Pseudocalotes drogon Grismer, Quah, Wood, Anuar, Muin, Davis, Murdoch, Grismer, Cota & Cobos, 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Grismer, L. Lee
name: Quah, Evan S. H.
name: Wood, Perry L.
name: Anuar, Shahrul
name: Muin, Abdul
name: Davis, Hayden R.
name: Murdoch, Matthew L.
name: Grismer, Jesse L.
name: Cota, Michael
name: Cobos, Anthony J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Agamidae
Pseudocalotes
Pseudocalotes drogon

description: Pseudocalotes drogon sp. nov.
Drogon’s False Garden Lizard Figs. 5, 6, 7
Holotype. Adult male LSUHC 12223 collected on 24 March 2015 by L. Lee Grismer, Evan S. H. Quah, Perry L. Wood, Jr., Hayden R. Davis, Matthew L. Murdoch, Brando R. Burch, and Anthony J. Cobos at 2030 hrs 1 km south of Air Terjun Jeriau, Fraser’s Hill, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia (3° 43.283 N 101° 43.035 E; 1066 m in elevation).
Diagnosis. Pseudocalotes drogon sp. nov. is differentiated from all other Psuedocalotes by having the combination of a flat rostrum; seven postrostrals; an interparietal; 11 circumorbitals; five canthals; 7–10 superciliaries; one scale between the rostral and nasal; nine supralabials; eight infralabials; 10 postnasal-suborbital scales; four postmentals; five or six sublabials; five or six chinshields; 47 smooth, wide, gular scales; weak transverse gular and antehumeral folds; two enlarged scales between the ear and eye; enlarged upper and lower posttemporals; a single enlarged supratympanic; no enlarged postrictals; three large scales bordering the dorsal margin of the ear opening; large pretympanic scales; eight scales in the nuchal crest not separated by a gap; enlarged vertebral scales extending to the tip of the tail; keeled and non-plate-like scales on flanks; 51 midbody scales; midventrals smaller than dorsals; 19 subdigital scales on the fourth finger; 23 subdigital scales on the fourth toe; preaxial scales on third toe enlarged and spinose; subdigital scales not unicarinate; HW/HL 0.52; HL/SVL 0.31; no elbow or knee patches; and a male dewlap color of lime-green bearing a central yellow spot. These characters or a subset of them are scored across all species in Table 3.
Description of holotype. Adult male SVL 91.4 mm; head relatively large with a somewhat elongate flat snout, subtriangular in lateral and dorsal profile; HW/HL 0.52; HL/SVL 0.31; interorbital region flat; rostrum sloped anteriorly, canthus rostralis sharp, composed of five large canthal scales; supraorbital scales slightly enlarged, keeled; a single scale separating rostral and nasal scale; single row of 11 enlarged, circumorbital scales bordering medial margins of supraorbital region, scales largest posteriorly; eight, flat, imbricate superciliary scales; scales of orbit (surrounding eye) granular; short series of two enlarged, acuminate, postorbital scales extending to above anterior margin of tympanum; dorsal, head scales acuminate; rostral low, rectangular, bordered laterally by first supralabials, posteriorly by seven smaller scales; external nares set in slightly elevated single, rectangular, large, nasal scale; five enlarged, acuminate, median scales in prefrontal region forming a Y-shaped series with two larger, keeled scales on each side of midline; parietal, occipital, and upper postorbital region covered with slightly enlarged, elevated, acuminate to keeled scales; an enlarged parietal scale on each side of midline bordered by a clump of four, contiguous, enlarged, acuminate, occipital scales; interparietal small, lacking eyespot; temporal scales unequal with small scales intermixed with enlarged, weakly keeled scales; single, raised, enlarged, keeled scale in temporal region followed by a single, enlarged, spinose, posttemporal scale; tympanum naked; auditory meatus bodered dorsally by three large supratympanic scales; nine (R,L) supralabials; 10 postnasal-suborbital scales; mental triangular, larger than adjacent infralabials; two larger postmentals, separated medially and forming first of a series of five(R) or six(L) enlarged chinshields that are separated from infralabials by one anteriorly and two posteriorly rows of smaller scales; eight (R,L) infralabials; gular scales flat, wide, directed posteromedially, 47 at midline; dewlap small; and transverse gular and antehumeral folds weak; nuchal crest composed of eight, large, contiguous, lanceolate scales beginning on occiput, reaching maximum height on nape, tapering to a low, vertebral crest on body composing a single row of slightly enlarged keeled scales extending to base of tail; body laterally compressed; dorsal body and flank scales weakly keeled, subimbricate, rectangular, arranged in indistinct, transverse, and posteroventrally oriented rows; flank scales larger than dorsal body scales; ventrals same size as dorsals; 51 scales around midbody; scales of pectoral region, belly, and precloacal regions strongly keeled; limbs slender, covered dorsally with keeled scales; five digits on pes and manus; hind limbs larger, slightly more robust than forelimbs; subdigital lamellae of toes I, II, IV, and V bicarinate; preaxial lamellae on toe III enlarged and spinose (Fig. 5); 19 lamellae beneath fourth finger; 23 lamellae beneath fourth toe; tail laterally compressed, slightly swollen at base, covered with keeled scales, vertebral row forming a serrate, dorsal ridge, 1.89 times SVL.
