[Arachnida • 2026] Titanidiops kolhapurensis • A New Species of the Trapdoor Spider Genus Titanidiops Simon (Araneae: Idiopidae) from western Maharashtra, India

 

Titanidiops kolhapurensis

Gangalmale, Thackeray, Khandekar & Gaikwad, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2603654

ABSTRACT

A new species, Titanidiops kolhapurensis sp. n., is described on the basis of six adult female and three adult male specimens collected from the outskirts of Kolhapur City, western Maharashtra, India. Specimens of both sexes are described in detail and they are distinguished from all other known peninsular Indian congeners of Titanidiops and Idiops in several non-overlapping morphological characters. Notes on natural history, and on intraspecific variation of genital characters, as well as measurements and meristic data of the new species are provided. Additionally, we present preliminary observations on occurrence of the new species and other sympatric habitat specialist taxa in natural and altered/modified habitats from the type locality and nearby localities. We emphasise the urgent need to halt further alteration or modification of the natural habitat of T. kolhapurensis sp. n. and to implement habitat restoration measures to safeguard the new species and other habitat specialists from the imminent risk of local extinction.

KEYWORDS: Anthropogenic pressure, grassland and savanna, habitat loss, morphology, taxonomy, urban biodiversity

 Live habitus of Titanidiops kolhapurensis:
(A) holotype, (NRC-AA-1191) and (B) paratype, (NRC-AA-1196).

Photos by: Akshay Khandekar.

 Titanidiops kolhapurensis sp. n.

Satpal Gangalmale, Tejas Thackeray, Akshay Khandekar and Sunil M. Gaikwad. 2026. A New Species of the Trapdoor Spider Genus Titanidiops Simon (Araneae: Idiopidae) from western Maharashtra, India. Journal of Natural History. 60(5-8); 401-421. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2603654 [28 Jan 2026]

[Mollusca • 2025] Dicharax devraivasi • A New Micro-snail Species of the Genus Dicharax Kobelt & Möllendorff, 1900 (Caenogastropoda: Cyclophoridae: Alycaeinae), from sacred groves in the northern Western Ghats, India

 

 Dicharax devraivasi

Bhosale, Thackeray, Yadav & Khandekar, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.61733/jconch/4543

 Researchgate.net/publication/390521141

 

Abstract

 We describe a new micro-snail species of the genus Dicharax based on 16 specimens collected from three sacred groves in Kolhapur District, in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra State, India. This species can be easily distinguished from its congeners in several non-overlapping morphological characters: R2 with closely spaced, blunt, elevated ribs; R3 with an inflated, blunt swelling; and basal part of the outer peristome (part close to the umbilicus) is more expanded than the rest of the outer peristome. We also describe and illustrate the living animal, operculum, radula, and jaw. This is the first report of the genus from the northern Western Ghats and extends its known geographic distribution in the Western Ghats by 370 km north. The new species highlights the importance of sacred groves as a biodiversity reservoir and emphasizes the need for in-depth investigations to uncover largely unknown biodiversity at these sites. We also discuss the need for systematic, fine-scale sampling in the northern Western Ghats to reveal mostly unknown land-snail diversity.

Key words. Biodiversity hotspot, Devrai, endemic, Dicharax devraivasi n. sp.,  taxonomy

Living snail of Dicharax devraivasi n. sp.
A, male, holotype NRC-AA-8454. B, female, paratype NRC-AA-8457. C, immature male (not collected) showing semitransparent shell. D, immature male, showing penis (at arrow).

Dicharax devraivasi n. sp.

Etymology. The specific epithet is used as a noun in apposition. It is derived from the Marathi word “devrai”, meaning “sacred grove”, and Sanskrit word “vasi”, meaning “inhabitant of”, as the new species has so far only been reported from multiple sacred grove forests in Kolhapur District, northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra. The suggested English common name is Devrai micro-snail.

