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| Cyrtodactylus menglianensis Liu & Rao, 2022 |
Abstract
A new species of the Cyrtodactylus chauquangensis species group is described based on four specimens collected from the karst formations of Menglian County, Puer City, Yunnan Province, China. The new species can be separated from all other congeners by having a unique combination of morphological characters: a medium-sized body; ventrolateral folds present with interspersed small tubercles; seven precloacal pores in a continuous series in males, absent in females; enlarged femoral scales and femoral pores absent; two postcloacal tubercles on each side; and one or two rows of enlarged subcaudals. Genetically, the new species most closely related to C. wayakonei and the uncorrected sequence divergences of the ND2 gene and its flanking tRNAs between the new species and investigated congeners range from 7.2% to 18.4%.
Keywords: Bent-toed gecko, Cyrtodactylus chauquangensis group, Menglian County, taxonomy
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| Holotype (KIZ20210713) of Cyrtodactylus menglianensis sp. nov. in life A dorsal view of whole body B lateral view of whole body C ventral view of whole body D dorsal view of head E lateral view of head F ventral view of head. |
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| Paratypes of Cyrtodactylus menglianensis sp. nov. in life A female paratype (KIZ20210714) B male paratype (KIZ20210715) C female paratype (KIZ20210716). |
Cyrtodactylus menglianensis sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Medium body size (SVL 67.7–78.1 mm in adults); ventrolateral folds present with interspersed small tubercles; seven precloacal pores in a continuous series in males, absent in females; femoral scales not enlarged; femoral pores absent; two postcloacal tubercles on each side; 17–22 lamellae under finger IV, 21–23 lamellae under toe IV; one or two rows of subcaudals enlarged; dark postocular streak and nuchal loop absent; six or seven dark irregular dorsal bands between limb insertions, most bands discontinuous.
Etymology: The specific epithet refers to Menglian County, the locality where the new species was found. We propose “Menglian Bent-toed Gecko” for the common English name and “孟连裸趾虎” (Mèng Lián Luǒ Zhǐ Hǔ) for the common Chinese name of the new species.
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| Habitat of Cyrtodactylus menglianensis sp. nov. at the type locality A distant view B close view C, D lamps on the limestone cliffs. |
Natural history: All specimens were collected at night on large stones or cliffs of the karst formations in a park. The surrounding habitats was karst forest, there is a plank road and a river nearby.
Shuo Liu and Dingqi Rao. 2022. A New Species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from southwestern Yunnan, China. ZooKeys. 1084: 83-100. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1084.72868
