Gekko sengchanthavongi Luu, Calame, Nguyen, Le &amp; Ziegler, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Luu, Vinh Quang
name: Calame, Thomas
name: Nguyen, Truong Quang
name: Le, Minh Duc
name: Ziegler, Thomas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Gekkonidae
Gekko
Gekko sengchanthavongi

description: <i>Gekko sengchanthavongi</i> sp. nov. (Fig. 7) <b>Holotype.</b> VFU R. 2014.14, adult male, in karst forest of Bualapha Town (17 o 19.444 ’N, 105 o 41.576 ’E, at an elevation of 210 m a.s.l.), Khammouane Province, central Laos, collected by Vinh Quang Luu and Thidtavanh Suliyavong on 20 June 2014. <b>Paratypes.</b> Two adult males NUOL R- 2015.3, IEBR A. 2015.33 and one adult female VFU R. 2014.16, the same data as the holotype. <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Gekko sengchanthavongi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> can be distinguished from its congeners in the <i>Gekko japonicus</i> group by a combination of the following characters: a medium-sized gecko species (SVL 67.7–77.3 mm); nares in contact with rostral; internasals absent; postmentals enlarged; supralabials 8–10; infralabials 6 or 7; dorsal tubercles absent; ventral scale rows from mental to cloacal slit 175–184; scale rows around midbody 120–135; ventral scale rows 35–43; webbing weakly developed between fingers and toes; tubercles on dorsal surface of limbs and tail absent; precloacal pores 3 + 1 or 3 + 2 in the males, separated from each other by one poreless scales, absent in the female; postcloacal tubercles 2 / 2; subcaudals enlarged; dorsum with dark bars. <b>Description of holotype.</b> Adult male, total length 146.8 mm (SVL 67.7 mm, TaL 79.1 mm); body slender, elongate (ratio of AG/SVL 0.44); head longer than wide (ratio of HL/HW 1.48); rostral quadrangular, two times wider than high (ratio of RW/RH 2.14) and wider than mental (ratio of RW/MW 1.36 mm), without medial suture; rostral bordered by first supralabial and supranasal on each side; nostrils round, surrounded by rostral, first supralabial, supranasal, and two enlarged nasals posteriorly; posterior nasal region deeply concave; internasals absent; preorbital scales 17, preorbital region slightly concave; interorbital sacles 28; eye large (ratio of OD/HL 0.24), pupil vertical, superciliaries with six tiny spines posteriorly; ear oval–shaped, oblique, approximately half of eye diameter (ratio of TD/OD 0.48); mental triangular, wider than long (ratio of MW/ML 1.57); enlarged postmentals two, hexagonal, two times longer than wide, bordered by mental, first infralabial on each side and 6 gular scales posteriorly, outer gular scales larger than inner scales; supralabials 10 / 9; infralabials 7 / 7; dorsal scales smooth, small, round or oval, granular and juxtaposed; lateral skin folds present; ventral scales smooth, medial scales 3 or 4 times larger than dorsal scales, and largest in the middle of belly; ventral scales at midbody 35; scale rows around midbody 126; ventral scale rows between mental and cloacal slit 179; scales on dorsal limbs slightly enlarged; tubercles on limbs absent; enlarged femoral scales absent; fingers and toes webbed at base; subdigital lamellae under first finger 12 / 11, under fourth finger 14 / 13, under first toe 13 / 11, under fourth toe 15 / 15; precloacal pores 3 + 2, separated by one poreless scale, precloacal scales enlarged; postcloacal tubercles 2 / 2; tail basally thickened, without dorsal tubercles; subcaudals enlarged, smooth. <b>Coloration in life.