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| Scincella alia Bragin, Zenin, Nguyen & Poyarkov, in Bragin, Zenin, Dang, Dinh, Nguyen et Poyarkov, 2025. |
Abstract
A new species of ground skinks belonging to the genus Scincella is described from Tay Con Linh Range, Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Scincella alia sp. nov. is characterized by a combination of the following characters: (1) slender, medium-sized body, snout-vent length 38.2–48.2 mm; (2) prefrontals separated from each other; (3) infralabials seven; (4) supraciliaries six; (5) two preoculars, three presuboculars, two postoculars, three postsuboculars; (6) supralabials separated from the eye by a row of small scales; (7) tympanum deeply recessed without lobules; (8) midbody scale rows 26 (rarely 28); (9) dorsal scales smooth, slightly enlarged, with paravertebral scale rows 56–63, ventral scale rows, including gulars, 66–76; (10) upper edge of lateral longitudinal stripes relatively straight, with four rows of medial dorsal scales; (11) enlarged, undivided lamellae beneath finger IV 7–10; (12) enlarged, undivided lamellae beneath toe IV 11–13; (13) ventral surface of head and belly lacking black spots, ventral surface of tail ornamented with dark sports; (14) dorsal surface of body grayish brown with small dark and pale sports; (15) ventral surface of throat, belly and base of tail from cream yellow in females to lemon yellow in males. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species forms an independent lineage clearly distinct from all other congeners included in the study and divergent in the COI (p > 18.7%) and the 16S rRNA (p > 2.6%) mtDNA gene sequences. This discovery increases the number of known Scincella species to 43. Further studies reassessing the populations of the Scincella monticola complex in northern Vietnam are required.
Reptilia, Scincella alia sp. nov., morphology, taxonomy, Tay Con linh range, mtDNA
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| Ml-tree showing the matrilineal genealogy of the genus Scincella based on 3,297 bp of mtDNA sequences (COI, ND2, cyt b, 16S rrNA, and 12S rrNA genes). Node values correspond to ultrafast bootstrap supports (UBS) from Ml analyses and Bayesian posterior probabilities (BPP) from BI analyses, respectively (UBS/BPP). Photograph of Scincella alia sp. nov. on the thumbnail by A. M. Bragin. |
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| Distribution of the genus Scincella in northern vietnam and southern China. Figures with a dot indicate the type localities of the corresponding species. localities: Scincella alia sp. nov. (white): 1—Chieu Lau Thi Mt., Hoang Su Phi District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam (type locality, this study), 2—Tay Con Linh Mt., Vi Xuyen District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam; S. monticola (yellow): 3—Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China (type locality), 4—Shangri-La, Yunnan Province, China, 5—Weixi, Yunnan Province. China; S. cf. monticola (grey): 6—Wa Shan Mt., Sichuan Province, China; 7—Muong Nhe NR, Dien Bien Province, Vietnam, 8—Thanh Cong, Cao Bang Province, Vietnam, 9—Mau Son Mt, Lang Son Province, Vietnam; S. wangyuezhaoi (dark blue): 10—Shapai, Sichuan Province, China (type locality), 11—Shuluogou, Sichuan Province, China; S. potanini (red): 12—Kangding, Sichuan Province, China (type locality); S. liangshanensis (mint): 13—Shenguozhuang NR, Sichuan Province, China (type locality), 14—Dafengding NR, Sichuan Province, China; S. fansipanensis (orange): 15— Fansipan Mt., Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam (type locality); S. devorator (green): 16—Yen Tu Mt., Uong Bi, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam (type locality), 17—Ba Vi NP, Ha Noi Capital, Vietnam; 18—Copia NR, Son La Province, Vietnam; S. truongi (magenta): 19—Sop Cop NR, Son La Province, Vietnam (type locality). |
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| Holotype of Scincella alia sp. nov. (ZMMu re-18147, adult male, in preservative). A—Right lateral view of head; B–ventral view of head; C. Dorsal view of head; D—Ventral view of left forelimb; E—Ventral view of left hindlimb; F—Dorsal view of body; G–Ventral view of body. Scale bars: A–E = 2 mm; F, G = 10 mm. Photographs by A. M. Bragin |
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| Holotype of Scincella alia sp. nov. (ZMMu re-18147, adult male, prior to preservation). A—Dorsal view of body; B—ventral view of body; C—Dorsal view of right hemipenis, fully everted; D—ventral view of right hemipenis, fully everted. Scale bars: A, B = 10 mm; C, В = 2 mm. Photographs by A. M. Bragin. |
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| Holotype of Scincella alia sp. nov. (ZMMU Re-18147, adult male) in situ. Photograph by A. M. Bragin. |
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| Head scale nomenclature and their positional relationship and size illustrated by the adult male Scincella alia sp. nov. (holotype, ZMMu re-18147). A. right lateral view; B. Dorsal view; C. ventral view. Terminology is modified from ouboter (1986) and grismer et al. (2019). Al—anterior loreal, C—ciliary, Cs—chin-shield; F—frontal, FN—frontonasal, FP—frontoparietal, IF—infralabial, IP—interparietal, lST—lower secondary temporal, lTT—lower tertiary temporal, lPT—lower pretemporal, lPSl—lower postsupralabial, M—mental, N—nasal, Nu—nuchal, P—parietal, PF—prefrontal, Pl—posterior loreal, PM—postmental, Pr—preocular, PrS—presubocular, PT—primary temporal, PSo—postsubocular, Po—postocular, r—rostral, SC—supraciliaries, Sl—supralabial, So—supraocular, uPT—upper pretemporal, uPSl—lower postsupralabial, uST—upper secondary temporal, and uTT—upper tertiary temporal, *—small scales separating supralabials from the lower eyelid. Illustration by A. M. Bragin |
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| Habitats of Scincella alia sp. nov. in Ha giang Province, vietnam: A, B—Severely disturbed low-canopy forest fragment at elevation 2,094 m asl. and microhabitat at the type locality on Chieu lau Thi Moutain; C—Broad-leaved evergreen high-canopy forest with Chinese cardamom plantations at elevation 1,916 m asl. on Tay Con linh Moutain; D—Primary highcanopy evergreen and deciduous forest at elevation 2,369 m asl. on Tay Con linh Mountain. Photographs by A. M. Bragin. |
Andrey M. BRAGIN, Evgeniy S. ZENIN, Cuong Hung DANG, Tu Vu Anh DINH, Tan Van NGUYEN and Nikolay A. POYARKOV. 2025. A New mountain Species of the Genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam. Zootaxa. 5636(2); 201-236. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5636.2.1 [2025-05-16]
