Cnemaspis grismeri Wood, Quah, Anuar & Muin, 2013, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wood, Perry L.
name: Quah, Evan S. H.
name: Anuar, Shahrul
name: Muin, Mohd Abdul
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Gekkonidae
Cnemaspis
Cnemaspis grismeri

description: Cnemaspis grismeri sp. nov.
Grismer’s Rock Gecko
Malaysian name: Cicak Batu Grismer Figures 2–3
Cnemaspis mcguirei Grismer, 2011:349.
Holotype. Adult male (ZRC 2.6989) collected on 7 October 2012 at Gua Asar, Bukit Kepala Gajah limestone massif, Lenggong, Perak, Malaysia (5°07.53’N, 100°58.82’E) at 78 m a.s.l. by Evan S.H. Quah and Shahrul Anuar Mohd Sah.
Paratypes. ZRC 2.6990, LSUHC 9969, 9970, 9972 and 9973 were collected on 5 November 2010 from the same locality as the holotype by Evan S.H. Quah, Shahrul Anuar Mohd Sah and Mohd Abdul Muin. LSUHC 10941–10944 were collected on 7 July 2012 by the same collectors at the same locality.
Diagnosis. Cnemaspis grismeri sp. nov. differs from all other Southeast Asia species of Cnemaspis in having the unique combination of adult males reaching 48.8 mm SVL, adult females reaching 50.6 mm SVL; 8–9 supralabials; 7–9 infralabials; large, lateral postmentals separated at midline by one or two smaller postmentals; forearm, subtibials, ventrals, subcaudals, and dorsal tubercles keeled; 27–32 paravertebral tubercles; tubercles on flanks, relatively small and not linearly arranged; tubercles within lateral caudal furrow; ventrolateral caudal tubercles present anteriorly; median subcaudal row not enlarged; no keeled, median subcaudal row of enlarged scales; two or three postcloacal tubercles; continuous row of eight to ten precloacal pores; subtibial scales not shield-like; no enlarged submetatarsal scales; 25–31 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; no distinct, large, dark spots on neck; dark shoulder patch enclosing two white to yellow ocelli; prominent, wide, yellow to white, postscapular band; yellowish bars on flanks; distinct, dark, caudal bands present posteriorly; subcaudal region pigmented, not immaculate. Scalation and body size differences are summarized across all Southeast Asian species in TABLE 1.
Description of holotype. Adult male; SVL 47.7 mm; head oblong in dorsal profile, moderate in size (HL/SVL 0.26), somewhat narrow (HW/SVL 0.18), flattened (HD/HL 0.44), distinct from neck; snout short (ES/HL 0.49), slightly concave in lateral profile; postnasal region constricted medially, flat; scales of rostrum keeled, raised, larger than conical scales on occiput; prominent, supraorbital ridges; shallow frontorostral sulcus; canthus rostralis nearly absent, smoothly rounded; eye large (ED/HL 0.21); extra-brillar fringe scales largest anteriorly; pupil round; ear opening oval, taller than wide; rostral slightly concave, dorsal 80% divided by longitudinal groove; rostral bordered posteriorly by supranasals and one small, azygous scale and laterally by first supralabials; eight (R,L) raised supralabials of similar size; eight (R,L) infralabials, decreasing in size posteriorly; nostrils elliptical, oriented posterodorsally; bordered posteriorly by small, granular, postnasal scales; mental large, subtriangular, bordered posteriorly by three postmentals, outer two largest; gular scales raised; throat scales larger and conical.
