Lankascincus sripadensis, Wickramasinghe, Mendis, Rodrigo, Roshan & Dayawansa, Nihal, 2007

Wickramasinghe, Mendis, Rodrigo, Roshan & Dayawansa, Nihal, 2007, Two new species of Lankascincus (Squamata: Scincidae) from Sripada Sanctuary (Peak Wilderness), in Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 1612, pp. 1-24 : 11-18

Lankascincus sripadensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 8–12 ).

Holotype: Adult male 58.27 mm SVL NMSL 200705001. Sripada Sanctuary (Adam’s peak), Nuwara Eliya District, Central Province. (N 0 6 48 24.63, E 0 80 30 41.21) Alt. 1825 m. Coll. R. K. Rodirigo, D. Jayantha, and L. J. M. Wickramasinghe. 0 7. 11. 2006.

Paratypes: Adult male 56.62 mm SVL NMSL 200705002, Adult female 54.85 mm SVL NMSL 200705003. Sripada Sanctuary (Adam’s peak), Nuwara Eliya District, Central Province. (N 0 6 48 24.63, E 0 80 30 41.21) Alt. 1825 m. Coll. R. K. Rodirigo, D. Jayantha, and L. J. M. Wickramasinghe. 0 7. 11. 2006.

Diagnosis: Lankascincus sripadensis sp. nov. is distinguished from known congeners by possessing the following combination of characters: A large sized Lankascincus 56–58 mm SVL; Prefrontals are fused or narrowly in contact; three loreal scales, the anterior loreal is touching the prefrontal, frantonasal, nasal, 1st and 2nd supralabial scales; the posterior loreals are larger than the anterior loreal in longitudinal axis, the upper anterior loreal is touching the prefrontal and upper anterior preocular; the lower posterior loreal is touching 2nd, 3rd supralabials and 1st subocular scale; the nasal is not fused; 7 supralabials, the last supralabial scale is single, 5th at the mid orbit point; 26 smooth scale rows at mid body; 56 to 58 paravertebral scales; 56 – 57 scales between mental and vent; median preanals are enlarged, outer preanals overlap with inner; lamellae under the fourth finger 12–13, and fourth toe 17–19, the lamellae formulae including fingers and toes are 4>3>5>2>1 and 4>3>5>2>1.

Description of Holotype: Adult male ( Fig. 8 ). Snout to vent length (SVL) 58.27 mm. body moderately elongate and robust. Head depressed and narrow (HD / HW ratio 0.66 and HD / HL ratio 0.41); elongated and large (HD / NE ratio 0.54 and HL / SVL ratio 0.24); distinct from the neck; snout long (SE / HW ratio 0.54); longer than the eye width (EW / SE ratio 0.64); eye relatively lager than the ear (EW / EL ratio 2.11 and EW / EaW ratio 2.93); ear opening small (EL / HL ratio 0.10); snout to eye distance greater than the width of eye (SE / EW ratio 1.56). Tail longer than the body length (SVL / TL ratio 0.65), and round in cross section (TD / TW ratio 0.98).

Rostral convex ( Fig. 9 ), posterior margin of mid point slightly curved towards the frontonasal; no supranasal and postnasal; frontonasal larger than the prefrontals, lateral border touching anterior loreal; prefrontals in contact, touching anterior loreal and upper posterior loreal from the lower border, slightly in contact with first supraocular from the posterior border; frontal longer than its distance to tip of snout, and approximately equal or longer than frontoparietals and interparietal combined; no supraciliaris; five supraoculars, first one being the longest in the longitudinal axis, second one widest in the transverse axis, first two in contact with frontals, third in contact with frontoparietal, fourth in contact with frontoparietal and parietal, fourth touched by upper postocular scale and upper pretemporal scale; frontoparietals distinct, larger than interparietal; parietals touching each other behind interparietal, parietal touching pretemporal scales laterally, three or four small scales touching parietal post laterally; non fused nasal; three loreal scales, anterior loreal touching prefrontal, frontonasal, nasal, 1st and 2nd supralabials scales, anterior loreal widest in the transverse axis; posterior loreals longer than the anterior loreal in the longitudinal axis, upper posterior loreal touching prefrontal and upper anterior preocular; lower posterior loreal touching 2nd, 3rd supralabials and 1st subocular scale; six preocular scales, anterior ones lager than the others; seven supralabials, the last supralabial single, 5th at the mid orbit point; eight subocular scales, smaller than the supralabial scales; the subocular row touching 3rd to the 6th supralabial scales and anterior temporal scale, the first subocular scale touching the lower posterior loreal scale, the last subocular scale touching the lower posterior postocular and lower primary temporal scale; four anterior and four posterior postocular scales, anterior postoculars smaller than posterior postocular scales; two pretemporal scales, the upper smaller than the lower and very small than the primary temporal scale; single primary temporal, the primary temporal touching 6th and 7th supralabial scales; single secondary temporal scale, the secondary temporal larger than the primary temporal scale; six infralabials, the fourth infralabial smaller than the first, and the rest smaller than the fourth; mentals wider than postmental in transverse axis but shorter in longitudinal axis, touching first infralabial only; two pairs of chinshields behind postmental, the first pair meeting in midline, the first chinshield in contact with first and second infralabial scales, the second pair in contact with second and third infralabials, the third pair of chinshields separated from infralabial row; body scales smooth, 26 rows around mid body; 58 paravertebral scales; 56 scales between the mental and vent; the median preanals enlarged, outer preanals overlap with inner; the fourth finger and fourth toe longer than others; the fourth finger having 13 smooth lamellae; the fourth toe having 18 smooth lamellae; the lamellae formulae for both fingers and toes 4>3>5>2>1 and 4>3>5>2>1 ( Fig. 10 ). Digits having single row of scales dorsolaterally; scales of palm and sole elevated; palatal rami of pterygoids slightly expanded posterior medially.

