A novel, diminutive Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from a sacred grove in Odisha, eastern India

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4852 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-499
Author(s):  
PRATYUSH P. MOHAPATRA ◽  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR ◽  
SUSHIL K. DUTTA ◽  
CUCKOO MAHAPATRA ◽  
ISHAN AGARWAL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Eastern Ghats ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Sacred Grove ◽  
Eastern India ◽  
True Diversity ◽  
Eye Diameter ◽  
Ganjam District

We describe a distinct new species of Hemiphyllodactylus from a sacred grove near Humma in Ganjam District of Odisha state, eastern India. Hemiphyllodactylus minimus sp. nov. is the smallest member of the genus and can be diagnosed from all peninsular Indian congeners by its small body size (SVL ≤32.2 mm, n=11), having 15–18 dorsal scales and eight or nine ventral scales at mid-body contained within one longitudinal eye diameter, nine or ten precloacal pores separated by 4–6 poreless scales from a series of six or seven femoral pores on each thigh in males, lamellar formula of manus 2222 and of pes 2332 & 2333, as well as subtle colour pattern differences. Additionally, the new species is 16.0–22.7 % divergent from all other peninsular Indian Hemiphyllodactylus in uncorrected ND2 sequence data. The new species is the first member of the genus described from Odisha state and also the first Hemiphyllodactylus known from < 100 m asl. The discovery of Hemiphyllodactylus minimus sp. nov. from a low elevation coastal locality in the Eastern Ghats open ups the possibilities that the genus could be more widespread than currently understood and potentially harbour many more distinct undescribed lineages. Therefore, dedicated fine-scale sampling efforts are needed to uncover the true diversity and distribution of Hemiphyllodactylus in the region. 

A new species of the genus Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Goa, India

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5027 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-268
Author(s):  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR ◽  
DIKANSH S. PARMAR ◽  
NITIN SAWANT ◽  
ISHAN AGARWAL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Eastern Ghats ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Western India ◽  
Type Specimens ◽  
South Indian ◽  
Eye Diameter

We describe a distinct new species of the genus Hemiphyllodactylus based on three specimens collected from semi-urban areas in Goa state of India. The new species can be easily distinguished from all peninsular Indian congeners by its small body size (SVL up to 32.4 mm), having 16–18 dorsal scales and 13 or 14 ventral scales at mid-body contained within one longitudinal eye diameter, nine or ten precloacal pores separated by 1–5 poreless scales from a series of 10–12 femoral pores on each thigh in males, lamellar formula of manus 2222 and of pes 2323 & 2333, as well as subtle colour pattern differences. Mitochondrial sequence divergence confirms the distinctiveness of the new species, which is not closely allied to either the South Indian or Eastern Ghats clades of Indian Hemiphyllodactylus and appears to be a member of a third Indian Hemiphyllodactylus clade. Hemiphyllodactylus goaensis sp. nov. is the first member of the genus to be described from the northern Western Ghats region as well as Goa state, and also only the second Indian Hemiphyllodactylus known from < 100 m asl. Hemiphyllodactylus goaensis sp. nov. extends the known distribution of the genus in western India ~ 560 km north in aerial distance and highlights that the genus is more widely distributed than previously thought and most likely contains numerous undescribed species. We also provide final museum numbers for type specimens of H. arakuensis and the holotype of H. kolliensis.  

A new bent-toed gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) from the Western Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh, India

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4446 (4) ◽  
pp. 442
Author(s):  
ISHAN AGARWAL ◽  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR ◽  
AARON M. BAUER
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Himachal Pradesh ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Continuous Series ◽  
Western Himalayas ◽  
Basic Field ◽  
Jammu And Kashmir ◽  
True Diversity ◽  
Mountainous Landscape

We describe a new species of the gekkonid genus Cyrtodactylus based on a series of six specimens from the Chamba Valley in the Western Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh state, India. Cyrtodactylus chamba sp. nov. is a member of the subgenus Siwaligekko and can be diagnosed from congeners in the Western Himalayas by a combination of its small size (snout to vent length up to 63 mm), a continuous series of five precloacal pores on males, 13–15 rows of dorsal tubercles, 33–43 scales across the belly, no regular series of enlarged subcaudals, and a dorsal colour pattern of 5–7 irregular, broad, dark bands with much narrower, light interspaces. The new species is 14% divergent in ND2 sequence from the most similar sampled congener, Cyrtodactylus (Siwaligekko) himalayanus from Jammu and Kashmir, and is 0.5–1.1% divergent in nuclear sequence data from sampled Siwaligekko species. Many more undiscovered Cyrtodactylus species probably exist across the Himalayas at elevations below ~2000 m; basic field surveys for reptiles and other poorly known groups and examination of existing material should be a priority if we are to appreciate the true diversity of this spectacular mountainous landscape. 

