Cnemaspis vijayae, Khandekar & Thackeray & Agarwal, 2022
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.72.e76308 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:62E690DF-174B-45FD-B2A6-1595F7782E43 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FCE13D91-13C5-4FA0-AB40-F4740C60F865 |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:FCE13D91-13C5-4FA0-AB40-F4740C60F865 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Cnemaspis vijayae |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Cnemaspis vijayae sp. nov.
Figs 11B-11 View Figure 11 , 12 View Figure 12 , 13 View Figure 13 , 14 View Figure 14 , 15 View Figure 15 , 16C View Figure 16
Holotype.
NRC-AA-1188 (AK-R 839), adult male, from Honey Valley Estate (12.2146°N, 75.6586°E; elevation ca. 1250 m) near Byllikere peak, Kodagu district, Karnataka state, India, collected by Ishan Agarwal on 2nd December 2018.
Paratypes.
NRC-AA-1186 (AK-R 837), BNHS 2815 (AK 599), adult males, NRC-AA-1185 (AK-R 836), NRC-AA-1187 (AK-R 838), adult females, same locality data as holotype except collected by Akshay Khandekar, Ishan Agarwal and Swapnil Pawar on 2nd December 2021.
Etymology.
The specific epithet is a Latinized eponym in honour of India’s first women herpetologist, Late Jagannathan Vijaya (1959-1987) for her inspiring contribution towards ecology of rare Indian turtles.
Suggested Common Name.
Vijaya’s Coorg dwarf gecko.
Diagnosis.
A small-sized Cnemaspis , snout to vent length less than 36 mm (n =5). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled, granular scales, intermixed with irregularly arranged rows of large, keeled, tubercles on the body; two or three rows of enlarged tubercles on each flank weakly keeled and spine-like; 9-11 rows of dorsal tubercles at mid-body, irregularly arranged rows of paravertebral tubercles between forelimb and hindlimb insertions; ventral scales smooth (rarely keeled n =1), subimbricate, 26-30 scales across belly at mid-body, 118-127 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, entire, unnotched; 10 or 11 lamellae under digit I of manus and pes, 15 or 16 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 17-19 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males (n =3/5) with three or four femoral pores on thigh, separated by seven or eight poreless scales on either side from three discontinuous precloacal pores, a single precloacal pore on left and two on right side, separated by one or two poreless scale (n =2/3); precloacal pores sometime continuous (n =1/3); each femoral pore bearing scale flanked posteriorly with enlarged spine-like scale; tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles forming whorls; median row of sub-caudal scales slightly enlarged, smooth only at anterior half of the tail, rest weakly keeled. Dorsal ground colour dirty brown with a bright straw-coloured mid-dorsal stripe that extends from occiput to tail in some specimens; dark blotch on nape forming indistinct collar and smaller ocellus just anterior to forelimb insertions; dark markings and light grey blotches on dorsum; original tail with thick mid-dorsal stripe.
Comparison with members of C. goaensis clade.
Cnemaspis vijayae sp. nov. can be morphologically distinguished from all other described members of the Cnemaspis goaensis clade on the basis of the following differing or non-overlapping characters: 9-11 dorsal tubercle rows at mid-body (versus 6-8 dorsal tubercle rows at mid-body in C. amboliensis and C. goaensis ; eight or nine dorsal tubercles rows at mid-body in C. sakleshpurensis sp. nov.); paravertebral tubercles on the body between forelimb and hindlimb irregularly arranged (versus 7-12 paravertebral tubercles on the body between forelimb and hindlimb insertions in C. amboliensis ); 26-30 scales across belly at mid-body (versus 19-22 ventral scales across belly at mid-body in C. amboliensis and 23-26 scales across belly at mid-body in C. sakleshpurensis sp. nov.); scales on upper arm and those towards knee on thigh tricarinate (versus scales on upper arm and thigh unicarinate in C. goaensis ; C. ranganaensis and C. sakleshpurensis sp. nov.); males with three or four femoral pores on thigh, separated by seven or eight poreless scales on either side from three discontinuous precloacal pores, a single precloacal pore on left and two on right side, separated by one or two poreless scale (n =2/3), precloacal pores sometime continuous (n =1/3) (versus three or four femoral pores on each thigh, separated by seven or eight poreless scales from continuous series of three or four precloacal pores in C. amboliensis ; two or three femoral pores on each thigh, separated by 8-12 poreless scales from continuous series of two or three precloacal pores in C. goaensis ; two or three femoral pores on each thigh, separated by eight or nine poreless scales from continuous series of three precloacal pores in C. ranganaensis ; three or four femoral pores on each thigh, separated by 10 or 11 poreless scales from continuous series of two precloacal pores in C. sakleshpurensis sp. nov.).
