Hemiphyllodactylus peninsularis, Agarwal & Pal & Khandekar, 2020

Agarwal, Ishan, Pal, Saunak & Khandekar, Akshay, 2020, Two more new Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Tamil Nadu, India, Zootaxa 4729 (2), pp. 249-265 : 257-263

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4729.2.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6D8BBD57-27BD-4C3C-89AC-4DC37809D120
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/13992B84-11AB-4EF0-8A2A-A326D0D6CD15
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:13992B84-11AB-4EF0-8A2A-A326D0D6CD15
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Hemiphyllodactylus peninsularis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hemiphyllodactylus peninsularis View in CoL sp. nov.

Figures 6–8 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 , 5B View FIGURE 5 ; Table 3 View TABLE 3 .

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:13992B84-11AB-4EF0-8A2A-A326D0D6CD15

Holotype. BNHS 2633 View Materials , SVL 34 mm, adult male, from near Sengaltheri , Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, (8.534 N, 77.450 E; ca. 980 m asl.) Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, India, collected by Saunak Pal on 17 December 2011. GoogleMaps

Etymology. The specific epithet comes from the Latin paene (almost) and insula (island), reflecting the isolated nature of the montane type locality of the new species at the southern extreme of the Indian peninsula.

Suggested Common Name. KMTR slender gecko

Diagnosis. Hemiphyllodactylus peninsularis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from congeners by the unique combination of snout-vent length up to 34 mm (n =1); 12 chin scales; postmentals not enlarged; nine or ten supralabials; ten infralabials; 20 dorsal scales and 14 ventral scales at midbody contained within one longitudinal eye diameter; four subdigital lamellae on the first finger and toe; lamellar formula of manus and pes 2222; males with 11 precloacal pores separated by three or four poreless scales from a series of 11 femoral pores on each thigh; no plate-like enlarged subcaudals; dark postorbital stripe and longitudinal markings on nape extending to hindlimb insertions; dorsal pattern longitudinal dark markings formed by postorbital stripes enclosing lighter band, few lighter speckles; postsacral marking with light-coloured anteriorly projecting arms that extend above hindlimb insertion; belly stippled with black.

Comparison with Indian congeners. Hemiphyllodactylus peninsularis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other Indian congeners on the basis of the following differing or non-overlapping characters: males with 11 precloacal and 11 femoral pores (versus six or seven precloacal and 6–8 femoral pores in H. aurantiacus , eight or nine precloacal and two or three femoral pores in H. arakuensis , nine or ten precloacal and six or seven femoral pores in H. jnana , nine precloacal and eight femoral pores in H. kolliensis , eight or nine precloacal and 7–9 femoral pores in H. nilgiriensis sp. nov.); males with three or four poreless scales between precloacal and femoral series (versus 9–11 poreless scales between precloacal and femoral series in H. aurantiacus , 11–14 poreless scales between precloacal and femoral series in H. arakuensis , 10–12 poreless scales between precloacal and femoral series in H. jnana , five poreless scales between precloacal and femoral series in H. kolliensis , 7–9 poreless scales between precloacal and femoral series in H. nilgiriensis sp. nov.); 20 midbody dorsal scales in one eye diameter (versus 13–16 midbody dorsal scales in one eye diameter in H. aurantiacus and H. arakuensis , 16 midbody dorsal scales in one eye diameter in H. kolliensis , 16–19 midbody dorsal scales in one eye diameter in H. nilgiriensis sp. nov.); 14 midbody ventral scales in one eye diameter (versus 9–13 midbody ventral scales in one eye diameter in H. aurantiacus , 7–9 midbody ventral scales in one eye diameter in H. arakuensis , 10–13 midbody ventral scales in one eye diameter in H. kolliensis ; lamellar formula of toes 2222 (versus lamellar formula of toes 2233, 2333 or 3333 in H. aurantiacus , lamellar formula of toes 2333 or 3333 in H. arakuensis ); longitudinal markings on nape extend to tail base (versus extending up to or just beyond forelimb insertion in H. arakuensis , H. aurantiacus , H. jnana , H. kolliensis , and H. nilgiriensis sp. nov.

