Cyrtodactylus bansocensis Luu, Nguyen, Le, Bonkowski & Ziegler, 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Luu, Vinh Quang
name: Nguyen, Truong Quang
name: Le, Minh Duc
name: Bonkowski, Michael
name: Ziegler, Thomas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Gekkonidae
Cyrtodactylus
Cyrtodactylus bansocensis

description: Cyrtodactylus bansocensis sp. nov.
(Figs. 2–4)
Holotype. VFU R.2015.20, adult male, on karst cliff, above the entrance of Peopalam cave (17°27.101’N, 105°35.393’E, 195 m elevation), near Ban Soc Village, Bualapha District, Khammouane Province, central Laos, collected on 17 March 2015 by V. Q. Luu and K. Thanabuaosy.
Paratype. NUOL R- 2015.21, adult male, same collection data as the holotype.
Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: medium size, SVL reaching 74.0 mm; dorsal pattern with four light transverse bands between limb insertions; supranasals in contact; 14–15 irregular dorsal tubercle rows at midbody; lateral skin fold present without tubercles; 34–35 ventral scale rows between ventrolateral folds; 34 precloacal and femoral pores in a continuous row in the paratype and interrupted by four poreless scales in the holotype, enlarged femoral and precloacal scales present; 5– 7 postcloacal tubercles on each side; dorsal tubercles present at base of tail; subcaudal scales transversely enlarged, widely entire under tail surface.
Description of the holotype. Adult male, medium size (SVL 71.0 mm); body elongate (TrunkL/SVL 0.42); head distinct from neck, elongate (HL/SVL 0.28), relatively wide (HW/HL 0.64), depressed (HH/HL 0.41); loreal region concave; snout long (SE/HL 0.41), obtuse anteriorly, longer than diameter of orbit (OD/SE 0.64); scales on snout small, round, granular, bigger than those on frontal and parietal regions; eye large (OD/HL 0.26), pupils vertical; supraciliaries with spinuous scales posteriorly; ear oval-shaped, small (EarL/HL 0.11); rostral wider than high with a half median suture, in contact with first supralabial and nostril on each side; supranasals in broad contact; nostril opening oval, bordered by supranasal, rostral, first supralabial, and two enlarged postnasals; mental triangular, wider than long (ML/MW 0.86); two enlarged postmentals; supralabials 8/9; infralabials 8/8.
Dorsal scales granular; dorsal tubercles round, conical, present from occipital region to tail base, tubercles in 14 irregular rows at midbody, each surrounded by nine granular scales; lateral folds without tubercles; ventral scales smooth, round, largest posteriorly, in 35 longitudinal scales at midbody; gular region with homogeneous and smooth scales; 170 ventral scales from mental to cloacal slit; precloacal groove absent; enlarged femoral and cloacal scales present; total femoral and precloacal pores 34, on distal thigh, pore-bearing series interrupted by single scales lacking pores (1 + 1 + 29 + 3) (Fig. 4).
Fore- and hindlimbs moderately slender (ForeL/SVL 0.17, CrusL/SVL 0.20); forelimbs lacking tubercles; dorsal surface of thigh and shank with distinctly developed tubercles, the same size to those on flanks; digits webbed basally; lamellae under fourth finger 16/17; lamellae under fourth toe 18/19.
Tail longer than SVL (TaL 98.5 mm, TaL/SVL 1.39); postcloacal tubercles 6/7; caudal tubercles present at the dorsum of the first segment of tail, extending from body; subcaudal scales transversely enlarged, three to four times as wide as long at base of tail, flat, smooth.
Coloration in life. Head dorsally greyish brown with dark blotches; distinct brown nuchal loop, widened in the nape, with dark edge, U–shaped, stretching from posterior edge of orbit to nape; labials grey. Dorsum with four light transverse bands between limb insertions, edged darker anteriorly, dark spots within two enlarged bands at midbody; tubercles at midbody yellowish brown; dorsal surface of fore and hind limbs with grey reticulated markings; tail greyish brown dorsally with 13 light rings (2–3 times narrower than dark tail bands); ventral surface of head, body and limbs cream; ventral surface of tail grey.