Amrut Bhosale, Tejas Thackeray, Omkar Yadav and Akshay Khandekar. 2025. A New Micro-snail Species of the Genus Dicharax Kobelt & Möllendorff, 1900 (Caenogastropoda: Cyclophoridae: Alycaeinae), from sacred groves in the northern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Conchology. 45(3); DOI: doi.org/10.61733/jconch/4543  [5 April 2025]

 Researchgate.net/publication/390521141_A_new_micro-snail_species_of_the_genus_Dicharax_from_the_northern_Western_Ghats_India

[Herpetology • 2025] Minervarya ghatiborealis • Discovery and Description of A deeply divergent Frog Lineage of the Genus Minervarya (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the basaltic plateau of the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India

Minervarya ghatiborealis 

Yadav, Bhosale, Patil, Khandekar & Dinesh, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5594.1.6 

  facebook.com: Omkar Yadav

 

Abstract

A new species of dicroglossid frog Minervarya ghatiborealis sp. nov. is described from the Mahabaleshwar region of the northern Western Ghats, India, based on multiple axis of evidences like morphological, acoustics, genetic datasets, and geographical isolation. The new species is phenotypically distinct from its congeners by a combination of morphological characters: body large, robust, with SVL 55.0–59.1 mm (n = 5) in adult males and SVL 67.1 mm (n = 1) in adult female; sub-elliptical snout; rudimentary webbing; dorsal skin glandular with highly ridged folds. Phylogenetically, the new species exhibits sister relationship to the clade containing Minervarya goemchi, M. mysorensis and M. brevipalmata. Genetic distance between the new species and the members of its sister clade varies from 6.5% to 7.2% for DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. For the nuclear-encoded Tyrosinase gene genetic distance between the new species and its syntopic, large-bodied, congener M. goemchi is 1.4%. Additionally, an advertisement call description is provided to differentiate the new species from its congeners. The importance of the Mahabaleshwar plateau and altitudinal preferences of large-sized Minervarya frogs in the northern Western Ghats are discussed.

Amphibia, bioacoustics, biodiversity hotspot, Fejervarya, integrative taxonomy

Minervarya ghatiborealis sp. nov.

Omkar YADAV, Amrut BHOSALE, Priyanka PATIL, Akshay KHANDEKAR and K.P. Dinesh. 2025. Discovery and Description of A deeply divergent Frog Lineage of the Genus Minervarya Dubois, Ohler & Biju, 2001 (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the basaltic plateau of the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India.  Zootaxa. 5594(1); 136-154. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5594.1.6 [2025-02-27] 

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[Herpetology • 2024] Cnemaspis kanyakumariensis & C. geethaiyerae • Two New Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the southern tip of the Western Ghats, India

 

Cnemaspis kanyakumariensis & C. geethaiyerae

 Agarwal, Thackeray & Khandekar, 2024

DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2024.2400730 

 facebook.com: Thackeray Wildlife Foundation

ABSTRACT

We describe two new small-bodied species of South Asian Cnemaspis from Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu State, India. The two new species [Cnemaspis kanyakumariensis and Cnemaspis geethaiyerae] are sister taxa, forming a well-supported, previously unsampled clade of South Asian Cnemaspis that we name the kanyakumariensis clade. This new clade is recovered with weak support as the sister taxon to the goaensis clade. Both the new species together can be easily distinguished from all other peninsular Indian clades by a combination of non-overlapping morphological characters such as small size with snout to vent length < 40 mm, femoral pores only present in males, presence of spine-like tubercles on flanks, and condition of the subcaudals. They can also be distinguished from each other by several characters such as the number of dorsal tubercles around the body, short vs long spine-like tubercles on flank, and the arrangement of keeled subcaudal scales. They also differ by uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 10.2 and 2.9% for ND2 and 16S, respectively. This work reveals that even the low-elevation coastal hills of southern India have ancient, endemic lineages and require protection.

