A new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Hon Tre Island in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.

Abstract

A new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus is described from Khanh Hoa Province, South-central Vietnam based on genetic divergence and morphological differences. Cyrtodactylus arnei sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese bent-toed geckos of the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group by having the unique combination of the following characteristics: size medium (SVL 70.9-78.0 mm); dorsal tubercles in 15-17 irregular rows; 34 or 35 ventral scale rows; 12-15 enlarged femoral scales on each side, in continuous series without gap between precloacal and femoral scales; precloacal pores absent in females, 5-7 in males, in a continuous row; femoral pores absent; postcloacal spurs 0-3 on each side; 19-21 lamellae under toe IV; dorsal pattern between limb insertions consisting of four narrow light bands with dark edges and a transversal row of dark spots in the middle; subcaudal scales enlarged, forming broad transverse plates. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species was nested within the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group without any clear sister taxon. Genetically, Cyrtodactylus arnei sp. nov. is divergent from other species within the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group by at least 10.97% (COI) and 14.39% (ND2) based on two fragments of the mitochondrial gene.