</b> Ground coloration of dorsal head dark brown; dorsal head and neck with dark and grey spots; dorsum with six bands between limb insertions, edged in yellowish brown, and irregular transverse dark brown bars; dorsal surface of limbs with dark blotches; dorsal surface of tail grey with 10 or 11 dark bands, edged in white; chin, throat, dorsolateral region and lower surface of limbs grey with light spots; chest, middle of belly grey; ventral tail grey in anterior part and with nearly closed bands in posterior part. <b>Sexual dimorphism.</b> Measurements and scalation characters of the female paratype are provided in Table 4. The following scale counts slightly vary between the female and males: scale rows in line from mental to the front of cloacal slit 175 (179–184 in males), and precloacal pores absent in the female paratype. <b>Comparisons.</b> Based on examination of specimens and data obtained from the literature (Boulenger 1907; Ota <i>et al.</i> 1995; Rösler <i>et al.</i> 2005, 2010, 2011; Yang <i>et al.</i> 2012, Nguyen <i>et al.</i> 2013; Luu <i>et al.</i> 2014; Ngo <i>et al.</i> 2015; Yang 2015) we compared the new species from Laos with its congeners of the <i>Gekko japonicus</i> group sensu Rösler <i>et al.</i> (2011) (see Table 5). Both correspondence and cluster analyses supported <i>Gekko sengchanthavongi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> as a sister taxon to <i>G. bonkowskii</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> and <i>G. thakhekensis</i> (Figs. 3−4). Molecular phylogenetic analyses also demonstrated the close relationships between these species (see Fig. 1). <i>Gekko sengchanthavongi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> is lacking dorsal tubercles, which are present in the following species: <i>G. adleri</i>, <i>G. auriverrucosus</i>, <i>G. c a n h i</i>, <i>G. chinensis</i>, <i>G. japonicus</i>, <i>G. hokouensis</i>, <i>G. kwangsiensis, G. liboensis</i>, <i>G. palmatus</i>, <i>G. scabridus</i>, <i>G. shibatai</i>, <i>G. similignum</i>, <i>G. swinhonis</i>, <i>G. vertebralis</i>, <i>G. wenxianensis</i>. <i>Gekko sengchanthavongi</i> sp. nov. differs from <i>G. aaronbaueri</i> by having fewer supralabials and infralabials (8–10 <i>versus</i> 13 or 14 and 6 or 7 <i>versus</i> 10 or 11, respectively), fewer interorbital scales (28–32 <i>versus</i> 34–37), more scale rows around midbody (120–135 <i>versus</i> 98–104), fewer lamellae under first toes (11–14 <i>versus</i> 14–17), and more precoloacal pores in males (4 or 5 <i>versus</i> 3 or 4); from <i>G. bonkowskii</i> sp. nov. by a larger size (SVL reaching 77.3 <i>versus</i> 69.2), having fewer supralabials and infralabials (8–10 <i>versus</i> 12–14 and 6 or 7 <i>versus</i> 10 or 11, respectively), more interorbitals (28–32 <i>versus</i> 26 or 27), more scales from mental to cloacal slit (175–184 <i>versus</i> 154–169), more scale rows around midbody (120–135 <i>versus</i> 117), and fewer precloacal pores in males (4 or 5 <i>versus</i> 6); from <i>G. melli</i> by having a smaller size (SVL reaching 77.3 <i>versus</i> 84.6 mm), the absence of internasal (<i>versus</i> present), postmentals enlarged (<i>versus</i> not enlarged), fewer infralabials (6 or 7 <i>versus</i> 9–12), fewer scale rows around midbody (120–135 <i>versus</i> 147–160), fewer ventral scales (35–43 <i>versus</i> 43–49), and fewer precloacal pores in males (4 or 5 <i>versus</i> 9–11); from <i>G. scientiadventura</i> by its larger size (SVL reaching 77.3 <i>versus</i> 73.0 mm), having fewer interorbitals (28–32 <i>versus</i> 41–51), more scales from mental to cloacal slit (175–184 <i>versus</i> 118–140), fewer scale rows around midbody (120–135 <i>versus</i> 139–143), and fewer precloacal pores in males (4 or 5 <i>versus</i> 5–8); from <i>G. subpalmatus</i> by the absence of internasals (<i>versus</i> present), having fewer infralabials (6 or 7 <i>versus</i> 7–12), postmentals enlarged (<i>versus</i> not enlarged), fewer