Body slender, elongate; small, keeled, dorsal scales equal in size throughout body, intermixed with several large, multicarinate tubercles more or less randomly arranged; tubercles extend from occiput to base of tail; tubercles on flanks not enlarged, moderate in size; pectoral and abdominal scales strongly keeled, raised, slightly elongate, slightly larger posteriorly; abdominal scales slightly larger than dorsals; ten continuous precloacal pores arranged in a chevron separated anteriorly by a single, non-pore bearing scale; precloacal depression present; forelimbs moderately long, slender; dorsal scales of brachium raised, keeled; dorsal scales of forearm same as brachials; ventral scales of brachium weakly keeled, raised, juxtaposed; scales beneath forearm, weakly keeled, raised; palmar scales smooth, juxtaposed, raised; digits long with an inflected joint; claws recurved; subdigital lamellae unnotched; lamellae beneath first phalanges granular proximally, widened distally; lamellae beneath phalanx immediately following inflection granular, lamellae of distal phalanges wide; interdigital webbing weak; fingers increase in length from first to fourth with fourth and fifth equal in length; hind limbs slightly longer and thicker than forelimbs; dorsal scales of thigh keeled, raised, juxtaposed; scales of anterior margin of thigh keeled; ventral scales of thigh keeled; subtibial scales keeled, flat, imbricate, with no enlarged anterior row; plantar scales smooth, juxtaposed, raised; no enlarged submetatarsal scales beneath first metatarsal; digits elongate with an inflected jointed; claws recurved; subdigital lamellae unnotched; lamellae beneath first phalanges granular proximally, widened distally; lamellae beneath phalanx immediately following inflection granular, lamellae of distal phalanges wide; interdigital webbing present; toes increase in length from first to fourth with fourth and fifth equal in length; 29 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; caudal scales arranged in segmented whorls; caudal scales raised, keeled, juxtaposed anteriorly; shallow middorsal furrow; deeper, single lateral furrow; no enlarged, median subcaudal scales; subcaudals keeled; no median row of enlarged keeled subcaudal scales; transverse tubercle rows do not encircle tail; caudal tubercles present in lateral furrow; three enlarged postcloacal tubercles on lateral surface of hemipenal swellings at base of tail; tail 1.45% of SVL.
Coloration (in life). Dorsal ground color grey to brown; head and body overlain with irregularly shaped, small, dark and yellowish flecks giving an overall mossy appearance; cream to yellowish markings on top of head; thin dark postorbital stripe extending onto nape; paired, elongate, medial, yellowish markings on nape followed by small, indistinct, black shoulder patches enclosing two yellow ocelli; ocellus dorsal to forelimb insertion distinct and another anterior to forelimb insertion very weak; shoulder patch edged posteriorly by wide, postscapular band that is yellow laterally and white medially; irregularly shaped, offset, paravertebral, yellowish markings on dorsum extend to base of tail; distinct, transversely elongate, yellow bars on flanks; diffuse brown and dull yellow bands encircle tail anteriorly; posterior portion of tail with dark brown and off-white bands; irregularly shaped yellowish to dull white markings on limbs; dark and light diffuse bands encircling digits; ventral surfaces of head, body, and limbs dull beige, immaculate, darkening laterally; subcaudal region suffused with pigment, not immaculate.
Variation (Fig. 2,3). The overall general color pattern of the paratypes closely approaches that of the holotype. The postscapular band in the paratype LSUHC 9972 is offset. The light dorsal markings in ZRC 2.6990, LSUHC 9969 and 9973 appear more as transverse bands than paravertebral blotches. The black shoulder patch and postscapular bar in females is not nearly as well developed as it is in males (Fig. 3). LSUHC 10943 is missing a tail and the tails of LSUHC 9969–70 are mostly or entirely regenerated. Meristic differences are presented in TABLE 2. During the evening, the color pattern lightens considerably (Fig. 2).
. of 4th toe lamellae 17–20 32–35 27–30 26–27 27–30 29–37 29–32 23–30 25–30 25–29
……continued on the next page Caudal tubercles in lateral furrow (1) or not (0) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 ……continued on the next page. of 4th toe lamellae 32–35 29–34 23–26 25–30 24–28 27–30 23–36 34–41 29 30–35
……continued on the next page. of paravertebral tubercles 26–32 11 –19 / 39–43 26–31 20–22 26–31 30–37 22–27 26–32
Tubercles of ventralmost row on flank linearly
arranged and in contact or nearly so (1) or tubercles 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 flank widely space and more randomly distributed
)
Tubercles present (1) or absent (0) on flanks 1 0 / 0 0 1 0 1 1 1
1
Caudal tubercles in lateral furrow (1) or not (0) 0 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Ventrolateral caudal tubercles anteriorly (1) or not (0) 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0
Lateral caudal tubercle row present (1) or absent (0) 1 ant 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 ant ……continued on the next page. of 4th toe lamellae 30–35 25–27 22–25 28,29 31–34 29–33 26–31 27–31 28–31 23–25
……continued on the next page Ventrolateral caudal tubercles anteriorly (1) or not (0) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 ……continued on the next page abbreviations.