A new species of South Asian Cnemaspis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Eastern Ghats, India

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4802 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-462
Author(s):  
ISHAN AGARWAL ◽  
AARON M BAUER ◽  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Eastern Ghats ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
A New Species

We describe a new species from within the South Asian clade of the polyphyletic gekkonid genus Cnemaspis from the Velikonda Range, in the Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, India. The new species is the smallest known Indian gekkonid and can be diagnosed from all Indian congeners by its small body size (SVL <29 mm), the absence of spine-like scales on flank, heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis, presence of precloacal pores and no femoral pores in males, tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles forming whorls, median row of sub-caudals smooth and slightly enlarged, and a distinct colour pattern. This is the 12th species of Cnemaspis to be described from outside the Western Ghats and is the first endemic from the Velikonda region of the Eastern Ghats. The new species is only known from its type locality, a lowland riparian habitat (<200 m asl.) in dry evergreen forest at the base of a ~1200 m asl. peak. This discovery extends the range of the genus in peninsular India by ~130–150 kilometres to the northeast and suggests the genus is likely to be even more widely distributed than understood. The new species is clearly allied to C. mysoriensis, C. otai and C. yercaudensis with which it shares superficial colour pattern and similar body size, but is the first species from outside the Western Ghats in which males lack femoral pores. 

A new medium-sized rupicolous Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of the C. bangara clade from granite boulder habitats in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, India

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4969 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-366
Author(s):  
ISHAN AGARWAL ◽  
TEJAS THACKERAY ◽  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Anterior Portion ◽  
True Diversity ◽  
Granite Boulder ◽  
Paravertebral Region ◽  
Fourth Member

We describe a new species of the Cnemaspis bangara clade from a rocky hillock near Kugai Periya Mariamman Temple, Krishnagiri fort, Krishnagiri District of Tamil Nadu, India. Cnemaspis krishnagiriensis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from all other peninsular Indian congeners by its medium body size (maximum SVL 40 mm), heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis, spine-like tubercles absent on flanks; presence of four femoral pores on each thigh separated on either side by nine or 10 poreless scales from three continuous precloacal pores in males; tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles forming four whorls on anterior portion, six tubercles in first whorl, four tubercles in second to fourth whorls, enlarged tubercles restricted to only paravertebral region on rest of the tail; median row of sub-caudals smooth and distinctly enlarged, and a unique colour pattern. The new species can be diagnosed from members of C. bangara clade by the number of dorsal tubercles rows at mid-body, the number of enlarged tubercles in paravertebral rows, the number of ventral scales across belly at mid-body, the number longitudinal ventral scales from mental to cloaca, the number of femoral and precloacal pores and poreless scales separating these series, and subtle colour pattern differences; besides 9.2–17.6 % uncorrected ND2 sequence divergence. Cnemaspis krishnagiriensis sp. nov. is the fourth member of the recently described bangara clade and is the first that is known to be distributed <900 m asl.. The discovery of yet another endemic species of Cnemaspis from lower elevations of the Mysore Plateau once again highlights the need of dedicated systematic sampling to uncover the true diversity of Cnemaspis. We also address a nomenclatural issue related to the recently described Cnemaspis stellapulvis Khandekar, Thackeray & Agarwal. 

scholarly journals A new species of Charinus (Amblypygi: Charinidae) from Ghana, with notes on West African whip spiders

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danilo Harms
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Total Body Length ◽  
African Species ◽  
Dna Sequence Data ◽  
Western Africa ◽  
Fourth Species ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Female Genital

The fauna of whip spiders (Amblypygi) in Western Africa is poorly known but probably diverse. Here, I describe the new speciesCharinuskakumsp. n.based on female morphology, and accompanied by DNA sequence data. The species is small and differs from other African species ofCharinusin the low number of pseudosegments on leg IV, female genital features, spination patterns of the pedipalp, and small body size. It was collected from wet tropical rainforest in Kakum National Park, Ghana and is only the fourth species ofCharinusto be recorded from the highly diverse Western African biodiversity hotspot. With a total body length of not even 6 mm it is also one of the smallest whip spiders in the world.

Another new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Guwahati, Assam, India

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4732 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-392
Author(s):  
JAYADITYA PURKAYASTHA ◽  
MADHURIMA DAS ◽  
SANATH CHANDRA BOHRA ◽  
AARON M. BAUER ◽  
ISHAN AGARWAL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
The State ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Mitochondrial Sequence ◽  
Guwahati City ◽  
A New Species

We describe a new species of Cyrtodactylus from Guwahati city in the state of Assam, India and provide additional data on the recently described Cyrtodactylus guwahatiensis. Cyrtodactylus urbanus sp. nov. falls in the newly defined khasiensis group within the Indo-Burma clade of Cyrtodactylus and is the poorly supported sister taxon to Cyrtodactylus khasiensis. The new species differs from other members of the khasiensis group in mitochondrial sequence data (12.5–17.1 % uncorrected pairwise ND2 sequence divergence) as well as aspects of morphology including the number and arrangement of precloacal pores in males, the number of mid-ventral scales and paravertebral tubercles, and colour pattern. This is the second Cyrtodactylus endemic to the Guwahati region, the fourth from Assam and the twelfth from Northeast India. 

