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| Cyrtodactylus thuongae
Phung, van Schingen, Ziegler & Nguyen, 2014
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Abstract
We describe the third new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus from Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam based on a type series consisting of eleven specimens. Cyrtodactylus thuongae sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese Bent-toed Geckos by a combination of the following morphological characters: size medium, with a maximum SVL of 77.6 mm; dorsal pattern consisting of blotches between limbs and on occiput and a sometimes medially opened nuchal loop; dorsal tubercles in 16–18 irregular rows; ventrals in 29–44 longitudinal rows at midbody; lateral skin folds present, lacking tubercles; femoral pore series separated from precloacal pore series in males, 0–3 on each side; precloacal pores in males absent or only one; enlarged femoral scales and precloacal scales present, separated by a series of 15–16 smaller scales; postcloacal spurs two or three; subcaudal scales slightly enlarged. This is the 32nd described Cyrtodactylus species from Vietnam.
Keywords: Cyrtodactylus thuongae sp. nov., Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam, morphology, taxonomy
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| Cyrtodactylus thuongae sp. nov., adult male holotype (IEBR A.2013.23).
Photo T.M. Phung.
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Cyrtodactylus thuongae sp. nov.
Etymology. The species name is dedicated to the wife of the first author, Dr. Thuong Thi Lien Nguyen from University of Food Industry, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for support of his field research in Vietnam
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| Cyrtodactylus thuongae sp. nov.: A) adult male holotype (IEBR A.2013.23) and B) adult female paratype (ZFMK 94994) in life.
Photos T.M. Phung.
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| Sympatric occurrence of three Cyrtodactylus species in Ba Den Mountain, A) Cyrtodactylus thuongae (IEBR A.2013.24), B) C. badenensis, and C) C. nigriocularis.
Photos T.M. Phung.
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Distribution. Cyrtodactylus thuongae is currently known only from the type locality in Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam (see Fig. 5).
Natural history notes. Cyrtodactylus thuongae inhabits the same habitat with two other co-occurring cave dwelling species, C. badenensis Nguyen, Orlov & Darevsky, 2006 and C. nigriocularis Nguyen, Orlov & Darevsky, 2006 (Fig. 2). Specimens were collected at night (ca. 22–24:00) on the rocky wall in a small cave, approximately 0.5–2.5 m above the ground. Most of the specimens were found inside the cave (ca. 2–5 m from the entrance) and only one was collected outside (ca. 1.5 m away from the entrance). The surrounding habitat was mixed forest of hardwood and vine, dominated by trees of the families Moraceae, Fabaceae, and Dipterocarpaceae. C. badenensis and C. nigriocularis were also found on rocky cliffs of the cave, usually at heights below 1.5 m above the ground.
Trung My Phung, Mona van Schingen, Thomas Ziegler and Truong Nguyen. 2014. A Third New Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam. Zootaxa. 3764 (3): 347–363. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3764.3.5
Vietnamese Gecko Species Discovered Near Ho Chi Minh City
