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1: Diploderma daochengense sp. nov., 2: D. xinlongense sp. nov., 3. D. kangdingense sp. nov.; Cai, Zhang, Li, Du, Xie, Hou, Zhou & Jiang, 2022 |
Abstract
In recent years, taxonomic research of the genus Diploderma has made great progress, but there are still areas lacking relevant investigations. During 2020–2021, we carried out survey of reptile diversity in and around the Shaluli Mountains and collected some specimens of Diploderma. Of which, based on systematics inferred from mitochondrial ND2 gene sequence and morphological data, three new species were recognized: Diploderma daochengense sp. nov. from the Shuiluo River and Muli River valleys in southeastern Daocheng County, D. xinlongense sp. nov. from the upper-middle valleys of the Yalong River in Xinlong County, and D. kangdingense sp. nov. from the Yalong River middle valley and Liqiu River valley. Specifically, these three new species formed three monophyletic lineages with strongly supported and nested into the subclade I of the Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood trees. The uncorrected mean genetic distance between these new species and their closely related species was 4.3% (D. xinlongense sp. nov. vs. D. panchi), 3.4% (D. daochengense sp. nov. vs. D. yulongense) and 5.5% (D. kangdingense sp. nov. vs. D. bowoense), higher than many pairs of species of Diploderma. With respect to the morphology, D. daochengense sp. nov. can be easily diagnosed from D. yulongense by having smooth upper edge of the dorsolateral stripes, cyan or dark olive green to yellow gular spots in both sexes and light yellow or white ventrolateral body in males; D. xinlongense sp. nov. can be easily diagnosed from D. panchi by having cyan gular spot in both sexes; D. kangdingense sp. nov. can be easily diagnosed from D. bowoense by having more T4S 20–25 (average 23), more F4S 16–20 (average 17) and yellow to light yellow ventrolateral body, yellow gular spot present in males. To date, the number of species of the genus Diploderma has increased to 40, of which 37 species have been known in China.
Keywords: Ganzi; taxonomy; Hengduan Mountains; Mountain Dragons; RGB color model
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| Display of the three new species and their habitats. 1: Diploderma daochengense sp. nov., 2: D. xinlongense sp. nov., 3. D. kangdingense sp. nov.; A: dorsolateral overview of holotype, B: ventral head view of holotype, C: dorsolateral overview of allotype, D: ventral head view of allotype; E: habitats (A1, B1, C1 and D1 photographed by Bo CAI; A2, B2, C2, D2, A3, B3, C3 and D3 by Meihua ZHANG and Jianping JIANG; E1, E2 and E3 by Huaming ZHOU). |
Diploderma daochengense sp. nov.
Japalura flaviceps Zhao et al., 1999: 111–115 in part.;
Diploderma yulongense Shu et al., 2021: 259–264.
Suggested English name: Daocheng Mountain Lizard
Suggested Chinese name: 稻城攀蜥 (dào chéng pān xī)
Etymology: The specific epithet of “Daocheng” refers to a county name of Sichuan, and the new species is found on its southeastern edge.
Diploderma xinlongense sp. nov.
Suggested English name: Xinlong Mountain Lizard
Suggested Chinese name: 新龙攀蜥 (xīn lóng pān xī)
Etymology: The specific epithet of “Xinlong” refers to the
Xinlong County where the new species was discovered.
Diploderma kangdingense sp. nov.
Japalura flaviceps Zhao et al., 1999: 111–115 in part;
Zhao, 2003: 84 in part;
Cai et al., 2018 in part.
Suggested English name: Kangding Mountain Lizard
Suggested Chinese name: 康定攀蜥 (kāng dìng pān xī)
Etymology: Kangding City is the capital of Ganzi Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture, which is located in the east of Ganzi
in Sichuan Province. The specific epithet refers to the Kangding
City where the new species was discovered.
Bo Cai, Meihua Zhang, Jing Li, Simeng Du, Feng Xie, Mian Hou, Huaming Zhou and Jianping Jiang. 2022. Three New Species of Diploderma Hallowell, 1861 (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae) from the Shaluli Mountains in Western Sichuan, China. Asian Herpetological Research. 13(4); 205-224. DOI: 10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.220040
