[Herpetology • 2024] Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis • A New Species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1927 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the angularis group from the Karstic Landscape of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam

[A] Holotype of Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. 

Duong, L. V. Vu, H. T. Vu, Mulcahy, Bragin, Poyarkov & Grismer, 2024

 [B] C. cryptus.  [C] C. roesleri.  [E] C. phongnhakebangensis  

 

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5471.5.3 

 Researchgate.net/publication/381582908

 Photograph by Tang Duong & Thomas Ziegler. 

 

Abstract

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang (PNKB National Park in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is a bastion for the protection and conservation of Vietnam’s natural heritage. Thus, the discovery of yet another new species of Cyrtodactylus, C. hangvaensis sp. nov., within the PNKB continues to underscore the parks ever-growing importance. Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. is a karst dwelling species of the angularis group that based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis, is most closely related to C. roesleri from the PNKB and C. sommerladi from karstic areas in nearby Laos. Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. occupies a unique position in morphospace where it is well separated from closely related species and other species within the PNKB. It is potentially diagnosable from all other members of the angularis by having a unique combination of morphological and color pattern characters and bearing an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 9.5%–25.5%.

Reptilia, Bent-toed geckos, conservation, Indochina, limestone, molecular phylogenetics

Species comparisons. A. Holotype of Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. from Hang Va cave, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. Photograph by Tang Duong. B. C. cryptus from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (PNKB). Photograph by Thomas Ziegler. C. C. roesleri VNUH 220509 from PNKB. Photograph by Thomas Ziegler.
D. C. sommerladi VNUF R.2013.22 from Hin Nam No NPA, Khammouane Province, Laos. Photograph by Vinh Quang Luu. E. C. phongnhakebangensis from PNKB. Photograph by Thomas Ziegler.

Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov.

Tang Van Duong, Lien Van Vu, Hien Thi Thu Vu, Dan Mulcahy, Andrey M. Bragin, Nikolay A. Poyarkov and L. Lee Grismer. 2024. Another New Species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1927 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the angularis group from the Karstic Landscape of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam.  Zootaxa. 5471(5); 555-571. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5471.5.3 

 Researchgate.net/publication/381582908_A_new_species_of_Cyrtodactylus_from_karst_PNKB_central_Vietnam