Cnemaspis vijayae sp. nov. is morphologically similar to its sympatric species C. cf. schalleri of Cnemaspis monticola clade in body size, having spine-like scales on flanks and presence of both femoral and precloacal pores in males. However, the new species can be easily distinguished from C. schalleri by having 9-11 irregularly arranged rows of dorsal tubercles at mid-body (versus 14-16 regularly arranged rows of dorsal tubercles at mid-body); having irregularly arranged rows of paravertebral tubercles on body between forelimb and hindlimb insertion (versus a regular series of 17-20 tubercles in paravertebral rows on the body between forelimb and hindlimb); and by presence of small dorsal ocellus just anterior to forelimb insertions (versus dorsal ocellus just anterior to forelimb insertions absent).
Description of the holotype.
Adult male in a fairly good state of preservation except a 3.2 mm long incision in the sternal region for liver tissue collection, tail tip slightly bent towards left, and digit III of left manus incomplete (Fig. 12A-D View Figure 12 ). SVL 35.6 mm, head short (HL/SVL 0.24), wide (HW/HL 0.74), not strongly depressed (HD/HL 0.44), and distinct from neck. Loreal region marginally inflated, canthus rostralis indistinct. Snout almost half of the head length (ES/HL 0.48), slightly more than 2.5 times of the eye diameter (ES/ED 2.62); scales on snout and canthus rostralis large, weakly keeled, and weakly conical; twice the size than those on forehead and interorbital region; occipital and temporal region with much smaller, weakly keeled granules sparsely intermixed with slightly larger, weakly keeled, weakly conical tubercles (Fig. 13A View Figure 13 ). Eye small (ED/HL 0.18); with round pupil; orbit with nine or 10 extra-brillar fringe scales, largest scales on anterior side; supraciliaries not elongate; eight interorbital scale rows across narrowest point of frontal; 35 or 36 scale rows between left and right supraciliaries at mid-orbit (Fig. 13A View Figure 13 ). Ear-opening deep, oval, small (EL/HL 0.05); eye to ear distance slightly more than 1.5 times of eye diameter (EE/ED 1.62) (Fig. 13C View Figure 13 ). Rostral two times wider (1.6 mm) than long (0.7 mm), incompletely divided dorsally by a strongly developed rostral groove for more than half of its height; a single enlarged supranasal on each side, slightly larger than postnasals, separated from each other by a single elongated internasal; rostral in contact with nostril, internasal, supranasal, lower postnasal and supralabial I on either side; nostrils circular, each surrounded by rostral, supranasal, and upper and lower postnasals on each side; two rows of scales separate the orbit from the supralabials (Fig. 13C View Figure 13 ). Mental enlarged, subtriangular, slightly wider (1.9 mm) than long (1.5 mm); two pairs of postmentals, inner pair larger than outer pair, rectangular, an enlarged chin scales prevent the contact between them below mental; inner pair bordered by mental, infralabial I, outer postmental and three enlarged chin shields on right and three on left side; outer postmentals roughly rectangular, bordered by inner postmentals, infralabial I and II, and four enlarged chin shields on either side; four enlarged gular scales prevent contact between left and right outer postmentals; chin shields bordering postmentals and one or two rows bordering infralabials somewhat flattened, smooth, slightly smaller than outermost postmentals, rest still smaller, weakly conical, weakly keeled and subimbricate (Fig. 13B View Figure 13 ). Eight supralabials up to angle of jaw on either side, five supralabials at midorbital position on left and six on right side; supralabial I largest, decreasing in size posteriorly; seven infralabials up to angle of jaw on each side; four infralabials on left and five on right side at midorbital position; infralabial I largest, decreasing in size posteriorly (Fig. 13C View Figure 13 ).