Variation: Light bands at midbody of the paratype (NUOL R-2015.21) are less distinctly defined at the posterior edges. The paratype also has precloacal and femoral pores in a continuous row (versus series interrupted by 4 poreless scales in the holotype). For further morphological characters of the paratype see Table 3.
Comparisons. We compared Cyrtodactylus bansocensis sp. nov. with other species of Cyrtodactylus from Laos and neighbouring countries in the mainland Indochina region (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand). Comparisons were based on examination of museum specimens (see Appendix) and data from taxonomic publications (Luu et al. 2014; Nazarov et al. 2014; Nguyen et al. 2014; Panitvong et al. 2014; Pauwels et al. 2014; Pauwels & Sumontha 2014; Schneider et al. 2014; Sumontha et al. 2015; Nguyen et al. 2015; Luu et al. 2015; Luu et al. 2016) (see Table 4).
Cyrtodactylus bansocensis sp. nov. has enlarged subcaudal scales and thus differs from the following species which lack this character state: C. bidoupimontis Nazarov, Poyarkov, Orlov, Phung, Nguyen, Hoang & Ziegler, C. bobrovi Nguyen, Le, Pham, Ngo, Hoang, Pham & Ziegler, C. buchardi David, Teynié & Ohler, C. bugiamapensis Nazarov, Poyarkov, Orlov, Phung, Nguyen, Hoang & Ziegler, C. cattienensis Geissler, Nazarov, Orlov, Böhme, Phung, Nguyen & Ziegler, C. cryptus Heidrich, Rösler, Vu, Böhme & Ziegler, C. cucdongensis Schneider, Phung, Le, Nguyen & Ziegler, C. huynhi Ngo & Bauer, C. interdigitalis Ulber, C. irregularis (Smith), C. otai Nguyen, Le, Pham, Ngo, Hoang, Pham & Ziegler, C. phuocbinhensis Nguyen, Le, Tran, Orlov, Lathrop, Macculloch, Le, Jin, Nguyen, Nguyen, Hoang, Che, Murphy & Zhang, C. pseudoquadrivirgatus Rösler, Vu, Nguyen, Ngo & Ziegler, C. quadrivirgatus Taylor, C. ranongensis Sumontha, Pauwels, Panitvong, Kunya & Grismer, C. taynguyenensis Nguyen, Le, Tran, Orlov, Lathrop, Macculloch, Le, Jin, Nguyen, Nguyen, Hoang, Che, Murphy & Zhang, C. thuongae Phung, van Schingen, Ziegler & Nguyen, C. vilaphongi Schneider, Nguyen, Le, Nophaseud, Bonkowski & Ziegler, and C. ziegleri Nazarov, Orlov, Nguyen & Ho.
The new species has femoral and precloacal pores in males, which are absent in the following species: C. angularis (Smith), C. badenensis Nguyen, Orlov & Darevsky, C. chauquangensis Hoang, Orlov, Ananjeva, Johns, Hoang & Dau, C. cucphuongensis Ngo & Chan, C. eisenmanae Ngo, C. grismeri Ngo, C. martini Ngo, C.
nigriocularis Nguyen, Orlov & Darevsky, C. oldhami (Theobald), C. pageli Schneider, Nguyen, Schmitz, Kingsada, Auer & Ziegler, C. paradoxus (Darevsky & Szczerbak), C. puhuensis Nguyen, Yang, Le, Nguyen, Orlov, Hoang, Nguyen, Jin, Rao, Hoang, Che, Murphy & Zhang, C. saiyok Panitvong, Sumontha, Tunprasert & Pauwels, C. samroiyot Pauwels & Sumontha, C. sanook Pauwels, Sumontha, Latinne & Grismer, C. spelaeus Nazarov, Poyarkov, Orlov, Nguyen, Milto, Martynov, Konstantinov & Chulisov, C. sumonthai Bauer, Pauwels & Chanhome, C. wayakonei Nguyen, Kingsada, Rösler, Auer & Ziegler, and C. thirakhupti Pauwels, Bauer, Sumontha & Chanhome.
