A new species in the Cyrtodactylus oldhami group (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand

By

Yodthong, Siriporn
Rujirawan, Attapol
Stuart, Bryan L.
Grismer, Lee
Aksornneam, Akrachai
Termprayoon, Korkhwan
Ampai, Natee
Aowphol, Anchalee

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1103

Pages

139--169

Subjects

Cyrtodactylus monilatus sp. nov , Cyrtodactylus zebraicus , integrative taxonomy , mitochondrial DNA , Morphology , Phylogeny , Southeast Asia

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1103.84672

 

Abstract

Cyrtodactylus monilatussp. nov. is described from Si Sawat District, Kanchanaburi Province, in western Thailand. The new species superficially resembles C. zebraicus Taylor, 1962 from southern Thailand. However, differences between the new species from C. zebraicus and other congeners were supported by an integrative taxonomic analysis of molecular and morphological data. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene showed that the new species is a member of the C. oldhami group and closely related to Cyrtodactylus sp. MT468911 from Thong Pha Phum National Park, Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province. Uncorrected pairwise genetic divergences (p-distances) between the new species and its congeners, including C. zebraicus, ranged from 7.7–17.7%. Cyrtodactylus monilatussp. nov. can also be distinguished from all members of the C. oldhami group by having a unique combination of morphological characters, including a snout to vent length of 53.7–63.3 mm in adult males and 58.6–75.8 mm in adult females; 22–34 paravertebral tubercles; 34–42 ventral scales; 30–39 enlarged contiguous femoroprecloacal scales; femoral pores and precloacal pores absent in both sexes; four or five rows of postprecloacal scales; enlarged median subcaudal scales absent; weak ventrolateral folds present; 4–7 rows of paired, paravertebral, dark-brown blotches edged in yellow or yellowish white; and two rows of small, diffuse, yellow or yellowish white spots on flanks. The new species occurs in a narrow range of forest at mid to low elevations associated with karst landscapes in the Tenasserim mountain range.