Description of holotype. The holotype is in good condition except the tail is almost entirely lost. Adult male, SVL 34.0 mm. Head short (HL/SVL 0.20), slightly elongate (HW/HL 0.78), slightly depressed (HH/HL 0.50), distinct from neck ( Figure 6A View FIGURE 6 ). Prefrontal region flat; canthus rostralis smoothly rounded, snout rounded in dorsal profile ( Figure 7A View FIGURE 7 ). Snout short (SE/HL 0.41); longer than eye diameter (ED/SE 0.68); scales on snout, canthus rostralis, forehead and inter-orbital region homogenous, granular; scales on the snout and canthus rostralis slightly larger and more pronounced than those on occipital, forehead and inter-orbital regions, two or three rows bordering supralabials slightly larger and elongated ( Figure 7A, C View FIGURE 7 ). Eye small (ED/HL 0.28); pupil vertical with crenulated margins; supraciliaries small, slightly mucronate, gradually increasing in size towards anterior of orbit, those at the anterior end of orbit larger. Ear opening roughly circular (greatest diameter 0.4 mm); eye to ear distance slightly greater than diameter of eye (EE/ED 1.40). Rostral wider than deep (RL/RW 2.16), undivided; single large supranasal above naris on each side, separated by four slightly smaller internasal scales; single large postnasal, slightly smaller in size than supranasals on each side; rostral in contact with naris, supralabial I, supranasals and four small internasal scales; naris small, roughly circular; external naris surrounded by supranasals, rostral, supralabial I and single postnasals on either side ( Figure 7C View FIGURE 7 ). Mental triangular, bordered laterally by infralabial I on either side and posteriorly by three chin scales; six scales touching internal edge of infralabials and mental from juncture of 2nd and 3rd infralabials on either side ( Figure 7B View FIGURE 7 ). Labials gradually decrease in size posteriorly, supralabial I and infralabial I largest; seven supralabials (to midorbital position) on each side; supralabials (to angle of jaw) ten on right and nine on left side; ten infralabials (to angle of jaw) on each side.

Body relatively stout (BW/SVL 0.15), slightly elongate (TRL/SVL 0.54), ventrolateral folds indistinct. Scales on dorsal aspect of head and neck granular, slightly smaller than those on snout and forehead, those on dorsum slightly larger than the rest, flat, rounded and subimbricate; 20 scales contained within one eye diameter. Ventral scales much larger than dorsals, smooth, imbricate, subcircular, gradually increasing in size posteriorly, except five or six rows above cloaca are much smaller; 14 scales contained within one eye diameter; gular region with much smaller, granular scales, becoming slightly larger, flat and juxtaposed on anterior aspect. Scales on palm and sole flat and rounded; scales on dorsal and ventral aspect of limbs flat and subimbricate, those on anteriolateral aspect of thigh largest. Fore- and hind limbs short, stout; forearm short (FL/SVL 0.8); tibia short (CL/SVL 0.11). Digits with well-developed lamellar pad; digit I vestigial, without claw; digits II–V well developed, with free terminal phalanx arising from within lamellar pad, ending in a unsheathed, recurved claw; lamellar pads of all digits with basal series of undivided, transverse lamellae, expanding into large triangular apical lamellae, which are divided/deeply notched except terminal lamella which is undivided; proximal lamellae/lamellar formula II–V: 2222 (manus and pes), basal lamellae of digits II–V: 3454 (manus) and 3464 (pes); four transversely expanded lamellae on digit I (manus and pes).

Tail almost entirely lost ( Figure 6A View FIGURE 6 ). A pair of enlarged, similar sized postcloacal spurs on both sides. Angular series of 11 precloacal pores separated from a series of 11 femoral pores on each side by three (left) and four (right) poreless scales ( Figure 7D View FIGURE 7 ).

Colouration in life. ( Figure 8 View FIGURE 8 ). Ground colour of dorsum, head and limbs brown. Dark pre-orbital stripe, two fine dark post-orbital stripes that extend to tail base, enclosing lighter streak which is most prominent toward the tail. Dorsum and head dirty brown without prominent markings, two fine dark longitudinal markings on nape. Limbs with some lighter and fewer dark speckles. Postsacral marking light orange to cream, A-shaped, flanked anteriorly by narrow black marking; light-coloured anteriorly projecting arms extend above hindlimb insertions. Regenerated tail dirty brown, similar in colouration ventrally with more orange. Throat and belly strongly stippled with dark spots and numerous dark scales, underside of limbs and precloacal region strongly pigmented.

Sequence divergence. Hemiphyllodactylus peninsularis sp. nov. is 5.1 (4.5–6.2) % divergent from H. nilgiriensis sp. nov., 6.0 % from H. jnana , 9.6 % from H. kolliensis and 13.8 % from H. aurantiacus ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ). This species was included in Agarwal et al. (2019a) as Hemiphyllodactylus sp. IN 8.

Distribution and Natural history. Hemiphyllodactylus peninsularis sp. nov. is currently known only from its type locality in high elevation forests of Agasthyamalai Hills, Tamil Nadu. The holotype was collected from an old, partially ruined rest house inside the forest. The habitat in the collection locality comprises a patch of grassland surrounded by moist deciduous and evergreen forest. The gecko was found actively moving on the wall of the rest house at night (ca. 21:30 hrs) at ca. 1 m from the ground. Hemidactylus acanthopholis Mirza & Sanap was the other species of gekkonid found sharing similar habitat in the collection locality.