 

KEYWORDS: Asia, biodiversity hotspot, dwarf geckos, granulite boulders, integrative taxonomy, relict

Cnemaspis kanyakumariensis 

 Cnemaspis geethaiyerae

Ishan Agarwal, Tejas Thackeray and Akshay Khandekar. 2024. Two New Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the southern tip of the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Natural History. 58(41-44); 1803-1843. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2024.2400730

 facebook.com/100064866994974/posts/990897786415779

 facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK

[Herpetology • 2024] Cnemaspis agamalaiensis, C. anuradhae, ... • Five New Species of the Cnemaspis beddomei clade (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from High Elevation, Evergreen Forests of the Southern Western Ghats, India

 

Cnemaspis agamalaiensis, C. anaimalaiensis, C. anuradhae, 
C. tenkasiensis & C. valparaiensis  

Khandekar, Thackeray & Agarwal, 2024

 

DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.5469.1.1 

 facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK

 

Abstract

We describe five new species allied to Cnemaspis beddomei from the Southern Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India using morphological data and mitochondrial sequence divergence. The new species are members of the beddomei and anamudiensis subclades within the beddomei clade and are from boulder habitats in evergreen forests in Tenkasi (Cnemaspis tenkasiensis sp. nov.), and the Agamalai (C. agamalaiensis sp. nov.), Anaimalai (C. anaimalaiensis sp. nov. and C. valparaiensis sp. nov.) and Palani Hills (C. anuradhae sp. nov.). The new species can be distinguished from other members of the beddomei clade and each other by a combination of non-overlapping morphological characters including body size, distinct colouration in males, the number or arrangement of dorsal tubercles around the body and paravertebral tubercles, the number of ventral scales across midbody and longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca, tail tuberculation and arrangement of subcaudal scales, besides uncorrected pairwise ND2 and 16S sequence divergence of ≥ 5.4 % and ≥ 2.3 %. The beddomei clade is another example of extreme micro-endemism, all 23 known species are evergreen forest dwellers and are each known from just one or a few closely spaced localities, with three non-sister species known from within one kilometre straight-line distance of each other on the Valparai Plateau, Anaimalai Tiger Reserve. The beddomei subclade is distributed from Agasthyamalai to the Anaimalais while the anamudiensis subclade is restricted to the Anaimalai, Palani and Kannan Devan Hills.

  

Reptilia, Asia, biodiversity hotspot, dwarf geckos, integrative taxonomy, phylogeny, species complex

Cnemaspis agamalaiensis sp. nov.

C. anaimalaiensis sp. nov.

C. anuradhae sp. nov.

C. tenkasiensis sp. nov.

 C. valparaiensis sp. nov.

Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray, Ishan Agarwal. 2024. Five New Species of the Cnemaspis beddomei clade (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from High Elevation, Evergreen Forests of the Southern Western Ghats, India. Zootaxa. 5469(1); 1-70. DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.5469.1.1

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[Herpetology • 2024] Cnemaspis basalticola & C. kalsubaiensis • Two New Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the far northern peaks of the Western Ghats, India

 

Cnemaspis basalticola & C. kalsubaiensis

Khandekar, Thackeray, Agarwal, Gangalmale, Kininge & Gaikwad, 2024

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5463.4.1 

 facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK

  

Abstract

We describe two new species of South Asian Cnemaspis from far northern peaks of the Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. The two new species are the most northernly distributed representatives of the girii clade and are phylogenetically and morphologically allied to C. uttaraghati. The new species are 15.0% divergent from C. uttaraghati in pairwise uncorrected ND2 sequence data, 9.9 % from each other, and over 17.5–18.8% from other members of the girii clade. The two new species can easily be distinguished from most members of the girii clade by a combination of non-overlapping morphological characters such as body size (maximum snout to vent length 35–43 mm), low number of dorsal tubercle rows (6–11), having irregular paravertebral tubercles, and high subdigital lamellae counts; and from each other and C. uttaraghati by the number of midventral scales across belly, the number of subdigital lamellae, and the number of poreless scales separating series of femoral pores. The new species and C. uttaraghati are distributed within 10–25 km of each other, providing an example of extreme micro-endemism in the Northern Western Ghats.

