Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri Onn & Ahmad, 2010, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Onn, Chan Kin
name: Ahmad, Norhayati
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Gekkonidae
Cyrtodactylus
Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri

description: Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri sp. nov.
Figures 2A –F, 3
Holotype. Adult male (UKMHC 545), collected by Chan Kin Onn at 2300 hrs, 20 June 2009, along the forest edge at Tenggol Island Resort (N 04° 48΄ 36.4ʺ E 103° 40΄ 48.3ʺ, 9 m asl), Pulau Tenggol, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Paratypes. All paratypes (UKMHC 515, 517, 526, 535, 551) were collected at the same locality and on the same date as the holotype between 2200 and 2400 hrs.
Diagnosis. Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri is distinguished from all other congeners by having a maximum SVL of 92 mm; conical, keeled, tubercles occurring on the occiput, body, hind limbs, and beyond base of tail; no enlarged tubercles on forelimbs; 18–19 longitudinal tubercle rows at midbody; 27–35 ventral scales at midbody; single row of transversely enlarged, median subcaudal scales; subdigital lamellae transversely expanded; 18–20 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; abrupt transition between posterior and ventral femoral scales; four precloacal pores arranged in an arch; single row of enlarged, non pore-bearing, femoral scales beneath each thigh which are not continuous with precloacal pores; precloacal groove absent, precloacal depression present; weak reticulations on head (adults); dark, indistinct symmetrical blotches on body. Character summaries for other Sunda Shelf species are found in Table 1.
. continued.
quadrivirgatus Taylor semenanjungensis Leong Grismer & seribuatensis) (Smith sworderi Rösler stresemanni Glaw & tiomanensis Hikida yoshii
SVL 51–71 59–69 75 63–80 95.5 84 75–96 SupL 10 10–15 8 –13 14 13 / 10 –14 Infra 10 10– 12 7–10 10 10 9–11 10–13 TubR 24 18–20 27–35 / 13 / 17 Tuberculation moderate to strong 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 Tubercles on forelimbs 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Tubercles on hind limbs 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Description of holotype. Adult male SVL 91.6 mm; head moderate in length (HeadL/SVL 0.27) and width (HeadW/HeadL 0.63), somewhat flattened (HeadH/HeadL 0.48), distinct from neck, and triangular in dorsal profile; lores weakly inflated, prefrontal region concave, canthus rostralis smoothly rounded; snout elongate (SnEye/HeadL 0.46); eye large (OrbD/HeadL 0.19); ear opening elliptical, small (EarL/HeadL 0.07), vertically oriented; eye to ear distance greater than diameter of eye (OrbD/EyeEar 0.59); rostral wider than high, concave, partially divided dorsally, bordered posteriorly by left and right supranasals and medial postrostral (=internasal), bordered laterally by first supralabials; external nares bordered anteriorly by rostral, dorsally by a large, squarish, anterior supranasal and small, elongate, posterior supranasal, posteriorly by one postnasal, ventrally by first supralabial; 10 (R) 9 (L) square supralabials scales extending to just beyond upturn of labial margins tapering abruptly towards posterior margin of eye; first supralabial slightly smaller than second, third and fourth supralabial; eight (R,L) infralabials, first infralabial slightler smaller than second; scales of rostrum and lores raised, slightly larger than granular scales on top of head and occiput; scales of occiput intermixed with slightly enlarged tubercles; dorsal superciliaries elongate, keeled; mental triangular, bordered laterally by first infralabials and posteriorly by left and right elongate, pentagonal postmentals which contact medially; one row of slightly enlarged, elongate sublabials extending posteriorly to sixth infralabial; gular scales small, raised, granular, grading posteriorly into slightly larger, flatter, throat scales which grade into larger, flat, smooth, imbricate, pectoral and ventral scales.
Body relatively short (TrunkL/SVL 0.42) with weak but well-defined ventrolateral folds; dorsal scales small, raised, granular, interspersed with large, conical, semi-regularly arranged, keeled tubercles; tubercles extend from occiput to anterior one-third of tail; tubercles on occiput small, grading into larger tubercles on nape, those on body largest; approximately 19 longitudinal rows of tubercles at midbody; 25 paravertebral tubercles on body between axilla and groin; 32 flat, imbricate, ventral scales between ventrolateral, body folds at midbody, ventral scales much larger than dorsal scales.
