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| Cyrtodactylus chumuensis & Cyrtodactylus arndti Ngo, Hormann, Le, Pham, Phung, Do, Ostrowski, Nguyen & Ziegler, 2023 |
ABSTRACT
The Cyrtodactylus irregularis group, originally considered to consist of only one taxon, has been split into 26 species. We herein present the distribution of all species within the group in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and describe two new species based on integrative analyses. Cyrtodactylus chumuensis sp. nov. is discovered from Dak Lak Province and distinguished from the remaining taxa by more than 11.86% genetic divergence and by the following distinct morphological characters: size medium (SVL 67.5 mm); enlarged femoral scales on each thigh 4–5, femoral pores 0–2 in males; precloacal pores 6–7 in males; ventral scale rows 43–45; lamellae under toe IV 17–21. Cyrtodactylus arndti sp. nov. is described from Binh Dinh Province and genetically differentiated from its congeners by a minimum of 11.42% and by the following characters: adult size medium (SVL 73.4–80.8 mm); enlarged femoral scales on each thigh 5–11; femoral pores 0–2 in males; 6 precloacal pores in males, females with 6 pitted precloacal pores; ventral scale rows 26–38; lamellae under toe IV 17–22; subcaudal scales transversely enlarged. Additionally, we highlight the potential cryptic diversity with the taxon currently regarded as C. pseudoquadrivirgatus and understudied areas in Vietnam where new species will likely be discovered.
Keywords: Cyrtodactylus chumuensis sp. nov., Cyrtodactylus arndti sp. nov., molecular phylogeny, taxonomy, Vietnam
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| Cyrtodactylus chumuensis sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (IEBR R.4928), in life. Cyrtodactylus arndti sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (IEBR R.4930), in life. |
Cyrtodactylus chumuensis sp. nov.
Diagnosis: The new species can be distinguished from remaining congeners of the irregularis species group by a combination of the following characters: maximum SVL 67.5 mm; dorsal pattern with 6 irregularly shaped and short longitudinal stripes on the neck; nuchal band thin, interrupted, reaching the posterior margin of the orbits; the absence of transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales; 4 or 5 enlarged femoral scales on each thigh, 17–19 distinctly enlarged precloacal scales; males with 0 or 1 femoral pore on each thigh, 6 or 7 precloacal pores in a continuous series, ˄-shaped; ventral scales 43–45; dorsal tubercles in 20 irregular longitudinal rows; precloacal groove absent; internasal scales 2; supralabials 8–14; infralabials 9–11; number of subdigital lamellae on fourth finger 16–19 and on fourth toe 19–21.
Etymology: The new species is named after its type locality, Chu Mu Mountain in Dak Lak Province. We propose the following common names: Chu Mu Bent-toed Gecko (English), Thạch sùng ngón chư mư (Vietnamese).
Cyrtodactylus arndti sp. nov.
Diagnosis: The new species of Cyrtodactylus is distinguished from remaining congeners of the C. irregularis species group by a combination of the following characters: SVL: 73.4–80.9 mm; dorsal pattern with 6 or 7 irregularly shaped bands; moderately broad nuchal band; original tail with irregular transverse bands; subcaudals transversely enlarged; 5–11 enlarged femoral scales; males with 0–2 pitted femoral pores, those absence in females; males with 6 precloacal pores, females with 6 pitted precloacal pores, pore-bearing scales arranged in a single ˄-shaped series; ventral scales 26–38; dorsal tubercles in 17–20 irregular longitudinal rows; precloacal groove absent; supralabials 8–13; infralabials 8–12; number of subdigital lamellae on fourth finger 15–20 and on fourth toe 17–22.
Etymology: We name this species in honor of our colleague, Prof. Dr. Hartmut Arndt, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Germany, in recognition of his support for biodiversity research in Vietnam. As common names, we suggest Arndt’s Bent-toed Gecko (English) and Thằn lằn ngón arndt (Vietnamese).
Hanh Thi Ngo, Helene Hormann, Minh Duc Le, Cuong The Pham, Trung My Phung, Dang Trong Do, Sabrina Ostrowski, Truong Quang Nguyen and Thomas Ziegler. 2023. The Discovery of Two New Species in the Cyrtodactylus irregularis Group highlights that Hidden Diversity remains in the Largest Clade of the Mega-diverse Genus Cyrtodactylus. European Journal of Taxonomy. 875, 70–100. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.875.2141
