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| Cyrtodactylus santana Chan, Grismer, Santana, Pinto, Loke & Conaboy, 2023 |
Abstract
A new species of limestone-dwelling Bent-toed gecko (genus Cyrtodactylus) is described from Nino Konis Santana National Park in the far-east region of Timor-Leste. Both genetic and morphological data strongly support the evolutionary distinctness of the new species, which we describe herein as Cyrtodactylus santana sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ND2 mitochondrial gene inferred the new species as part of the C. darmandvillei group with close genetic affinities to C. batucolus, C. seribuatensis, C. petani, C. sadleiri, and two undescribed lineages from the Moluccas in Indonesia. The new species represents the first species of Cyrtodactylus identified at the species level from Timor-Leste and fills an important gap in our understanding of the biogeography and evolutionary history of Cyrtodactylus especially in the Wallacean region. Our results strongly suggest that the diversity of Cyrtodactylus in Wallacea is still underestimated and many more unnamed species remain to be described.
Keywords: Biogeography, Gekkota, lizards, phylogenetics, systematics, taxonomy, Wallacea
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| Live images of Cyrtodactylus santana sp. nov. paratype female (ZRC 2.7679) (top), C. batucolus from Pulau Besar, Malacca, Peninsular Malaysia (middle), and C. seribuatensis from Pulau Mentigi, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia (lower). |
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| Live images of Cyrtodactylus santana sp. nov. paratype female (ZRC 2.7679) |
Cyrtodactylus santana sp. nov.
(Nino Konis Santana Bent-toed Gecko)
Diagnosis: The new species is a distinct evolutionary lineage that is closely related to C. batucolus, C. seribuatensis, C. petani, and C. sadleiri. It can be differentiated from other congeners by the following combination of characters: strong dorsal tuberculation present, 23–27 paravertebral tubercles, 15–19 subdigital lamellae on 4th toe, 42–48 ventral scales across midbody, deep precloacal groove absent, enlarged femoral and precloacal scales present, distinct blotches on top of the head absent, dorsal bands faint, whitish, lightly counter-shaded with dark brown.
Etymology: Nino Konis Santana was a freedom fighter who led the Falintil militia against the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste. He was not only a fearless leader of the armed wing of the Resistance but also played a key role in peace initiatives, earning him a reputation as a peacemaker, diplomat, and statesman. The Nino Konis Santana National Park was named in honor of this national hero who was born in the suco (village in Tetum) of Tutuala, located within the boundaries of the park. The specific epithet santana is used as a noun in apposition referring to Nino Konis Santana National Park, which is the type locality of the new species.
Kin Onn Chan, L. Lee Grismer, Fernando Santana, Pedro Pinto, Frances W. Loke and Nathan Conaboy. 2023. Scratching the Surface: A New Species of Bent-toed Gecko (Squamata, Gekkonidae, Cyrtodactylus) from Timor-Leste of the darmandvillei group marks the potential for future discoveries. ZooKeys. 1139: 107-126. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1139.96508