Colour in life: ( Fig. 11 and 12 ) Dorsal head, olive brown. Lateral and ventral head light brown, with very few white spots randomly oriented. Dorsal body is olive brown, with a longitudinally oriented mid-dorsal dark brown line starting from the neck and diminishes beyond the base of tail. A dorso-lateral dark brown line is present. It starts from the back of the eye and diminishing towards the mid tail. Both lateral and temporal regions of the body are light brown in colour. The ventral body is light brown. Dorsal and lateral tail, olive brown, and ventral tail light brown. The limbs are dorsally dark brown with intermittent white dots, and ventrally light brown.

Colour in alcohol: The colour pattern is preserved with a little fading.

Etymology: The species epithet sripadensis is derived from the latin for “Sripada range” ( Fig. 13) referring to the forest where the species nov. was found. Sripakandu duburu hekanala, Sivanolipathmalai arene and Sripada forest skink are the vernacular names given in native languages Sinhala, Tamil and English respectively.

Comparisons. The following combination of characters clearly distinguishes the new species from all sympatric members of genera Lankascincus and Sphenomorphus in Sri Lanka: a large SVL, three loreal scales, two posterior loreals larger than the anterior loreal in longitudinal axis, the prefrontal and upper anterior preocular touching the upper border of posterior loreal and the 2nd and 3rd supralabials and the 1st subocular scale touching the lower posterior loreal.

The new species is morphologically similar to Lankascincus deignani ( Taylor 1950) by possessing the following combination of characters: frontoparietals distinct; anterior loreal touching 1st and 2nd supralabial scales, prefrontal, frontonasal and nasal; single primary and secondary temporal ( Table 2 ); seven supralabials, with the fifth in subocular position; and a single last supralabial; The new species can be distinguished from the aforementioned species by the following characters: having three loreal scales, posterior loreals larger than the anterior in longitudinal axis, prefrontal and upper anterior preocular touching upper posterior loreal, 2nd, 3rd supralabials and 1st subocular scale touching lower posterior loreal; 2 pretemporals; 12 or 13 subdigital lamellae on fourth finger, and 17 or 19 on fourth toe. males with pale brown throat on the ventral head; a dark brown stripe in a light brown background on the dorsal body; divided nasal; and large SVL length (58 mm). (vs two loreals of nearly equal size and height; of which posterior loreal touching prefrontal and upper anterior preocular, lower border touching 2nd supralabial scale; 3 pretemporal; 9 or 10 subdigital lamellae on fourth finger, and 14 or 15 on fourth toe; males with black ventral head; dark brown dorsal body; single nasal; medium sized, 40.00 mm)