Forelimbs moderate in stature, relatively short (ForeaL/SVL 0.15); scales on forearm granular, raised, weakly keeled, larger than those of dorsum, palmar scales flat, weakly keeled; digits well-developed, inflected at basal, interphalangeal joints; subdigital lamellae transversely expanded proximal to and distal to joint inflections; digits slightly more narrow distal to joints; claws well-developed, sheathed by a dorsal and ventral scale; hind limbs more robust than forelimbs, moderate in length (CrusL/SVL 0.17), covered dorsally by raised, granular scales interspersed with large, conical, keeled tubercles; ventral scales of thigh flat, imbricate, larger than dorsals; ventral tibial scales flat, imbricate; single row of enlarged, flat, imbricate, non porebearing femoral scales at posterior region of thigh extend from knee and terminates before precloacal region (Fig. 3); postfemoral scales immediately posterior to the enlarged row of femoral scales nearly one-half their size, raised, forming an abrupt union on posteroventral margin of thigh; precloacal scales enlarged, seven scales across base of precloacal region; distinct precloacal depression; four precloacal pores arranged in an arch; plantar scales raised, rounded; digits well-developed, inflected at basal, interphalangeal joints; subdigital lamellae transversely expanded proximal and distal to inflected joints, digits more narrow distal to joints; 20 (R, L) subdigital lamellae under fourth toe; claws well-developed, sheathed by a dorsal and ventral scale. Tail robust, posterior 30% regenerated, 100.1 mm in length, 10 mm in width at base, tapering to a point; dorsal scales at base of tail granular becoming flatter posteriorly; single row of transversely enlarged, median subcaudal scales (Fig. 3); subcaudal scales much larger than dorsal caudal scales; two pairs of paravertebral and dorsolateral tubercle rows on either side of midline; caudal tubercles decrease in size posteriorly, extending approximately one-half length of tail; two enlarged, postcloacal tubercles at base of tail on hemipenal swelling; postcloacal scales flat, imbricate. Additional measurements and character states are listed in Table 2.
TABLE 2. Meristic data for the type series of Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri.
EyeEar 8.0 7.1 7.9 7.5 7.7 7.6 7.6±0.3
10.1–11.2 SnEye 11.2 10.1 11.2 10.3 10.8 10.7 10.7±0.5 7.6–8.6 Coloration in life. Dorsal base color of head, neck, trunk, limbs, and tail light beige in color; very faint reticulated pattern on occiput; brown, preorbital stripe extend laterally posterior to nares, through the eyes forming a postorbital stripe which tapers above the ear opening and connects to a V-shaped nuchal band; eight pairs of square, light brown, paravertebral, symmetrical blotches extend from nape to base of tail; blotches are faint, restricted to the dorsum and do not extend onto flanks; infralabials, supralabials and flanks lighter in color; flanks without markings; tubercles on flanks yellowish; very faint, almost indistinct, random blotches on fore and hindlimbs; body blotches extend onto tail, countershaded with light yellow mottling; ventral surfaces of head, body, limbs and tail creamish with fine, brown stippling; stippling denser on gular region, limbs and tail; iris dirty green (Fig. 2A).
Coloration in preservative. Base color tan to dark brown, nuchal band and body markings indistinct.
Variation. Dorsal base color of adults vary from light beige to tan brown (Fig. 2 B); juveniles have bolder body markings and posterior half of original tail white which turns black with age (Fig. 2 C–F). Nuchal band on paratypes UKMHC 535, 551, 517 not continuous, broken middorsally. Underside of UKMHC 526, 515 and 517 rusty brown. Females appear to be slightly larger than males.
Distribution. Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri is currently known from Pulau Tenggol, Terenganu but may also occur on the nearby island of Pulau Nyireh (Fig. 1).
Natural history. Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri is very abundant throughout the whole island. It is a nocturnal lizard and a generalist, occurring in a wide variety of habitats which include granite boulders, vegetation (as high as 5 m from the ground), forest floor and buildings. Only adults were encountered on tree trunks, whereas juveniles occur on leaves or branches of low vegetation. Adult lizards often fled downwards into the undergrowth or jumped down to the forest floor to escape when provoked. Occurring in syntopy with Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri is Gekko monarchus (Schlegel) which was mostly found on chalets and other buildings and only occasionally in the forest.
Etymology. The specific epithet leegrismeri honors L. Lee Grismer for his contributions to the study of herpetology in Peninsular Malaysia.
Comparisons. Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri does not resemble any Malaysian Cyrtodactylus but is similar in appearance to a number of Vietnamese Cyrtodactylus, namely C. condorensis (Smith) (Fig. 2 G) and C. paradoxus (Darevsky & Szczerbak) (Fig. 2 H). However it differs from C. condorensis by having a larger maximum SVL (92 mm vs 80 mm), no enlarged tubercles on the forelimbs, a lower ventral scale count (27–35 vs 35–40) and a higher number of subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe (18–20 vs 14–16). It can be distinguished from C. paradoxus by having a larger maximum SVL (92 mm vs. 84 mm) and having no enlarged tubercles on the forelimbs. Additionally, Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri differs from C. condorensis and C. paradoxus in body markings (see Fig. 2A, B, G, H). Mensural and meristic comparisons between Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri and other Sunda Shelf Cyrtodactylus are presented in Table 1. For comparisons with Cyrtodactylus in other regions, see Rösler and Glaw (2008).
description: Published as part of Onn, Chan Kin & Ahmad, Norhayati, 2010, A new insular species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northeastern Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysia, pp. 47-56 in Zootaxa 2389 on pages 49-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.193843