Tubercles of ventral most row on 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
flank linearly arranged and in
contact or nearly so (1) or tubercles
flank widely space and more
randomly distributed (0)
Caudal tubercles in lateral caudal 1 1 / 1 1 1 1 1 / 1
furrow (1) or not (0)
Ventrolateral caudal tubercles 1 1 / 1 1 1 1 1 / 1
anteriorly (1) or not (0)
Lateral caudal tubercles present (1) 1 1 / 1 1 1 1 1 / 1 not (0)
……continued on the next page ZRC LSUHC LSUHC ZRC LSUHC LSUHC LSUHC LSUHC LSUHC LSUHC 2.6989 9969 9970 2.6990 9972 9973 10941 10942 10943 10944 holotype paratype paratype paratype paratype paratype paratype paratype paratype paratype
Caudal tubercles restricted to a
……continued on the next page gravid gravid Distribution. Cnemaspis grismeri sp. nov. is known from Gua Asar at the Bukit Kepala Gajah limestone massif in Lenggong Valley, Perak (Fig. 1). This species has also been observed at other caves, namely Gua Kijang, Gua Puteri and Gua Ngaum that are also part of the Bukit Kepala Gajah limestone massif as well as its surrounding karst walls and karst forest.
Natural history. Cnemaspis grismeri sp. nov. is a lowland species found on the inner walls of limestone caves such as Gua Asar and Gua Kijang and near cave entrances and on the karst walls outside of caves as well as outcroppings in the lowland karst forest surrounding limestone massifs (Fig. 4). Cnemaspis grismeri sp. nov. is diurnal but is only observed crawling about in cracks and in the shadows of the karst boulders especially in vertical crevices. The lizards are very wary and quickly retreat deeper into their refuges when approached. Their behavior is similar to that of its upland closest relative C. mcguirei that behaves the same way on granite boulders at Bukit Larut, Perak (Grismer 2011). At night the color of C. grismeri sp. nov. lightens and lizards have been observed sleeping on the leaves of low vegetation near the karst walls and on vines and the aerial roots of fig trees (Ficus sp.) next to the limestone walls (Fig. 2 & 4). Specimens LSUHC 10942–43 are gravid females, which indicate that breeding takes place around the month of July.
Etymology. This species is named in honor of Prof. Dr. L. Lee Grismer of La Sierra University, Riverside, California, USA for his tremendous contributions to the advancement of the field of herpetology in Malaysia. Coincidentally, Cnemaspis grismeri sp. nov. is the closest relative of C. mcguirei, a species that Dr. Grismer had named in honor of his close friend and colleague Prof. Dr. Jimmy A. McGuire of the University of California Berkeley, USA.
Comparisons. Cnemaspis grismeri sp. nov. differs from all other species of Cnemaspis in numerous aspects of scalation and color pattern as summarized in TABLE 1. It is most similar to its sister species C. mcguirei (L. Grismer et al. unpublished) but differs in being smaller (maximum SVL=50.6 mm in C. grismeri sp. nov. versus SVL=65.1 mm in C. mcguirei) and having a significantly lower mean number of subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe (28.8 versus 32.5; p<0.01). Additionally, the lower, anterior shoulder spot is less prominent and the lateral baring is generally more distinct (Figs. 2 & 3). Cnemapsis grismeri sp. nov. is the sister species of C. mcguirei who are separated by a 7.3–11.7% sequence divergence in the mitochondrial gene ND2.
description: Published as part of Wood, Perry L., Quah, Evan S. H., Anuar, Shahrul & Muin, Mohd Abdul, 2013, A new species of lowland karst dwelling Cnemaspis Strauch 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northwestern Peninsular Malaysia, pp. 538-558 in Zootaxa 3691 (5) on pages 541-555, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3691.5.2, http://zenodo.org/record/216368