Parsigecko ziaiei, Safaei-Mahroo, Barbod, Ghaffari, Hanyeh & Anderson, Steven C., 2016

Safaei-Mahroo, Barbod, Ghaffari, Hanyeh & Anderson, Steven C., 2016, A new genus and species of gekkonid lizard (Squamata: Gekkota: Gekkonidae) from Hormozgan Province with a revised key to gekkonid genera of Iran, Zootaxa 4109 (4), pp. 428-444 : 430-434

Parsigecko ziaiei sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 E; 2E; 3E; 4; 5; 6; 9B, D)

Holotype. ( CAS 259180), gravid female collected by Barbod Safaei-Mahroo on 10 June 2015 within Koh-e Homag Protected Area (27°51.790’ N, 56°18.567’ E, elevation 1596 m), north of Zakin village, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran.

Paratype. ( CAS 259181), gravid female collected by Barbod Safaei-Mahroo on 10 June 2015 within Koh-e Homag Protected Area (27°51.886’ N, 56°18.463’ E, elevation 1697 m), 300 meters from the holotype locality, north of Zakin village, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran ( Figure 9 A, C).

Etymology. We name the species in honor of Hooshang Ziaie, lecturer at IAU University, North Tehran Branch, a distinguished Iranian ecologist and former head of three provincial ( Fars, Khuzestan and Mazandaran) offices of the Department of Environment and advisor to Department of Environment of Iran, in recognition of his remarkable and outstanding efforts toward wildlife conservation in Iran. As common names we suggest Ziaie’s Pars-Gecko (English), Gecko-ye Parsi-ye Ziaie (Persian).

Diagnosis. See generic account above.

Description of holotype. Adult gravid female, size small (SVL 39.04 mm), body slender (AG 17.59 mm), head relatively long (HL 9.95 mm, HH 3.65 mm, HL/SVL 0.25); head distinct from neck (HW 7.72), snout elongate (SL 4.34 mm, SL/HL 0.43); longer than eye diameter (EE 3.46 mm).

Rostral large and rectangular, wider than high (RW 1.68 mm, RH 0.62 mm), medially with a straight vertical suture. Nostrils slightly oval, each surrounded by rostral, first supralabial, supranasal and two small postnasals posteriorly, not convex ( Figure 6 ). Supranasal larger than two postnasal scales together. Supranasals contacted by single small quadrangular internasal; preorbitals 10, interorbitals 15, supralabials 11, 8 to 10 entering orbit; pupil vertical with crenelated margins, four pinholes remain when pupil is contracted. mental triangular, wider than long (MW 1.81 mm, ML 1.41 mm); approximately equal to rostral (RW/MW 0.93), infralabials 9, postmentals 3 pairs, first pair slightly in contact posteriorly with each other, first postmentals on each side surrounded by mental, first infralabial, second postmental and 3 to 4 small polyhedral granular gular scales.

Dorsal scales small, smooth and granular, under high magnification scales are subequal in size, dorsal tubercules absent, vertebral scales relatively smaller than lateral scales. Dorsal surface of arm (AL 5.16 mm), forearm (FL 6.12 mm) and thigh (ThL 8.32 mm) smooth, scale size larger than dorsal scales; scales of shank (ShL 7.83 mm) slightly keeled.

Digits not fringed, covered below with a single series of transverse swollen lamellae, all lamellae slightly bowed, tips missing on digits three and four of left pes. Other digits complete. Relative lengths of digits and number of broad lamellae beneath each digit on pes: IV (26)> III (23)> V (18)> II (17)> I (11), manus: IV (21)> III (18)> V (15)> II (17)> I (9).

Tail tapering towards the tip, broken but regenerated (TaL 34.63+ 16.69 mm, TW 4.33 mm); long tail; longer than body (TaL/TL 0.56), dorsal caudal scales smooth, two strongly keeled scales on either side of each annulus, subcaudals in a single row of transversely enlarged rectangular scales; regenerated part without keeled scales. Ventral scales considerably larger than dorsal scales, smooth, almost hexagonal, slightly imbricate, largest in the middle of abdomen, becoming smaller on flanks (VS 111, VR 20). Precloacal region covered with distinctly enlarged and elongated scales arranged in a single arch-shaped row, each approximately three times longer than ventral scales. The arch-shaped row of scales distinctly separates precloacal region from femoral scales and presumably would carry precloacal pores in males.