A new species of terrestrial-breeding frog of the genus Pristimantis (Anura: Terrarana: Craugastoridae) from the eastern Andean slopes of the southern Ecuador

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4658 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
JORGE H. VALENCIA ◽  
FRANCISCO VALLADARES-SUNTASIG ◽  
LUIS TIPANTIZA-TUGUMINAGO ◽  
MANUEL R. DUEÑAS
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Advertisement Call ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Upper Eyelid ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
History Of ◽  
Eye Diameter

A new frog of the genus Pristimantis is described from a montane cloud forest at 9 de Octubre (2°14’52” S, 78°16’37” W; 1778 m) province of Morona Santiago in the upper basin of the Upano River, southeastern Ecuador. The description of the new species is based on the examination of eleven adult males and three adult females. The new taxon can be readily distinguished from other congeneric species that inhabit the eastern Andes of Ecuador by the unique combination of the following characters: small body (adult males SVL 12.0–17.0 mm, adult females SVL 18.5–21.7 mm); skin of dorsum finely shagreen with two subconical scapular tubercles, weak and discontinuous dorsolateral folds in the middle of the back; large tympanum 70–93% of eye diameter; snout subacuminate in dorsal view, rounded in profile; upper eyelid bearing four or five small and flat supraocular tubercles; males lacking vocal slits and nuptial pads; all discs on fingers and toes lanceolate. Additionally, we provide information on the advertisement call and natural history of the new species.

A new species of the genus Smithophis (Squamata: Serpentes: Natricidae) from southwestern China and northeastern Myanmar

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4803 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-74
Author(s):  
GERNOT VOGEL ◽  
ZENING CHEN ◽  
V. DEEPAK ◽  
DAVID J. GOWER ◽  
JINGSONG SHI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Cytochrome B ◽  
Yunnan Province ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochrome ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Dna Sequence Data ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochrome B ◽  
A New Species

A new species of natricid snake, Smithophis linearis sp. nov., is described on the basis of a single recently collected specimen from Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China, and three historical specimens from Yunnan and from northeastern Myanmar. The new species is assigned to the genus Smithophis on the basis of its single internasal and single prefrontal shields, and on the basis of the results of phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA sequence data. The new species differs from its congeners in having the following combination of characters: temporal shields present, six or more circumorbital scales, and a distinctive colour pattern comprising regular, narrow, longitudinal dark and pale lines. Morphological and cytochrome b data are consistent with the recognition of Smithophis as distinct from the genus Opisthotropis. A revised key to the identification of the species of Smithophis is provided. 

A new medium-bodied rupicolous Hemidactylus Goldfuss, 1820 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Sirumalai massif, Tamil Nadu, India

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4852 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-100
Author(s):  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR ◽  
TEJAS THACKERAY ◽  
SWAPNIL PAWAR ◽  
ISHAN AGARWAL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Tamil Nadu State ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Fourth Member ◽  
The Western Ghats

We describe a new species of the Hemidactylus acanthopholis clade from Sirumalai, an isolated massif in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu state, India. Hemidactylus sirumalaiensis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from all members of the prashadi group by its medium body size (SVL <95 mm), the number of dorsal tubercles rows at mid-body, the number of enlarged tubercles in paravertebral rows, the number of femoral pores and poreless scales between series of left and right femoral pores on the femoral-precloacal row in males, the number of ventral scales across the belly at mid-body and subtle colour pattern differences. The new species is the fourth member of the acanthopholis clade and 8.5–13.4 % divergent in ND2 sequence data from other members of the clade. We also provide data on additional specimens from a new locality of Hemidactylus kolliensis, previously known only from the male holotype. Hemidactylus sirumalaiensis sp. nov. is the first endemic and only the other vertebrate species described from Sirumalai massif in the last 133 years. Most rupicolous Hemidactylus species from peninsular India outside the Western Ghats are known only from a few localities and are likely to be geographically restricted in distribution, and large areas of suitable habitat remain unsurveyed, suggesting many more allied species remain to be discovered. 

scholarly journals A new species of Rhinatrema Duméril & Bibron (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Rhinatrematidae) from Guyana

Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2391 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID J. GOWER ◽  
MARK WILKINSON ◽  
EMMA SHERRATT ◽  
PHILIPPE J. R. KOK
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
New Species ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Base Pairs ◽  
Type Series ◽  
A New Species

The first new species of rhinatrematid caecilian in more than 50 years, Rhinatrema shiv sp. nov., is described from Guyana. The type series of 10 specimens differs from the only other species in the genus, R. bivittatum, in having a longer tail, different colour pattern, more acuminate and relatively shorter head, and in several features of the skull and mandible including dentition. Sequence data for 1572 aligned base pairs of mitochondrial DNA are > 15% different between the two species. Rhinatrema shiv is known only from Guyana, and R. bivittatum from French Guiana and far northeastern Brazil. The only reported specimen of the genus from Suriname is not clearly referable to either of the named species.

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