February 1992

Asiatic Herpetological ResearchVol. 4, pp. 18-22

A New Species of the Genus Tropidophorus (Reptilia:Lacertilia)

fromGuangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

Yetang Wen1

^Department of Biology, Guangxi Medical College, Nanning, Guangxi, China
Abstract. -A new species of Tropidophorus is described from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,China. This new species (Tropidophorus guangxiensis) is characterized by having an undivided postmental,
that differs from T. sinicus which is divided. Though the postmental is undivided in T. thai, the newspecies is separated from T. thai in having an undivided frontal, which is similar to T. sincus.

Key words: Reptilia, Lacertilia, Scincidae, Tropidophorus, China, Guangxi, taxonomy.

&ffij(FIG. 1. Holotype of Tropidophorus guangxiensis,
GMC 85-032 from Darning Hill, Wuming (23° 23'FIG. 2.

Lateral scutellation of the head of theholotype (GMC 85-032).

N 108° 30' E), Guangxi Zhuang AutonomousRegion, China.

108°
Tropidophorus guangxiensis sp. nov.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Holotype.— GMC 85-032 (Fig.
juvenilefrom Darning Shan (23°© 1992 by Asiatic Herpetological Research1),

23'aN30'E),

Wuming Xian (County),

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,
The
China, altitude 1240 m (Fig. 6).
1985
onJunewascollected
15,specimen
by Zhaoxiang Yang and is deposited in
Guangxi Medical College (GMC).

Asiatic Herpetological ResearchVol. 4, p. 19

FIG. 3.

Dorsal scutellation of the head of theFIG. 4.

February 1992

Ventral scutellation of the head of theholotype (GMC 85-032).

holotype (GMC 85-032).

Paratypes.—GMC 85-029 and GMC85-030, two adult males collected with theholotype.

—Diagnosis. This new species closely
resembles Tropidophorus sinicus Boettger,
but differs from the latter by the following
characters: a single postmental, head nearly
triangle, interparietal separating parietals(Boulenger, 1887; Smith, 1935; Tian andJiang, 1986).

—

Description of holotype. A juvenile
and complete tailwith a SVL of 39
1 for the otherTableof46mm.
See
lengthmeasurements.

mm

Head nearly triangle in dorsal aspect;snout obtusely pointed, portion of rostralvisible from above, rostral wider than high;upper head shields strongly striated;
frontonasal
divided medially into twoFIG.

5.

Ventral view of anal and base of tailscutellation of the holotype(GMC 85-032).

Asiatic Herpetological ResearchFebruary 1992

FIG. 6. Type locality (dot) of Tropidophorus guangxiensis at Darning Shan (23° 23' N
Wuming Xian (County), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
longitudinal parts, longer than wide, sutureof frontonasals longer than suture between

prefrontals; prefrontals pentagonal, in
contact with anterior and posterior loreals;
frontal narrower posteriorly, length 1.44

times width at widest point, 1.4 times
length of interparietal; frontoparietals
pentagonal, broader posteriorly, in contact
medially; interparietal slightly
posteriorly,

narrowerrounded behind, separatingparietal; parietal large, polygonal,

borderon each side; supraoculars
four, anterior two touching frontal;
superciliaries eight, anterior two largest,

five shields

touching prefrontal; anterior loreal
nearly rectanglar, 1.2 times higher thanwide; posterior loreal 1 1 times higher thanbroad; nasal undivided, 1.5 times wider
than high, nostril opening just behindfirst.

Vol. 4, p. 20

108° 30' E),

granular scales; presubocular one; preocularsmall; postocular two; temporals majority,some striated or with keels; primarytemporal large; supralabials eight,

fifth

longest, sixth highest; infralabials six, firstlongest; mental enlarged with labial bordermuch greater than rostral; postmental

undivided, pentagonal, wider than long;
three pairs of chinshields, first in broad
medial contact, posterior two separated bypregulars; body scales parallel on side ofdorsum, dorsal scales slightly larger thanlateral scales, imbricated, scales of first tworows following interparietal not keeled,sharply keeled with acute to normal points
posteriorly by third row; scale rows aroundmiddle of body 29 (9 dorsal, 7/7 lateral, 6ventral);46 transverse rows between

interparietal and rear edge of hindlimbs, 30center; lower eyelid transparent (clouded),rows between forward edge of forelimbs

separated from supralabials by two rows ofand rear edge of hindlinbs; ventrals slightly

Vol. 4, p. 21

Asiatic Herpetological ResearchFebruary 1992

TABLE 1. Measurements (mm) of Tropidophorus

TABLE

guangxiensis sp.nov.

Tropidophorus guangxiensis sp.nov.

sex andmeasurements

2.

Scutellation(Left/Right)ofAsiatic Herpetological ResearchFebruary 1992

Amphibia. Vol. II- Sauna. Taylor and Francis,
London, 440 pp.

TAYLOR, E. H.

1963.

The lizards of Thailand.

Kansas University Science Bulletin 44:6871077.

TIAN, W., AND

Vol. 4, p. 22

Y.

JIANG,(eds.)

1986.

Identification

handbook of Chinese Amphibia

and Reptilia.

Science Press, Beijing.

(In Chinese).

164 pp.