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| (A) Hemiphyllodactylus ywanganensis & (B and C) H. uga
Grismer, Wood, Zug, Thura, Grismer, Murdoch, Quah & Lin, 2018
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Abstract
An integrative phylogenetic analysis recovers two new species of the gekkonid genus Hemiphyllodactylus (Bleeker) from the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar. Hemiphyllodactylus ywanganensis sp. nov. and H. uga sp. nov. are nested within the eastern Myanmar clade of a previous genus-wide phylogenetic analysis and form a more exclusive monophyletic group with H. linnwayensis. These species differ from each other and all other Hemiphyllodactylus in having unique combinations of character states involving postmental and subcaudal scale morphology; maximum SVL; digital formulae; numbers of chin scales, circumnasals, intersupranasals (=postrostrals), labials, longitudinally arranged dorsal and ventral scales, and pore-bearing femoroprecloacal scales; as well as subtle differences in coloration and pattern. The phylogenetic affinities of the eastern Myanmar clade are similar to those of an endemic clade of Cyrtodactylus from the Shan Hills in that both are more closely related to Indochinese taxa east of Myanmar as opposed to other Indo-Burmese species. The discovery of these new species underscores the underappreciated herpetological diversity of limestone ecosystems as well as the remote nature of the rugged uplands of the Shan Hills and emphasizes the need for continued field work in this region.
Key words: Indochina, systematics, new species, Gekkonidae, Burma
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| FIGURE 4. A. Adult female paratype (LSUHC 13138) of Hemiphyllodactylus ywanganensis sp. nov. from 2.7 km southwest of Ywangan, Ywangan Township, Taunggyi District, Shan State, Myanmar
(Photo by L. L. Grismer).
B and C: Adult male holotype (USNM 570733) and adult female paratype (USNM 570734) of Hemiphyllodactylus uga sp. nov., respectively, from the Pyin Oo Lwin, Kandawgyi National Gardens, Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Region, Myanmar
(Photos by G. R. Zug).
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Hemiphyllodactylus ywanganensis sp. nov.
Ywangan Slender Gecko
Etymology. The specific epithet, ywanganensis, is a noun in apposition in reference to the type locality being near the town of Ywangan, Shan State.
Hemiphyllodactylus uga sp. nov.
Uga’s Slender Gecko
Hemphyllodactylus sp. nov. 8. Grismer et al. 2013:872, Grismer et al. 2014a:67, Grismer et al. 2014b:490, Ngo et al. 2014:541, Grismer et al. 2015:861
Hemiphyllodatylus cf. linnwayensis. Grismer et al. 2017b:31
Etymology. The specific name recognizes and honors the late U Uga. He was a conservationist and a former director of the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division (NWCD), Myanmar Forestry Department. He encouraged Joseph B. Slowinski and George R. Zug to do an all-country herpetofaunal survey and established the administrative protocol to establish and support survey teams of NWCD wildlife rangers. These teams working independently and with CAS and USNM collaborators were the essential factor for the high productivity and success of the Myanmar Herpetological Survey (MHS).
L. L. Grismer, Perry L. Wood, Jr., George R. Zug, Myint K. Thura, Marta S. Grismer, M. L. Murdoch, Evan S. H. Quah and Aung Lin. 2018. Two More New Species of Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar (Burma). Zootaxa. 4483(2); 295–316. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4483.2.4