The new species has 34 femoral and precloacal pores in males and thus differs from the following species which have distinctly fewer femoral and precloacal pores: C. auribalteatus Sumontha, Panitvong & Deein (10–11), C. bichnganae Ngo & Grismer (28), C. brevipalmatus (Smith) (22), C. caovansungi Orlov, Nguyen, Nazarov, Ananjeva & Nguyen (15), C. dumnuii Bauer, Kunya, Sumontha, Niyomwan, Pauwels, Chanhome & Kunya (19), C. erythrops Bauer, Kunya, Sumontha, Niyomwan, Panitvong, Pauwels, Chanhome & Kunya (28), C. huongsonensis Luu, Nguyen, Do & Ziegler (21–23), C. intermedius (Smith) (8–10), C. khelangensis Pauwels, Sumontha, Panitvong & Varaguttanonda (14–18), C. kingsadai Ziegler, Phung, Le & Nguyen (7–16), C. roesleri Ziegler, Nazarov, Orlov, Nguyen, Vu, Dang, Dinh & Schmitz (20–28), C. takouensis Ngo & Bauer (3–6), C. tigroides Bauer, Sumontha & Pauwels (21), and C. yangbayensis Ngo & Chan (6–10).
The new species has 34 femoral and precloacal pores in males and thus differs from the following species which have higher counts of femoral and precloacal pores: C. darevskii (38–44), C. jaegeri (44), C. jarujini Ulber (52–54), and C. multiporus (58–60).
The new species differs from C. chanhomeae Bauer, Sumontha & Pauwels by having fewer ventral scales (30–35 versus 36–38), fewer dorsal tubercles (14–15 versus 16–18), brown nuchal loop with dark edge (versus yellow edge), and white-grey body bands between limb insertions (versus yellow); from C. lomyenensis Ngo & Pauwels by having fewer dorsal tubercle rows (14–15 versus 20–24), fewer supralabials and infralabials (8–10 versus 13–14; 8 versus 11, respectively), and fewer femoral and precloacal pores in males (34 versus 39–40); from C. phongnhakebangensis Ziegler, Rösler, Herrmann & Vu by its smaller size (maximum SVL 74.0 mm versus 96.3 mm), the absence of tubercles on lateral folds (versus present), enlarged nuchal loop in neck region absent (versus present), four light transverse bands between limb insertions (versus 2–3), and tail with light rings (versus bands); and from C. teyniei David, Nguyen, Schneider & Ziegler by its smaller size (maximum SVL 74.0 mm versus 89.9 mm), having fewer ventral scale rows (34–35 versus 38), the presence of a nuchal band (versus being absent), and having a banded dorsal pattern (versus blotched).ΤaxaCyrtodactylus bansocensiss.SvL ΤaL (mm) (mm)..‾4..