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| Scincella fansipanensis Okabe, Motokawa, Koizumi, T. Q. Nguyen, T. T. Nguyen & Bui, 2024. |
Abstract
We describe a new species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 from northwestern Vietnam, based on a new collection of ground skinks from Mount Fansipan of the Hoang Lien Son Range in Lao Cai Province. Scincella fansipanensis sp. nov. is distinguished from other Scincella species in the Indochina region and southern China by body size (SVL), separation of prefrontals, number of midbody scale rows, paravertebral scale rows, nuchals and subdigital lamellae on toe IV, separation of toe from finger when limbs are adpressed along the body, and dorsal color pattern. The new species is further distinguished from its congeners by uncorrected genetic distances of 14.60–21.41% (COI gene). The new species is currently known only from high elevation areas of Mt. Fansipan in Vietnam.
Reptilia, Ground skink, genetic divergence, morphological characteristics, taxonomy, Lao Cai Province
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| Dorsolateral (A) and ventral (B) views of Scincella fansipanensis sp. nov. (holotype, IEBR R.5188). |
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| Map showing Mt. Fansipan (red circle), Hoang Lien Son Range, Vietnam (A), habitat at the type locality of Scincella fansipanensis sp. nov. (B), and an individual in life (IEBR R.5188) (C). |
Scincella fansipanensis sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Scincella fansipanensis sp. nov. is distinguished from other congeners by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: size medium (SVL up to 59.0 mm; AG up to 36.5 mm); 22 (rarely 24) midbody scale rows, smooth; 60–68 paravertebral scale rows; 58–64 ventral scale rows; prefrontals separated from each other; five (rarely six) supraciliaries; two to six nuchals; ear opening present, tympanum deeply sunk, without lobules; limbs short, toe separated from finger when limbs adpressed; toe IV with 10–12 subdigital lamellae, smooth; and dorsal surface of body with irregularly shaped dark spots.
Etymology. The specific name “fansipanensis” is derived from Mt. Fansipan. As the common name, we suggest Fansipan ground skink (English) and Thằn lằn cổ fansipan (Vietnamese).
Shinya Okabe, Masaharu Motokawa, Yuki Koizumi, Truong Quang Nguyen, Tao Thien Nguyen and Hai Tuan Bui. 2024. A New Species of the Genus Scincella (Squamata: Scincidae) from Mount Fansipan, Hoang Lien Son Range, northwestern Vietnam. Zootaxa. 5537(3); 407-423. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5537.3.7
