 |
| Cnemaspis auriventralis Rujirawan, Yodthong, Ampai, Termprayoon, Aksornneam, Stuart & Aowphol, 2022 |
Abstract
We describe a new species of the gekkonid genus Cnemaspis from Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi Province of western Thailand. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene and flanking tRNAs, revealed that Cnemaspis auriventralis sp. nov. is nested within the C. siamensis group and is closely related to C. huaseesom, but has uncorrected pairwise genetic divergences of 12.12–27.92% from all other species in the C. siamensis group. The new species is also distinguished from other species in the C. siamensis group by having the combination of snout-vent length 36.7–38.6 mm in males (N = 3), 32.9–36.9 mm in females (N = 2); eight to ten supralabials; seven to nine infralabials; ventral scales smooth; six or seven precloacal pores in males; 16–17 paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged; tubercles on the lower flanks present; lateral caudal furrows present; no caudal tubercles in the lateral furrows; ventrolateral caudal tubercles present anteriorly; caudal tubercles not encircling tail; subcaudals smooth bearing a single median row of enlarged smooth scales; two postcloacal tubercles on each side; no shield-like subtibial scales; subtibial scales smooth; no enlarged submetatarsal scales; 23–27 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; sexually dimorphic for dorsal and ventral colour pattern; prescapular marking absent; gular marking absent; and yellow colouration in life of all ventral surfaces of head, body and tail in adult males. The new species is currently known only from upland karst habitat at its type locality.
Key Words: Cnemaspis auriventralis, Erawan National Park, karst formations, molecular phylogenetics, morphology
 |
Adult male holotype of Cnemaspis auriventralis sp. nov. (ZMKU R 01001) immediately after euthanasia. A. Dorsal and ventral views; B. Subcaudal region and C. Precloacal region with precloacal pores (outlined in black). A. Lateral view of head; B. Dorsal and ventral views of head (supranasal and internasal scales in dorsal view and mental, postmental and first infralabial scales in ventral view; outlined in black); C. Palmar view of the right manus; D. Plantar view of the right pes. |
 |
| Adult male holotype of Cnemaspis auriventralis sp. nov. (ZMKU R 01001) in life. |
 |
| Cnemaspis auriventralis sp. nov. paratypes in life. A. Adult male ZMKU R 00999; B. Adult male ZMKU R 01000; C. Adult female ZMKU R 01003. |
Cnemaspis auriventralis sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Cnemaspis auriventralis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species in the C. siamensis group by having the following combination of morphological and colour pattern characters: SVL 36.7–38.6 mm in adult males (N = 3), 32.9–36.9 mm in adult females (N = 2); eight to ten supralabials; seven to nine infralabials; ventral scales smooth; six or seven precloacal pores in males; 16–17 paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged; tubercles on the lower flanks present; lateral caudal furrows present; no caudal tubercles in the lateral furrows; ventrolateral caudal tubercles present anteriorly; caudal tubercles not encircling tail; subcaudals smooth bearing a single median row of enlarged smooth scales; two postcloacal tubercles on each side; no shield-like subtibial scales; subtibial scales smooth; no enlarged submetatarsal scales; 23–27 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; sexually dimorphic in dorsal and ventral colour pattern; prescapular marking absent; gular marking absent; and yellow colouration in life on all ventral surfaces of head, body and tail in adult males.
Etymology: The species epithet auriventralis is derived from aurum (L.) for gold and ventralis (L.) for venter in reference to the new species having distinct yellow colouration on all ventral surfaces of the head, body and tail in adult males.
We propose “Erawan Rock Gecko” for the common English name and “จิ้งจกนิ้วยาวเอราวัณ” (Jing Jok Niew Yao Erawan) for the common Thai name of the new species.
 |
| Habitat of Cnemaspis auriventralis sp. nov. at the type locality at Erawan National Park, Si Sawat District, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. A. Microhabitat in karst boulder crevice (white arrow); B. Microhabitat on undersides of karst boulder (white arrow). |
Attapol Rujirawan, Siriporn Yodthong, Natee Ampai, Korkhwan Termprayoon, Akrachai Aksornneam, Bryan L. Stuart and Anchalee Aowphol. 2022. A New Rock Gecko in the Cnemaspis siamensis group (Reptilia, Gekkonidae) from Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 98(2): 345-363. DOI: 10.3897/zse.98.89591