‾. v4EFS FP s sPP PP LD4 (in males) (in females) 4unknοwn ‾LΤ4 Cοlοr pattern Enlarged οf dοrsum subcaudals!" # # sC.rufford68.3‾72.5 94.5‾96.8 27‾29 present present 42‾43 unknοwn 19‾20 18‾19 banded present C.soudthichaki69.2‾70.0 95.1*‾95.2 32‾33 present present 29 absent 16-18 18 banded present C.angularis80.0‾92.0 92‾95.2 40‾45 present absent 3 3 18 ‾19 18‾19 banded present C.astrum46.4‾108.3 99.0*‾109.0* 31‾46 ‾ present 31‾38 ‾ ‾ (FP+PP) 20‾24 banded present C.auribalteatus82.8‾98.1 106.5‾138.7 38‾40 5‾7 4‾5 (in 6 absent ‾ 18‾21 banded present C.badenensis59.3‾74.1 58.6‾82.4 25‾29 absent absent 0 0 ‾ 18‾22 banded present C.bichnganae95.3‾99.9 96.3‾115.6 30‾31 11‾13 18 10 8 18‾20 16‾20 banded present C.bidoupimontis74.0‾86.3 75.0‾86.0 38‾43 6‾8 absent 4‾6 0 15‾20 18‾23 banded absent C.bobrovi75.2‾96.4 80.8‾90.3 40‾45 0 0 5 0 19‾21 21‾22 banded absent C.brevipalmatus64.0‾72.0 77.035‾44present present6+9+7 6+9+7 ‾‾blοtched presentC. bugiamapensis58.6‾76.8 65.3‾83.0 36‾46 6‾10 absent 7‾8 0‾7 15‾17 17‾20 blοtched absent C.buchardi60.0‾65.0 46.0‾54.0 30 absent absent 9 0 14 12 blοtched absent C.caovansungi90.4‾94.0 120.0 38‾44 8 6 9 0 22 23‾25 banded present C.cattienensis43.5‾ 69.0 51.0‾64.7 28‾42 3‾8 absent 6‾8 0 12‾16 14‾19 banded absent C.chanhomeae69.9‾78.8 74.4‾74.736‾38present present32 34 18‾2021‾23banded presentC. chauquangensis90.9‾99.3 97.0‾108.3 36‾38 absent absent 6 7 16‾18 19‾23 banded present C.cryptus62.5‾90.8 63.5‾88.4 47‾50 absent absent 9‾11 0 18‾19 20‾23 banded absent C.cucdongensis55.8‾65.9 22.1‾27.8 35‾44 present absent 5‾6 4‾6 8‾11 15‾20 banded absent C.cucphuongensis96.0 79.3* 42 14 absent 0 ‾ 21 24 banded present C.darevskii84.6‾100.0 95.0‾113.0 38‾46 present present 38‾44 24‾34 17‾20 (FP+PP) 18‾22 banded present (in males) (in males) (FP+PP) (FP+PP) males) (FPl+PP+FPr) (FPl+PP+FPr) (FP+PP) (FP+PP)
……continued on the next pageΤaxa SvL (mm) ΤaL (mm) v EFS FP PP (in males) PP (in females) LD4 LΤ4 Cοlοr pattern οf dοrsum Enlarged subcaudalsC. dumnuii76.2‾84.2100.2*40presentpresent in males⁄absent6+5‾6+6‾7 (FPl+PP+FPr)0‾71619bandedpresentC. eisenmanae76.8‾89.2 91.0‾103.8 44‾45 4‾6 absent 0 0 18‾20 17‾18 banded presentC. erythrops78.483.0*28presentpresent10+9+9‾1620blοtchedpresentC. grismeri68.3‾95.0 111.3‾115.1 33‾38 absent ‾ 0 0 16‾18 16‾19 banded presentC. huongsonensis73.4‾89.8 90.5 41‾48 7‾9 15‾17 6 8 17‾19 20‾23 banded presentC. huynhi54.8‾79.8 61.5‾78.6 43‾46 3‾5 3‾8 7‾9 0‾8 14‾17 17‾21 banded absentC. interdigitalis59.0‾80.0 71.0‾90.0 37‾42 present 16‾18 14 0 17‾22 16‾20 banded absentC. intermedius61.0‾85.0 80.0‾110.0 40‾50 6‾10 ‾ 8‾10 ‾ 20 22 banded presentC. irregularis72.0‾86.0 66.0‾74.0 38‾45 7‾8 ‾ 5‾7 0‾6 15‾16 18‾19 blοtched absentC. jaegeri60.0‾68.5 82.4‾83.4 31‾32 17‾19 present 44 (FP+PP) 21 17‾19 20‾23 banded presentC. jarujini85.0‾90.0105.0‾116.032‾38presentpresent52-54 (PP+FP)015‾1718‾19blοtchedpresentC. khammouanensis70.8‾7383.0‾95.032‾38presentpresent40‾44 (PP+FP)0-1718‾2020‾23bandedpresentC. khelangensis72.8‾95.3max. 96.0*32‾35presentpresent6+2‾5+6‾72+6+11822bandedpresentC. kingsadai83.0‾94.0 max. 117.0 39‾46 9‾12 