Counts L. sripadensis L. deignani

Holotype Paratype Paratype Voucher specimen

NMSL 20070501 20070502 20070503 20072301 20072302 20072303 The following combination of characters clearly differentiates the new species from Lankascincus deraniyagalae Greer 1991 : single primary temporal, large SVL length (vs primary temporal double and small SVL length), the new species is differentiated from L. fallax (Peters, 1860) by the distinct frontoparietals, the larger SVL and the throat pale brown in colour (vs frontoparietals fused, small SVL and red ventral head); from L. gansi Greer 1991 by having single last supralabial, single primary temporal, 56 to 58 paravertebral scales, fourth toe with 17 or 19 smooth subdigital lamellae, larger body size (SVL 58 mm), and having pale brown throat in colour, (vs the split last supralabial, two primary temporal, 42 to 50 paravertebral scales, fourth toe with 16 smooth subdigital lamellae, small body size (SVL 40 mm) and having dark red or black colour throat). L. sripadensis differs from L. taprobanensis (Kelaart, 1854) by following combination of characters: seven supralabials, 5 at the mid orbit point; prefrontals in contact; fourth toe with 17 or 19 smooth subdigital lamellae; larger SVL length, (vs six supralabials, 4 at the mid orbit point; prefrontals widely separated; fourth toe with 13 or 15 smooth subdigital lamellae; small SVL length). L. taylori Greer 1991 , is distinguished from the new species by small size (maximum SVL, 43 mm), fourth toe with 12–18 subdigital lamellae; 24– 26 mid body scale rows and male with black throat, (vs large size 58 mm maximum SVL, fourth toe with 17 or 19 subdigital lamellae; mid body scale rows 26 and male with pale brown colour throat).

The comparison of Lankascincus sripadensis sp nov. with all sympatric members of the genus Sphenomorphus in Sri Lanka is as follows. Sphinomorpus dorsicatenatus Deraniyagala, 1953 , differs from the new species by the following combination of characters: preanal scales not enlarged, small size 46.5 mm maximum SVL, an irregular dark line in light brown background on dorsal body (vs median preanals enlarged, large size 58 mm maximum SVL); from S. dussumieri (Dumeril and Bibron, 1839) by having a postonasal, prefrontals separated by frontal, 38–40 scales around midbody, (vs postonasal absent, prefrontals in contact, 26 scales around midbody); from S. megalops ( Annandale, 1906) by having an undivided nasal, interparietal completely separating parietals, ventrals feebly keeled, (vs nasal divided, parietal meeting behind interparietal, ventrals smooth).

Figures

FIGURE 8. The holotype male of Lankascinicus sripadensis NMSL 20070501, 58.27 mm SVL in life

FIGURE 9. The scale pattern of head of holotype male NMSL 20070501, 58.27 mm SVL, A. the lateral view and B. the dorsal view.

FIGURE 10. The ventral view of palm and foot of holotype male NMSL 20070501, 58.27 mm SVL

FIGURE 11. The lateral view of head of holotype male NMSL 20070501, 58.27 mm SVL, in life.

FIGURE 12. The ventral view of head of holotype male NMSL 20070501, 58.27 mm SVL

Tables

TABLE 2. The scale and lamellae counts of the type series of Lankascinicus sripadensis and L. deignani.

Frontonasal (FN) 1	1	1	1	1	1
Prefrontal (PRF) 2	2	2	2	2	2
Frontal (F) 1	1	1	1	1	1
Frontoparietal (FP) 2	2	2	2	2	2
Interparietal (IP) 1	1	1	1	1	1
Parietal (P) 2	2	2	2	2	2
Supraoculars (SO) 5	5	5	5	5	5
Loreal (L) 3	3	2	2	2	2
Preocular (PRO) 2	2	2	2	2	2
Subocular (SBO) 8	8	8	8	8	8
Postocular (PO) 4	4	3	2	2	1
Pretemporal (PT) 2	2	2	3	3	3
Primary temporal (PRT) 1	1	1	1	1	1
Secondary temporal (ST) 2	2	2	1	1	1
Scale around mid body (SMB) 26	26	26	28	26	28
Paravertibral (PV) 58	56	56	52	53	52
Supralabials at end of gape (SLG) 7	7	7	7	7	7
Supralabials at mid orbit (SLO) 5	5	5	5	5	5
Infralabials at end of gape (IL) 6	5	5	5	5	5
Ventrals (V) 56	57	57	53	55	51
Subcaudals (SC) 80	92	90	69	78	83
Lamellae of Finger 1 (LF1) 5	5	5	4	4	4
Lamellae of Finger 2 (LF2) 9	9	9	6	6	6
Lamellae of Finger 3 (LF3) 12	12	12	8	8	8
Lamellae of Finger 4 (LF4) 13	12	12	9	10	9
Lamellae of Finger 5 (LF5) 9	9	7	6	6	6
Lamellae of toe 1 (LT1) 6	6	6	4	4	5
Lamellae of toe 2 (LT2) 12	10	11	9	8	8
Lamellae of toe 3 (LT3) 15	14	14	12	12	11
Lamellae of toe 4 (LT4) 19	18	17	15	15	14
Lamellae of toe 5 (LT5) 12	11	11	9	8	7