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[A] Sphenomorphus stellatus (Boulenger, 1900)
from the Bukit Larut, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.
[C] Sphenomorphus preylangensis
Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Poyarkov, Thy, Orlov, Thammachoti & Seiha. 2019
from Phnom Chi, Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia. |
Abstract
Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the sister species Sphenomorphus stellatus and S. praesignis based on the mitochondrial genes 12S and 16S rRNA recover the former as paraphyletic with respect to the latter in that a specimen of S. stellatus from the type locality in Peninsular Malaysia is more closely related to S. praesignis than to Indochinese populations of S. stellatus. Furthermore, the phylogeny indicates that the Indochinese populations represent two species, thus resulting in four major lineages within this clade. These relationships are consistent with multivariate and univariate analyses of morphological and discrete color pattern data which statistically define and diagnose the four lineages and together with the molecular data, provide the foundation for robust, testable, species-level hypotheses. As such, S. stellatus is herein restricted to Peninsular Malaysia; S. annamiticus is resurrected for the circum-continental populations ranging through southeastern Thailand, southern Cambodia, and southern Vietnam; a new species— Sphenomorphus preylangensis sp. nov. —is described from an isolated mountain, Phnom Chi, from the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in central Cambodia; and the taxonomy of S. praesignis remains unchanged. The description of S. preylangensis sp. nov. underscores the necessity to conserve this remnant of lowland evergreen rainforest in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.
Keywords: Reptilia, Phylogenetic systematics, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Scincidae, Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary
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| FIGURE 3. Maximum likelihood consensus tree. Black circles represent nodes supported by BI and UFB support values of 1.00 and 100, respectively. Numbers in parentheses correspond to the localities in Figure 1. |
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| FIGURE 4. Sphenomorphus annamiticus. A. LSUDPC 10975 from Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Chantaburi Province, Thailand. Photograph by Ian Dugdale. B. CBC 02530 from Bokor National Park, Kampot Province, Cambodia. Photograph by Hun Seiha. C. LSUDPC 4853 from Kon Tum, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam. Photograph by Nikolai Orlov. D. ZISP 19804 from Buon Luoi Village, An Khe District, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam. Photograph by Nikolai Orlov. |
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| FIGURE 7. A. Sphenomorphus stellatus (LSUHC 13483) from the Bukit Larut, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. Photograph by L. L. Grismer. B. Sphenomorphus annamiticus (ZISP 30194) from Mang Canh Village, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam. Photograph by Nikolai Orlov. C. Sphenomorphus preylangensis sp. nov. (CBC 02404) from Phnom Chi, Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia. Photograph by Neang Thy. D. Sphenomorphus praesignis (LSUDPC 9558) from Fraser's Hill, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. Photograph by L. L. Grismer. |
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| FIGURE 11. Human-made resin collecting depression cut into the side of tree (C) forming the microhabitat of a Sphenomorphus preylangensis sp. nov. (A and B; CBC 2403) from Phnom Chi, Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia. B. The skink is actually submerged in the resin. Photographs by Neang Thy. |
Sphenomorphus preylangensis sp. nov.
Suggested Common Name: Prey Lang Forest Skink
Etymology. The specific epithet preylangensis is a Latinized toponymic adjective named after the Prey Lang
Wildlife Sanctuary.
Sphenomorphus annamiticus (Boettger, 1901)
Based on this study, it appears Sphenomorphus annamiticus has a disjunct circum-continental distribution along the southern and eastern hilly margins of the Indochinese Peninsula from at least Khao Soi Dao, Thailand through the Cardamom Mountains of southern Cambodia
to the Bokor Plateau at the western margin of the Mekong Delta. Its distribution begins again in the lowland areas
of Ma Da and Cat Tien, Dong Nai Province on the eastern margin of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and continues
northward to at least the type locality of Phuoc Son in Quang Nam Province (Fig. 1).
...
Sphenomorphus stellatus (Boulenger, 1900)
Sphenomorphus stellatus is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia although it very likely ranges farther north up the Thai-Malay Peninsula to at least the Isthmus of Kra.
...
L. Lee Grismer, Perry L. Jr. Wood, Evan S. H. Quah, Shahrul Anuar, Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Neang Thy, Nikolai L. Orlov, Panupong Thammachoti and Hun Seiha. 2019. Integrative Taxonomy of the Asian Skinks Sphenomorphus stellatus (Boulenger, 1900) and S. praesignis (Boulenger, 1900) with the Resurrection of S. annamiticus (Boettger, 1901) and the Description of A New Species from Cambodia. Zootaxa. 4683(3); 381–411. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4683.3.4
