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| Gekko paucituberculatus H.-T. Wang, Qi, Zhou & Y.-Y. Wang, 2024 |
Abstract
A new species of the genus Gekko Laurenti, 1768, Gekko paucituberculatus sp. nov., is described here, based on two specimens from Tianyang District, Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It was placed in subgenus Japonigekko on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis and can be distinguished from all congeners in this subgenus by significant divergences in the mitochondrial 16S and ND2 genes and by a combination of the following morphological characters: Moderate body size, SVL 77.2 mm in the adult male and SVL 85.9 mm in the adult female; tubercles only present along dorsolateral trunk and absent on other regions; fingers and toes with weak webbing; continuous precloacal pores 12 in the male, absent in the female; a single postcloacal tubercle on each side; a light-coloured vertebral line from nape to tip of tail; dorsum greyish-brown, with 7–8 dirty-white bands between nape and sacrum. Meanwhile, the distribution of G. palmatus in China has been confirmed as occurring in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces. This study brings the total species of the subgenus Japonigekko in China to 19.
Key words: Gekko paucituberculatus sp. nov., Gekko palmatus, karst, new national record, taxonomy
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| Type specimens of Gekko paucituberculatus sp. nov. in life. A Holotype SYSr002806, adult male; B paratype SYSr002807, adult female. Photos by Dan-Yang Zhou. |
Gekko paucituberculatus sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Gekko paucituberculatus sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners in the subgenus G. (Japonigekko) by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) moderate body size, SVL 77.2 mm in the adult male and SVL 85.9 mm in the adult female; (2) nares in contact with rostral, internasal absent; (3) two enlarged postmentals; (4) tubercles flattened, only present along dorsolateral trunk and absent on other regions; (5) ventral scales between mental and cloacal slit 189–192; (6) mid-body scale rows 136–140; (7) ventral scale rows 42–44; (8) subdigital lamellae on first fingers 10–11, on fourth fingers 12–13, on first toes 11, on fourth toes 11–13 and fingers and toes webbing weakly developed; (9) continuous precloacal pores 12 in the male, absent in the female; (10) a single postcloacal tubercle on each side; (11) a light-coloured vertebral line from nape to tip of tail; (12) dorsum greyish-brown, with 7–8 dirty-white bands between nape and sacrum.
Etymology: The specific name paucituberculatus means few tubercles in Latin and refers to its tubercles being fewer than other congeners. According to its type locality, we suggest the common name as “Baise gecko” in English and Chinese formal name as “bǎi sè bì hǔ” (百色壁虎).
Hao-Tian Wang, Shuo Qi, Dan-Yang Zhou, Ying-Yong Wang. 2024. Description of A New Karst-adapted Species of the Subgenus Japonigekko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Gekko) from Guangxi, southern China. Vertebrate Zoology. 74: 121-132. DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e113899
