	present
C. interdigitalis	80.0	95.2	11–15	9–12	196	112	37–42	18–22	present	16–22	16–20	banded	present
C. jaegeri	68.5	83.4	10–11	9–11	156–164	?	31–32	15–17	17–19	17–19	20–23	banded	present
C. jarujini	90.0	116.0	11–16	10–12	169	?	32–38	16–17	present	15–18	18–20	blotched	present
C. khammouanensis	73.0	95.0	11–12	9–10	155–172	?	32–38	16–21	present	18–20	20–23	banded	present
C. lomyenensis	71.2	86.9	10–14	9–11	190–205	84–93	35–40	19–24	17–18	16–21	18–24	banded	present
C. muangfuangensis	83.9	102.6	9–11	9–11	176–182	102–112	31–37	15–16	present	16–19	18–23	banded	present
C. multiporus	98.0	115.2	9–11	8–11	164–182	?	30–38	15–20	absent	16–20	18–22	blotched	present
C. pageli	87.7	113.2	9–12	9–10	216–239	113–124	41–46	9–14	absent	19–23	19–26	banded	present
C. pseudoquadrivirgatus	83.8	82.5	8–13	7–10	?	?	39–57	16–24	absent	15–21	16–25	blotched	absent
C. rufford	72.5	96.8	11–12	9–11	153–167	74–79	27–29	14–16	present	19–20	18–19	banded	present
C. sommerladi	80.3	89.9	9–11	8–9	168–192	76–93	31–39	0–5	present	16–20	17–24	banded	present
C. soudthichaki	70.0	95.2	10–11	8–9	165–170	78–85	32–33	19–20	present	16–18	18	banded	present
C. spelaeus	91.0	83.0	9–12	8–10	156–183	?	36–39	10	absent	19–20	22–24	blotched	present
C. thathomensis	75.5	96.0	10–11	9–10	?	?	30–36	14–18	present	16–17	18–20	banded	present
C. teyniei	89.9	110.0	10	9	184	108	38	18–22	present	17–18	19–20	blotched	present
C. vilaphongi	86.1	68.1	9–10	7–9	161–165	106–122	34–36	15–16	absent	18–19	18–20	banded	absent
C. wayakonei	86.8	89.0	7–8	9–10	151–163	85–98	31–35	17–19	absent	17–18	19–20	banded	absent

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TABLE 3. Comparison between the new species Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis sp. nov. and Cyrtodactylus ngoiensis sp. nov. and their congeners from Laos and neighbouring countries in the Indochina region. Abbreviations are as follows: max.: maximum; SVL: snout–vent length (in mm); V: ventral scales; EFS: enlarged femoral scales; FP: femoral pores; PP: precloacal pores;? = data unknown.

Taxa	max. SVL	V	EFS	FP	PP (in males)	PP (in females)	Color pattern of dorsum	Enlarged subcaudals
Cyrtodactylus houaphanensis sp. nov.	75.8	35	absent	absent	6	?	banded	present
Cyrtodactylus ngoiensis sp. nov.	95.3	38–43	present	14 (male)	7	7 (pitted)	banded	present
C. angularis	92.0	40–45	present	absent	3	3	banded	present
C. astrum	108.3	31–46	?	present	31–38 (FP+PP)	?	banded	present
C. auribalteatus	98.1	38–40	5–7	4–5(males)	6	absent	banded	present
C. badenensis	74.1	25–29	absent	absent	0	0	banded	present
C. bichnganae	99.9	30–31	11–13	18	10	8	banded	present
C. bidoupimontis	86.3	38–43	6–8	absent	4–6	0	banded	absent
C. bobrovi	96.4	40–45	absent	absent	5	0	banded	absent
C. brevipalmatus	72.0	35–44	present	present	6+9+7	6+9+7	blotched	present
C. bugiamapensis	76.8	36–46	6–10	absent	(FP+PP+FP) 7–8	(FP+PP+FP) 0–7	blotched	absent
C. caovansungi	94.0	38–44	8	6	9	0	banded	present
C. cattienensis	69.0	28–42	3–8	absent	6–8	0	banded	absent
C. chanhomeae	78.8	36–38	present	present	32	34	banded	present
C. chauquangensis	99.3	36–38	absent	absent	(FP+PP) 6	(FP+PP) 7	banded	present
C. cucdongensis	65.9	35–44	present	absent	5–6	4–6	banded	absent
C. cucphuongensis	96.0	42	14	absent	0	?	banded	present
C. dumnuii	84.2	40	present	present in males	6+5–6+6–7 (FP+PP+FP)	0–7	banded	present
C. eisenmanae	89.2	44–45	4–6	absent	0	0	banded	present

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