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| Acanthosaura aurantiogularis Wang, Lu & Che, in Wang, Lu, Zhao, Shi, Wan, Zhu, Jin et Che, 2026 |
Abstract
Using an integrative dataset of both mitochondrial DNA and morphological data, we describe a new species of the genus Acanthosaura from the China-Myanmar border region in Menglian County, Pu’er, Yunnan Province, China. The new species, Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov., is sister to A. tongbiguanensis, and it can be readily diagnosed from all recognized congeners by its bright orange gular coloration in the male, flesh colored oral cavity, moderate post-orbital spines and occipital spines, five or six well-developed nuchal crest scales, and a distinct dorsal coloration. We recommend further comprehensive phylogenetic studies of the genus and highlighted the understudied agamid diversity in northeastern Myanmar.
Key words: Agamid, Burma, cross-border, distribution, Draconinae, Pricklenape, taxonomy
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| Comparison between males (left column) and females (right column) of Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. (top row, A, B) and closely related A. tongbiguanensis (bottom row, C, D) in life. Photos by Zhuo-Yu Lu and Kai Wang. |
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| Holotype male of Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. (KIZ 61664) in life, showing lateral overview (A), lateral closeup of body and head (B), ventral overview (C), and closeup of oral cavity (D). Photos by Zhuo-Yu Lu. |
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| Paratype female of Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. (KIZ 61665) in life, showing lateral overview (A), lateral closeup of body and head (B), ventral overview (C), and closeup of oral cavity (D). Photos by Zhuo-Yu Lu. |
Acanthosaura aurantiogularis Wang, Lu & Che, sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) tail short, TAL 167% SVL in female; (2) length of post-orbital and occipital spines moderate, LOPS 11.0–15.1% HL, LLOC 9.5–15.9% HL; (3) nuchal crest erected, 5 or 6, discontinuous from dorsal crests, TNCL 13.8–18.7% HL; (4) diastema short, composed of 6–8 small scales; (5) dorsal crest erected, anterior most one shorter than nuchal, decreasing in length posteriorly; (6) enlarged middorsal crest scales 41; (7) gular pouch moderately developed, transverse gular fold ...
Etymology. The specific epithet aurantiogularis is a compound Neo-Latin adjective derived from the Latin aurantius, meaning “orange-colored,” and gularis, meaning “the throat”. This nomenclature is a direct descriptor of the lizard’s most striking and diagnostic morphological feature: the vibrant, unmarked orange-yellow gular pouch in males. The suggested Chinese common name is “橙喉棘蜥” (Pinyin: Chéng Hóu Jí Xī), and the suggested English common name is Orange-throated Pricklenape.
Kai WANG, Zhuo-Yu LU, Gui-Gang ZHAO, Wei SHI, Ru-Wen WAN, Na ZHU, Jie-Qiong JIN and Jing CHE. 2026. A New Species of the Genus Acanthosaura Gray, 1831 (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Agamidae) from the China-Myanmar Border Region in southwestern Yunnan Province, China. ZooKeys. 1290: 319-337. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1290.195408 [27 Aug 2026]