Reptilia, Asia, biodiversity hotspot, dwarf geckos, integrative taxonomy, phylogeny, species complex

Cnemaspis basalticola 

Basalt dwarf gecko or Ratangad dwarf gecko.

 Cnemaspis kalsubaiensis 

Kalsubai dwarf gecko 

-- from Maharashtra’s highest peak-Kalsbai (1646 m asl)

Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray, Ishan Agarwal, Satpal Gangalmale, Saurabh Kininge and Sunil M. Gaikwad. 2024. Two New Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the far northern peaks of the Western Ghats, India. Zootaxa. 5463(4); 451-478. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5463.4.1

Researchgate.net/publication/381226648_Two_new_species_of_Cnemaspis_from_the_far_northern_peaks_of_the_Western_Ghats_India

  facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK/posts/7536792663086028

 

[Herpetology • 2024] Cnemaspis persephone & C. sanctus • Two New nocturnal Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the wynadensis clade from the southern Western Ghats, India

Cnemaspis persephone & C. sanctus  

Khandekar, Thackeray & Agarwal, 2024

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5443.3.3 

 facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK

 

Abstract

We describe two new medium-bodied, nocturnal species of South Asian Cnemaspis from the southern Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India in an integrative taxonomic framework. The two new species are phylogenetically and morphologically allied to the wynadensis clade and can be distinguished from other species of the wynadensis clade and each other by a combination of nonoverlapping morphological characters including body size, homogeneous dorsal pholidosis, the number of femoral pores and poreless scales separating these series, the number of ventral scales across the midbody and longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca, the number of dorsal granules around the body; and an uncorrected pairwise ND2 sequence divergence of 8.2–22.9 % (16S 4.2–12.2 %) from all other members in the clade. These are the first members of the wynadensis clade known from south of the Palghat Gap apart from C. bireticulata, a putative junior synonym of C. sisparensis that is likely to be distinct owing to morphological differences and geographic distance. Cnemaspis sanctus sp. nov. is from low coastal hills in Kanyakumari District at the southern tip of the Western Ghats and Cnemaspis persephone sp. nov. is from the Anaimalais, Anaimalai Tiger Reserve. Many more undescribed species of the wynadensis clade and South Asian Cnemaspis are likely to be found across the southern Western Ghats.

Asia, biodiversity hotspot, dwarf geckos, integrative taxonomy, phylogeny, species complex, Squamata,

Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray, Ishan Agarwal. 2024. Two New nocturnal Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the wynadensis clade from the southern Western Ghats, India.  Zootaxa. 5443(3); 353-386. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5443.3.3

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[Herpetology • 2024] Cnemaspis vangoghi & C. sathuragiriensis • Two New Species of the Cnemaspis galaxia complex (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the eastern slopes of the southern Western Ghats

Cnemaspis vangoghi 

 Khandekar, Thackeray & Agarwal, 2024

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1196.117947 

 facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK

Abstract

Two new species allied to Cnemaspis galaxia are described from the eastern slopes of the south Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. Both new species are members of the ornata subclade within the beddomei clade. The two new species can be easily distinguished from all other members of the beddomei clade and each other by a combination of nonoverlapping morphological characters such as small body size, distinct colouration of both sexes, the number of dorsal tubercles around the body, the number or arrangement of paravertebral tubercles, the number of midventral scales across the belly and longitudinal ventral scales from mental to cloaca, besides uncorrected pairwise ND2 and 16S sequence divergence of ≥ 7.4% and ≥ 2.7%. The two new species are distributed from low elevation, deciduous forests of Srivilliputhur, and add to the five previously known endemic vertebrates from Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve.

Key words: Asia, biodiversity hotspot, dwarf geckos, integrative taxonomy, phylogeny, species complex

Cnemaspis vangoghi sp. nov., in life A adult male (holotype, NRC-AA-8342) B adult female (paratype, NRC-AA-8345), and C subadult male (paratype, NRC-AA-8348).

Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

 Cnemaspis vangoghi sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym for Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890). The colouration of the new species is reminiscent of one of Van Gogh’s most iconic paintings, The Starry Night. Suggested common name is Van Gogh’s starry dwarf gecko.

 Cnemaspis sathuragiriensis sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific epithet is a toponym for the type locality of the new species, Sathuragiri mountain in Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR), Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu. Suggested Common name is Sathuragiri dwarf gecko.

Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray and Ishan Agarwal. 2024. Two New Species of the Cnemaspis galaxia complex (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from the eastern slopes of the southern Western Ghats. ZooKeys. 1196: 209-242. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1196.117947

  facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK/posts/7214005545364743

[Herpetology • 2024] Cnemaspis chandoliensis, C. sahyadriensis, etc. • A preliminary Taxonomic Revision of the girii clade of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with the Description of Four New Species from southern Maharashtra, India

 Cnemaspis barkiensis, C. chandoliensis, 
C. maharashtraensis and C. sahyadriensis 

Khandekar, Gaikwad, Thackeray, Gangalmale & Agarwal, 2024

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5429.1.1 

 facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK

Abstract

The girii clade is the most diverse clade of South Asian Cnemaspis in the Northern Western Ghats, including ten valid species. Recent collections of four divergent lineages from southern Maharashtra prompted us to examine the type material of all species in the girii clade, which led to the discovery of numerous errors and discrepancies in the literature. We take this opportunity to provide an updated and expanded morphological dataset including diagnoses and comparisons for all species of the girii clade and to build an almost complete species-level phylogeny including the first ND2 sequences of C. rajgadensis and C. uttaraghati, as well as the four new species described herein (but excluding C. fortis). We describe the four divergent mitochondrial lineages as new species using morphological data, and provide a key to species of the girii clade. Finally, we list some inconsistences in previous publications and data for the girii clade.

Squamata, Biodiversity hotspot, dwarf geckos, phylogeny, day geckos, species complex, taxonomy, Western Ghats

"... We have named one of the four new species Cnemaspis barkiensis, after the type locality, Barki Reserve Forest in Kolhapur District. The remaining three new species were found in the Chandoli National Park in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, and we have named them Cnemaspis chandoliensis (after the Chandoli National Park), Cnemaspis maharashtraensis (after the Maharashtra State), and Cnemaspis sahyadriensis (after the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve and Sahyadri Mountain Range). All four new species are endemic similar to other members of their genus, and are currently known only from around their respective type localities.  ..."

 

Akshay Khandekar, Sunil M. Gaikwad, Tejas Thackeray, Satpal Gangalmale and Ishan Agarwal. 2024. A preliminary Taxonomic Revision of the girii clade of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with the Description of Four New Species from southern Maharashtra, India.  Zootaxa. 5429(1); 1-114. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5429.1.1

  facebook.com/AkshayKhandekarAK/posts/7206334502798514

Researchgate.net/publication/379264913_A_preliminary_taxonomic_revision_of_the_Cnemaspis_girii_clade_of_South_Asia

[Herpetology • 2024] Dravidoseps gingeeensis, D. jawadhuensis, D. kalakadensis, etc. • A Non-adaptive Radiation of Viviparous Skinks from the Seasonal Tropics of India: Systematics of Subdoluseps (Squamata: Scincidae), with description of A New Genus and Five Cryptic New Species

Dravidoseps gingeeensis, D. jawadhuensis, D. kalakadensis, D. srivilliputhurensis & D. tamilnaduensis 

Agarwal, Thackeray & Khandekar, 2024

 

 DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e110674 

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Abstract

Subdoluseps is a recently described genus of Lygosomine skinks distributed in peninsular India and Southeast Asia. We conduct the first revision of Indian Subdoluseps based on range-wide sampling including 89 specimens from 33 localities. We use two mitochondrial and three nuclear markers, 58 morphological characters, and ecological data to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Indian Subdoluseps and assess their diversity and distribution, providing insights into lygosominin biogeography. We formally describe the Indian clade as a new genus, Dravidoseps gen. nov. and name five new species from Tamil Nadu, India in an integrative taxonomic framework – Dravidoseps gingeeensis sp. nov., D. jawadhuensis sp. nov., D. kalakadensis sp. nov., D. srivilliputhurensis sp. nov., and D. tamilnaduensis sp. nov.. We transfer Riopa goaensis, Subdoluseps pruthi and S. nilgiriensis to the new genus and designate neotypes for the former two. Members of Dravidoseps gen. nov. are the first known viviparous skinks from peninsular India and the only known viviparous lygosominins apart from a few species of east African Mochlus. The Lygosomini have a Southeast Asian origin and began diversifying in the Eocene with three dispersals between India and Southeast Asia. Species level diversification in Dravidoseps gen. nov. was likely driven by a combination of niche conservatism, paleoclimate and past forest distribution. The discovery of a new genus and five new species reiterates the high levels of diversity and endemism present in peninsular India and how much more remains to be discovered.

Dravidoseps gen. nov.

 

Type species: Lygosoma pruthi Sharma, 1977

Chresonymy: Riopa – Sharma (1976, 1978)

Lygosoma – Das (1996)

Subdoluseps – Freitas et al. (2019), Ganesh et al. (2021)

Diagnosis: Medium-sized skinks (adult SVL < 58 mm; n = 89), original tail equal to or slightly longer than body. Dorsal scales on body and tail smooth, cycloid, imbricate; ventrals similar except marginally larger on pectoral and precloacal region; scales on lateral tail base smooth or tricarinate; 62–70 scales in paravertebral rows; 26–32 scales around mid-body; 61–73 ventral scales (rarely 76, n = 1/89); 8–12 enlarged precloacal scales (rarely 13, n = 1/89); and 18–23 scales round the tail. Supranasals in contact with each other behind rostral (rarely not in contact, n = 1/89); single frontonasal; prefrontals relatively small, widely separated on midline; frontal elongate, bell-shaped; four supraoculars; three supraoculars in contact with frontoparietal (rarely two, n = 4/89); frontoparietal divided; interparietal diamond-shaped, eyespot in posterior projection; parietals large, in medial contact posterior to interparietal; 2–4 nuchals, either in contact behind parietals or separated medially by 1–3 paravertebral scales. Nasal divided; two loreals; a single pre-supraocular; two preoculars (rarely three, n = 4/89); and a single sub-preocular (rarely absent, n = 5/89); 6–8 supraciliaries (rarely nine, n = 1/89); lower eyelid with enlarged, transparent central window; a single post-supraocular and postocular; and three or four sub-postoculars (rarely five, n = 3/89); a single primary, two secondary (rarely three, n = 1/89), and three tertiary (rarely four, n = 1/89) temporals. Six or seven supralabials and infralabials; fourth or fifth supralabial elongate, below eye; one or two post-supralabials; 1–3 ear lobules; three enlarged pairs of chin shields. Pentadactyl; limbs well-developed; subdigital lamellae unpaired, smooth to weakly keeled; 4–7 lamellae under digit I of manus and pes, 9–12 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 12–17 lamellae under digit IV of pes (rarely 18, n = 1/89). Viviparous, litter size 2–4. Dorsum light coconut to dark chocolate brown; thick dark band from rostrum to tail speckled with light spots; supralabials with a white streak; males with yellow on lower parts of forebody and flanks, sometimes extending onto belly; venter white with some darker markings (Fig. 9).

Content: Dravidoseps goaensis comb. nov., Dravidoseps pruthi comb. nov., Dravidoseps nilgiriensis comb. nov., and five species described below.

Etymology: A combination of the Sanskrit ‘Dravida’, referring to the original inhabitants of southern India and Sri Lanka, and the Ancient Greek ‘seps’, for a snake-like creature that has been previously used in skink generic names (e.g. Erens et al. 2017; Freitas et al. 2019). The gender of the genus is masculine and the suggested common name is Indian leaf-litter skinks.