Coloration in life (Fig. 7). Dark phase— Dorsal ground color of head, body, limbs, and tail very dark-grey; labials cyan; row of white scales between supralabials and orbit; scattered white spots on anterior portion of flanks and sides of neck; four wide, diffuse, darker, transverse, dorsal bands between limb insertions extending to ventral edge of flanks; one band in pelvic region; nine bands on tail; limbs generally immaculate, dark-grey; groups of white scales in lateral margins of gular region; anterior gular region dull-white bearing dark-brown oblique lines; dewlap dingy lime-green with a dingy yellow center; ventral surfaces, beige, immaculate. Light phase— Dorsal body pattern same as dark phase but ground color a much lighter grey; dark dorsal bands prominent against dullwhite interspace; cyan labials faded; gular region whitish bearing light-brown, oblique lines; dewlap lime-green with yellow center, dewlap scales bearing brownish centers; venter whitish, immaculate.
Distribution. Pseudocalotes drogon sp. nov. is known only from the type locality 1 km south of Air Terjun Jeriau, Fraser’s Hill, Pahang Peninsular Malaysia (Fig. 2). It is expected however to be found further south to at least Genting Highlands.
Etymology. The specific epithet drogon refers to this species’ resemblance in form and color to the dark dragon, Drogon—one of three dragons born in the Dothraki Sea and commanded by Daenerys Targaryen—the Mother of Dragons—in George R. R. Martin’s fictional work Game of Thrones.
Natural history. Pseudocalotes drogon sp. nov. was collected at night at 2000 hrs while sleeping on a thin, horizontal branch of small tree in the vicinity of a small stream in hill dipterocarp forest (Fig. 7). The adult male was in the light color phase at the time of collection but became much darker during the day (Fig. 7).
Comparisons. Pseudocalotes drogon sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Pseudocalotes by having a lime-green dewlap with a yellow center and the unique combination of numerous other characteristics (Table 3). With the exception of Pseudocalotes flavigula and P. viserion sp. nov., P. drogon sp. nov. most closely resembles the other geographically proximate Thai-Malay Peninsula species P. khaononensis, P. larutensis, P. rhaegal sp. nov., and P. dr i ng i. Pseudocalotes drogon sp. nov. can be differentiated from the former two species by a number of characteristics (Table 3), the most notable of which is the lack of enlarged, plate-like scales on the flanks (compare Fig. 7 with Figs. 10,12). From P. khaononensis, P. drogon sp. nov. can be differentiated by having a maximum SVL of 91.4 mm versus 104.5 mm; five as opposed to six canthals; eight as opposed to nine infralabials; smooth as opposed to acuminate gular scales; 51 as opposed to 72–75 scales around midbody; ventral scales being smaller as opposed to being larger than dorsal scales; 23 as opposed to 27 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; having as opposed to lacking enlarged, spinose, preaxial lamellae on the third toe; and males having a lime-green dewlap with a yellow center versus a purple dewlap (Fig. 8). From P. larutensis, P. drogon sp. nov. can be differentiated by having a maximum SVL of 91.4 mm versus 81.0 mm; 11 versus 11–14 circumorbitals; smooth as opposed to weakly keeled gular scales; males having a lime-green dewlap with a yellow center versus a yellow dewlap with a purple, horizontal, centrally positioned marking (Fig. 8). From P. dringi, P. drogon sp. nov. is separated by having a maximum SVL of 91.4 mm versus 70.3 mm; seven versus five postrostrals; the rostral and nasal scale not contacting as opposed to contacting; four as opposed to two postmentals; a weak, antehumeral fold as opposed to lacking a fold; having as opposed to lacking enlarged, spinose, preaxial lamellae on the third toe; and males having a lime-green dewlap with a yellow center versus a purple dewlap (Fig. 8). From P. rhaegal, P. drogon sp. nov. can be differentiated by having 11 as opposed nine or 10 circumorbitals; 10 as opposed to 11 or 12 postnasal-suborbitals; 47 as opposed to 40–45 gular scales; a row of two versus three or four enlarged scales between the ear and eye; large as opposed to small pretympanic scales; a flat versus a convex rostrum; having as opposed to lacking enlarged vertebral scales on the tail; and 51 versus 52–58 midbody scales; enlarged, spinose, preaxial scales on the third toe as opposed to enlarged, rounded preaxial scales on the third toe; longer head (HL/ SVL = 0.31 versus 0.28–0.30); and a row of white scales extending from the nasal scale to just beyond the posterior border of the orbit as opposed to a suborbital white patch (Table 4). Differences from other species are listed in Table 3.
P. drogon sp. nov. P. rhaegal sp. nov.
......continued on the next page P. drogon sp. nov. P. rhaegal sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Grismer, L. Lee, Quah, Evan S. H., Wood, Perry L., Anuar, Shahrul, Muin, Abdul, Davis, Hayden R., Murdoch, Matthew L., Grismer, Jesse L., Cota, Michael & Cobos, Anthony J., 2016, Dragons in the mist: three new species of Pseudocalotes Fitzinger (Squamata: Agamidae) from the sky island archipelago of Peninsular Malaysia, pp. 461-490 in Zootaxa 4136 (3) on pages 472-475, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4136.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/256755