0‾7 7‾9 4‾8 19‾21 21‾25 banded presentC. lekaguli80.5‾103.5115.0‾125.031‾43presentpresent30‾360‾20‾25bandedpresentC. lomyenensis57.7‾71.272.2‾86.135‾3617‾18present39‾403216‾1919‾23bandedpresentC. martini64.4‾96.2 76.0‾101.2 39‾43 14‾18 absent 4 0 19‾23 22‾24 banded presentC. multiporus81.0‾98.097.0‾105.030‾38presentpresent58‾60 (PP+FP)018‾2018‾22bandedpresentC. nigriocularis82.7‾107.570.6‾12142‾49absentabsent0‾20‾17‾21unifοrmly brοwnpresentC. oldhami63.0‾68.069*‾70*34‾38presentabsent1‾4‾‾‾striped andpresentC. otai85.2‾90.6 89.7‾97.6 38‾43 absent absent 7‾8 0 16‾19 19‾22 banded absentC. pageli76.2‾81.8 85.4*‾113.2* 41‾44 absent absent 4 4 19‾23 19‾23 banded present in females (FPl+PP+FPr) (FPl+PP+FPr) (FPl+PP+FPr) (PP+FP) (PP+FP) (PP+FP) spοtted
……continued on the next pageΤaxa SvL ΤaL v EFS FP PP PP LD4 LΤ4 Cοlοr pattern EnlargedC. paradoxus52.0‾84.0 80.8‾111.0 32‾40 present absent 0‾4 0 15‾18 17‾23 banded presentC. phongnhakebangensis C. phuocbinhensis78.5‾96.3 46.0‾60.4 98.0‾110.0 76.1 32‾42 43‾47 present 5 present absent 32‾42 (PP + FP) 7 0‾41 (PP + FP) 0 15‾20 16‾21 18‾26 17‾19 banded blοtched present absentC. pseudoquadrivirgatus48.6‾83.3 55.7‾82.3 41‾57 absent absent 5‾9 5‾10 15‾21 16‾25 blοtched absentC. puhuensis79.2 82.59 36 present absent 5 ‾ 18 23 banded presentC. quadrivirgatus39.0‾67.0 77.0 40 present absent 4 4 ‾ ‾ striped absentC. ranongensis56.9‾59.6 66.0‾67.1 35‾40 present 0 0 0 17 18 blοtched absentC. roesleri C. saiyok51.1‾75.3 56.7‾61.0 63.4‾101.0 66.7‾67.5 34‾40 23‾24 7‾10 present present absent 20‾28 (PP + FP) 5 17‾22 (PP + FP) ‾ 17‾19 ‾ 17‾21 16‾17 banded banded present presentC. samroiyot63.2‾66.9 78.8‾87.5 33‾34 present absent 7 6 18 19 banded presentC. sanook72.9‾79.5 104.2 27‾28 present absent 3‾4 absent ‾ 19‾20 banded presentC. spelaeus88.9‾91.0 max. 83* 36‾39 absent absent 8‾9 0 19‾20 22‾24 banded presentC. sumonthai61.5‾70.7 89.9‾94.0 33‾36 absent absent 2 0 16 18 banded presentC. takouensis74.7‾81.1 77.7‾91.0 39‾40 3‾5 0‾2 3‾4 0 16‾17 18‾20 banded presentC. taynguyenensis60‾85 66‾94 42‾49 absent absent 6 0 13‾18 17‾21 blοtched absentC. teyniei89.9 ca. 110.0 38 23 absent unknοwn 13 17‾18 19‾20 blοtched presentC. thuongae57.3‾77.6 max. 78.1 29‾44 2‾5 0‾3 0‾1 0 14‾17 14‾20 blοtched absentC. wayakonei72.0‾86.8 76.8‾89.0 31‾35 absent absent 6‾8 7 17‾18 19‾20 banded presentC. thirakhupti72.0‾79.6 99.1 37‾40 present absent absent absent 16 20 banded presentC. tigroides C. vilaphongi74.3‾83.2 60.9‾86.1 108.5‾117.0 61.2‾68.1 34 34‾36 present 0 present ‾ 6+8+7 (FPl+PP+FPr) ‾ 5+9+7 (FPl+PP+FPr) 0 18‾19 18‾19 20‾22 18‾20 banded banded present absentC. yangbayensis78.5‾92.3 91.3‾109.1 39‾46 5‾16 0‾2 6‾8 0 16‾19 15‾17 banded presentC. ziegleri84.6‾93.0 95.0‾107.0 33‾39 8‾10 0‾6 5‾8 0‾8 16‾19 18‾21 banded absent (mm) (mm) (in males) (in females) οf dοrsum subcaudals