Ishan Agarwal, Tejas Thackeray and Akshay Khandekar. 2024. A Non-adaptive Radiation of Viviparous Skinks from the Seasonal Tropics of India: Systematics of Subdoluseps (Squamata: Scincidae), with description of A New Genus and Five Cryptic New Species. Vertebrate Zoology 74: 23-83. DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e110674

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[Herpetology • 2019] Hemidactylus kolliensis, H. chikhaldaraensis & H. sankariensis • An Expanded ND2 Phylogeny of the brookii and prashadi Groups with the Description of Three New Indian Hemidactylus Oken (Squamata: Gekkonidae)

 

 Hemidactylus kolliensis,
H. chikhaldaraensis &
 H. sankariensis

 Agarwal, Bauer, Giri & Khandekar, 2019

DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4619.3.2

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Abstract  

We present an expanded ND2 phylogeny of the brookii and prashadi groups of Indian Hemidactylus. While relationships within the clades are not well resolved, we recover many well supported subclades and a number of deeply divergent lineages within each clade. We use morphological data to describe three of these divergent lineages as new species; Hemidactylus kolliensis sp. nov., a member of the prashadi group from high elevation in the Kollimalai Massif in Tamil Nadu, Hemidactylus chikhaldaraensis sp. nov. and Hemidactylus sankariensis sp. nov., both members of the brookii group, are described from high elevation of the Satpuras in Maharashtra and low elevation of Tamil Nadu, respectively. The three new species exhibit >15% divergence for the ND2 gene from their phylogenetic sisters and differ in a number of morphological characters from all Indian congeners. The discovery of three more endemic Hemidactylus species from rocky habitats suggests that many more remain to be discovered across India.

Keywords: Reptilia, peninsular India, rupicolous, Satpuras, taxonomy

Ishan Agarwal, Aaron B. Bauer, Varad B. Giri and Akshay Khandekar. 2019. An Expanded ND2 Phylogeny of the brookii and prashadi Groups with the Description of Three New Indian Hemidactylus Oken (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Zootaxa. 4619(3); 431–458. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4619.3.2

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[Herpetology • 2023] Cnemaspis cavernicola & C. pakkamalaiensis • Two New Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Gingee Hills, Tamil Nadu, India

 

Cnemaspis cavernicola   

Khandekar, Thackeray, Kalaimani & Agarwal, 2023

 DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e110512

Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

Abstract

We describe two new small-bodied, sympatric species of south Asian Cnemaspis belonging to the mysoriensis + adii clade from the Gingee Hills in Tamil Nadu, peninsular India. The two new species can be easily distinguished from the other eight described members of the mysoriensis + adii clade by their dorsal pholidosis, the configuration of femoral and precloacal pores in males, a number of meristic characters and subtle differences in colouration, beside 6.7–20.8 % uncorrected pairwise ND2 sequence divergence. The two species represent different ecomorphs, one a stouter, microhabitat generalist and the other a more slender, elongate rock specialist. The discovery of two new species from granite boulder habitats and Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests is indicative of the importance of these areas for biodiversity. It is likely that similar rocky habitats across southern peninsular India will harbour many more undescribed species.

Keywords: Endemic species, granite boulders, integrative taxonomy, micro-endemism, southern India

Cnemaspis pakkamalaiensis sp. nov., in life:
A adult male (holotype, NRC-AA-1280), B adult female (paratype, NRC-AA-1285).

Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

Cnemaspis pakkamalaiensis sp. nov.

Chresonymy: Cnemaspis otai Ganesh et al. (2018); 

Karthik et al. (2018)

Diagnosis: A small-sized Cnemaspis, snout to vent length less than 29 mm (n = 6). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled, granular scales intermixed with a few scattered enlarged keeled tubercles on vertebral and paravertebral region and about three irregularly arranged rows of large, weakly keeled, tubercles on each side of flank, tubercles in lowest row largest, spine-like; six rows of dorsal tubercles; ventral scales smooth, subcircular, subimbricate, 25–27 scales across belly, 100–112 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, entire, unnotched; 8–11 total lamellae under digit I of manus and pes, 14–16 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 17–21 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males (n = 5) with two femoral pores on each thigh separated on either side by 8–11 poreless scales from two continuous precloacal pores; tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles forming whorls; a median row of subcaudals smooth, slightly enlarged. Dorsal colouration straw brown with a broad, light mid-dorsal streak formed by five or six fused elongate chain-links from occiput to tail base, single medial dark spot on nape, dark paired spots on either side of mid-dorsal streak, four pairs between forelimb insertions and tail base, tail with nine alternating light and dark markings.