Color in life. Iris yellow and gray with pupillary slit edged in yellow; ground color of head dorsum cream interspersed with dense dark brown small spots forming blotches; each side of head with a chocolate-brown stripe stretching from the subocular and anterior corner of eyes to the temporal; both stripes connect in the occipital region. Tail flecked with brown; dorsal color is yellowish cream with seven to eight irregular brown crossbars between nape and sacral region, some irregularly connecting to each other; flanks and limbs light pinkish tan without pattern; limbs with irregular brown flecking and cream speckling; tail yellowish with six distinct broad brown semicircle bands extending along the length of the original portion, interspaces broader than crossbars, regenerated part brown with cream blotches; all ventral surfaces light pinkish to white.

Distribution and natural history. This species is known only from the type locality: Koh-e Homag Protected Area, north of Zakin village, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran ( Figures 7 , 8 ). The holotype was collected at 19h38 and paratype was collected at 21h50. This new species is ground-dwelling; the holotype was found on a steep stony hillside on layered debris, adjacent to mountain almond ( Amygdalus scoparia ) shrubs; the paratype was collected from a steep hillside with small stones under a wild pistachio tree ( Pistacia atlantica ). Both specimens were found in Zagros Mountains forest steppe patch with scattered trees and bushes within the South Iran Nubo- Sindian desert and semi-desert habitat in the south of Iran. In this area the main vegetation from 1220 m to 1580 m elevation includes: clammy hop seed bush ( Dodonea viscosa ), mountain almond ( Amygdalus scoparia ) and the main vegetation from 1500 m to 1700 m includes mountain almond ( Amygdalus scoparia ) and milk-vetch ( Astragalus fasciculifolius ). This new species is syntopic with Eublepharis angramainyu Anderson & Leviton, 1966 , Cyrtopodion kirmanense ( Nikolsky, 1900) , Hemidactylus persicus Anderson, 1872 and Microgecko persicus ( Nikolsky, 1903) . Wind rose of the area shows dominant wind direction is from south-southwest ( Anonymous, 2012) which is from the Persian Gulf. The high elevation of Homag Mountain as a barrier and the wind direction causes higher humidity at the type locality in comparison with adjacent areas. Specimens contain a single large egg (8–10 mm), the presence of eggs in the oviduct of the holotype and paratype indicates that oviposition of Parsigecko ziaiei sp. nov. occurs in late spring.

Variation. Comparative measurements, scalation and color pattern of holotype and paratype are presented in table 1 and figure 9. The paratype is remarkably consistent with the holotype in measurements and scalation characters and varies slightly in color. In comparison to the holotype the main coloration is similar, with the same crossbars; dorsal ground color slightly yellowish, dorsal color pattern darker. Shape of dorsal crossbars different; broader and darker. Head stripe stretching from anterior corner of eyes to the temporal neck band is more distinctive. Last dorsal crossbar on sacral region V-shaped. Regenerated tail unicolor; each scale of ventral part of regenerated tail has light margin.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Tail dorsal view of A: Agamura persica, B: Bunopus tuberculatus, C: Crossobamon eversmanni, D: Cyrtopodion scabrum, E: Parsigecko ziaiei sp. nov., F: Mediodactylus russowii G: Microgecko latifi, H: Tenuidactylus caspius, I: Tropiocolotes cf. steudneri. Photographs by B. Safaei-Mahroo.

FIGURE 6. Snout tip of the holotype Parsigecko ziaiei sp. nov.. Photograph by B. Safaei-Mahroo.

FIGURE 7. Type locality and habitat of Parsigecko ziaiei sp. nov.. Photograph by B. Safaei-Mahroo.

FIGURE 8. Map of Hormozgan Province showing the type locality of Parsigecko ziaiei sp. nov. (star).

FIGURE 9. Gravid female holotype and paratype of Parsigecko ziaiei sp. nov.; A: paratype dorsal view, B: holotype dorsal view, C: paratype ventral view, D: holotype ventral view. Photographs by B. Safaei-Mahroo.