ventral scales (35–43 <i>versus</i> 48), and fewer precloacal pores in males (4 or 5 <i>versus</i> 5–11); from <i>G. t a i b a i e n s i s</i> by its larger size (SVL reaching 77.3 <i>versus</i> 69.0 mm), having fewer infralabials (6 or 7 <i>versus</i> 8–10), having more lamellae under first and fourth toes (11–14 <i>versus</i> 6 or 7 and 13–17 <i>versus</i> 7 or 8, respectively); from <i>G. tawaensis</i> by its larger size (SVL reaching 77.3 <i>versus</i> 71.0 mm) the absence of internasals (<i>versus</i> present), postmentals enlarged (<i>versus</i> not enlarged), and the presence of precloacal pores in males (<i>versus</i> absent); from <i>G. thakhekensis</i> by having fewer infralabials (6 or 7 <i>versus</i> 10 or 11), more ventral scales between mental and cloacal slit (175–184 <i>versus</i> 165–174), more precloacal pores in males (6 <i>versus</i> 1–5), more scale rows around midbody (120–135 <i>versus</i> 110–116), and color pattern of dorsum (banded <i>versus</i> blotches); from <i>G. truongi</i> by its smaller size (SVL reaching 77.3 <i>versus</i> 95.9 mm), having more ventral scales between mental and cloacal slit (175–184 <i>versus</i> 160–172), and fewer precloacal pores in males (4 or 5 <i>versus</i> 10–11); and from <i>G. yakuensis</i> by the absence of internasals (<i>versus</i> present), having postmentals enlarged (<i>versus</i> not enlarged), fewer precloacal pores in males (4 or 5 <i>versus</i> 6–8), and the absence of dorsal tubercles on tail (<i>versus</i> present). <b>Distribution.</b> <i>G. sengchanthavongi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> is currently known only from the type locality in Bualapha Town, Khammouane Province, central Laos (Fig. 5). <b>Etymology.</b> We name the new species in honour of Mr. Sinnasone Sengchanthavong, Natural Resources and Environment Department of Khammouane Province, Laos, in recognition of his great support of our field research in Hin Nam No NPA. As common names, we suggest Sengchanthavong’s Gecko (English), Kap Ke Sengchanthavong (Laotian), and Sengchanthavongis Gecko (German). <b>TABLE 5.</b> Morphological comparisons among the species of the <i>Gekko japonicus</i> group (modified after Luu <i>et al.</i> 2014, extended by Ngo <i>et al.</i> 2015, Yang 2015, abbreviations defined in text, data unavailable). Character <i>G. bonkowskii G. aaronbaueri adleri auriverrucosus canhi chinensis japonicus hokouensis kwangsiensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> <i>sengchanthavongi</i> <b>sp.nov.</b> Maximum SVL (mm) 69.2 77.3 80.0 75.3 69 99.2 72 74 70 69.7 <i>......continued on the next page</i> Continued. <i>......continued on the next page</i> <b>TABLE 5.</b> (Continued) <i>......continued on the next page</i> Continued. <i>......continued on the next page......continued on the next page</i> Continued. Character <i>G. G. swinhonis taibaiensis tawaensis thakhekensis truongi vertebralis wenxianensis yakuensis</i> <i>bonkowskii sengchanthavongi</i> <b>sp. nov. sp.nov.</b> <b>Natural history.</b> Specimens of <i>G. sengchanthavongi</i> were collected on karst walls at night from 20:00 to 21: 30 during small rain, ca. 1.5–4 m above the ground, at an elevation of ca. 210 m a.s.l. The surrounding area was disturbed secondary forest (Fig. 8).
description: Published as part of <i>Luu, Vinh Quang, Calame, Thomas, Nguyen, Truong Quang, Le, Minh Duc &amp; Ziegler, Thomas, 2015, Morphological and molecular review of the Gekko diversity of Laos with descriptions of three new species, pp. 279-306 in Zootaxa 3986 (3)</i> on pages 290-299, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3986.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/234805
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