Etymology: The specific epithet is a toponym for Pakkamalai, Gingee Hills in Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu state, the type and only known locality for this species.

Suggested Common Name: Pakkamalai dwarf gecko.

Cnemaspis cavernicola sp. nov. in life:
 A adult male (holotype, NRC-AA-1286), B adult female (paratype, NRC-AA-1290).

Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

Cnemaspis cavernicola sp. nov.

Diagnosis: A small-sized Cnemaspis, snout to vent length less than 34 mm (n = 5). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled, granular scales in vertebral and paravertebral region, intermixed with about two or three regularly arranged rows of large, weakly keeled tubercles on each side of flank, tubercles in lowest row largest and spine-like; 4–6 rows of dorsal tubercles; ventral scales smooth, subcircular, subimbricate, 28–32 scales across belly, 116–125 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, entire, unnotched; 10–12 total lamellae under digit I of manus and pes, 15–19 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 18–21 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males (n = 3) with one or two femoral pores on each thigh separated on either side by 8–10 poreless scales from a continuous series of three precloacal pores; tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles forming whorls; a median row of subcaudals smooth, distinctly enlarged. Dorsal colouration grey-brown with a single medial dark spot on nape followed by four light blotches from forelimb insertions to tail base, tail with 12–14 alternating light and dark bars.

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective formed from the Latin “caverna’ for cave and “cola” meaning inhabitant or dweller, as the species is only known to occur in caves and crevices below large granite boulders.

Suggested Common Name: Cave-dwelling dwarf gecko.

Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray, Ayuthavel Kalaimani and Ishan Agarwal. 2023. Two New Species of South Asian Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Gingee Hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Vertebrate Zoology 73: 887-913. DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e110512

[Herpetology • 2023] Hemidactylus paucifasciatus • A New Species of Large-bodied, Tuberculate Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Northern Odisha, India

  

Hemidactylus paucifasciatus

Mohapatra, Agarwal, Mohalik, Dutta & Khandekar, 2023 

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5301.3.3 

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Abstract

A new Hemidactylus belonging to the H. prashadi group is described herein, based on a series of four specimens from the Chota Nagpur Plateau in northern Odisha. Hemidactylus paucifasciatus sp. nov. can be diagnosed from regional congeners by its large body size (SVL up to 117.7 mm), the number of dorsal tubercle rows at mid-body, three or four bands on the dorsum, the number of enlarged tubercles in paravertebral rows, the number of femoral pores and poreless scales separating the left and right series on the femoral-precloacal row in males, and the number of ventral scales across the belly at mid-body. A mitochondrial phylogeny demonstrates that the new species is nested within the H. triedrus complex of the northern clade within the H. prashadi group, with 16.2–16.5 % pairwise divergence in ND2 sequence data from members of the H. triedrus complex and > 21 % from other members of the prashadi group. Hemidactylus paucifasciatus sp. nov. is the first endemic gecko to be described from the Chota Nagpur Plateau.

Keywords: Reptilia, Chota Nagpur Plateau, Deccan Peninsula, endemic, morphology, rupicolous, systematics, taxonomy

Hemidactylus paucifasciatus sp. nov. 

   

Pratyush P. Mohapatra, Ishan Agarwal, Rakesh Kumar Mohalik, Sushil K. Dutta and Akshay Khandekar. 2023. Hemidactylus paucifasciatus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), A New Species of Large-bodied, Tuberculate Gecko from Northern Odisha, India. Zootaxa. 5301(3); 365-382. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5301.3.3

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