Cyrtodactylus bansocensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to C. rufford (Luu et al. 2016), C. khammouanensis, and C. soudthichaki in the dorsal colour pattern and/or numbers of femoral and precloacal pores. However, the new species can be distinguished from C. rufford by having more ventral scale rows (34–35 versus 27–29), fewer supralabials (8–10 versus 10–12), fewer infralabials (8 versus 9–11), fewer femoral and precloacal pores in males (34 versus 42–43), and more postcloacal tubercles on each side (5–7 versus 4–5); C. khammouanensis by having fewer dorsal tubercle rows (14–15 versus 16–21), having fewer supralabials and infralabials (8–10 versus 11–12; 8 versus 9–10, respectively), fewer femoral and precloacal pores in males (34 versus 40–44), and tail with light rings (versus light bands); and from C. soudthichaki by its larger size (SVL reaching 74.0 mm versus 70.0 mm), having fewer dorsal tubercle rows (14–15 versus 19–20), more femoral and precloacal pores in males (34 versus 29), slightly higher number of ventral scales (34–35 versus 32–33), more subdigital lamellae on fourth toe (18–21 versus 18), more postcloacal tubercles on each side (5–7 versus 4–5), and tail with light rings (versus light bands). For more details see Table 5.
Distribution. Cyrtodactylus bansocensis sp. nov. is currently known only from the type locality in the karst forest near Ban Soc Village, Bualapha District, Khammouane Province, central Laos (Fig. 5).
Etymology. We name this species after its type locality, Ban Soc limestone forest to underline the importance of this area (see also Ziegler et al. 2015) for biodiversity and nature conservation. We suggest as common names: Ki Chiem Ban Soc (Laotian), and Ban Soc Bent-toed Gecko (English).
Natural history. The type specimens of the new species were collected between 20:00 and 21:00, on karst outcrops above the entrance of Peopalam cave, at an elevation of 195 m a.s.l. The surrounding habitat was secondary forest dominated by the species of Ebenaceae, Arecaeae, Poaceae, Meliaceae, and Moraceae. The benttoed geckos were actively foraging on surfaces of karst outcrops. They were fast and difficult to approach and catch (Fig. 6).
description: Published as part of Luu, Vinh Quang, Nguyen, Truong Quang, Le, Minh Duc, Bonkowski, Michael & Ziegler, Thomas, 2016, A new species of karst-dwelling bent-toed gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Khammouane Province, central Laos, pp. 87-102 in Zootaxa 4079 (1) on pages 91-98, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4079.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1050493