Body slender (BW/AGL 0.44), trunk less than half of SVL (AGL/SVL 0.41) without ventrolateral folds; three of spine-like scales present on flank on each side. Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled, granular scales, intermixed with irregularly arranged rows of large, keeled, tubercles on each flank; three rows of enlarged tubercles on flank on either side much enlarged, weakly keeled and spine-like; 11 dorsal tubercles rows at mid-body including spine-like scales; paravertebral tubercles on the body between forelimb and hindlimb insertions irregular (Fig. 14A View Figure 14 ). Ventral scales more than thrice the size than granular scales on dorsum, those on belly smooth, subimbricate, subequal from chest to vent; mid-body scale rows across belly between lowest rows of enlarged scales on flank 26; 127 scales from mental to anterior border of cloaca (Fig. 14B View Figure 14 ). Scales on throat slightly smaller than those on belly; gular region with much smaller, weakly conical, weakly keeled subimbricate scales with those on chin bordering postmentals, enlarged, smooth, juxtaposed and flattened (Fig. 13B View Figure 13 ). Four femoral pores on each thigh, separated by seven poreless scales on each side from three discontinuous precloacal pores, a single precloacal pore on left and two on right side, separated by two poreless scale; femoral pore baring scales flanked posteriorly with enlarged slightly spine-like scale (Fig. 13D View Figure 13 ).
Scales on dorsal aspect of manus much larger than dorsal granular scales, tricarinate, and imbricate; those near forelimb insertion small and granular; dorsal aspect of hand predominantly bearing large, flattened, 1-3 carinate, and imbricate scales. Ventral aspect of manus with smooth, roughly subcircular, subimbricate scales; scales on palm and sole smooth, flat and subcircular, subimbricate. Scales on dorsal and anterio-lateral aspect of thigh much larger than those on dorsal granules, strongly keeled, imbricate except those near hindlimb insertion which are granular, much smaller than dorsal granules, weakly keeled and somewhat conical; scales on posterior-lateral aspect of thigh similar in shape to granular scales on mid-body dorsum, marginally larger, becoming smaller, and smooth posteriorly. Scales on dorsal aspect of knee slightly smaller than those on thigh dorsal, weakly keeled, those around knee large, tricarinate, imbricate; scales on shank still smaller, strongly keeled, subimbricate; dorsal aspect of foot predominantly bearing large flattened, tricarinate, imbricate scales. Scales on ventral aspect of thigh slightly larger than mid-body ventrals, smooth and imbricate; scales on shank more or less similar in size to those on mid-body ventrals, smooth, imbricate (Fig. 12A, B View Figure 12 ).
Fore-limbs and hind-limbs slightly long, slender (LAL/SVL 0.14); (CL/SVL 0.17); digits long, with a strong, recurved claw, distinctly inflected, distal portions laterally compressed conspicuously. Series of unpaired lamellae on basal portion of digits, separated from unpaired, narrower distal lamellae by a single large scale at the inflection; proximal lamellae series: 2-3-3-4-4 (right manus; Fig. 13E View Figure 13 ), 2-3-4-6-5 (right pes; Fig. 13F View Figure 13 ), 2-3-3-4-3 (left manus), 2-3-4-6-5 (left pes); distal lamellae series: 9-10-11-12-10 (right manus; Fig. 13E View Figure 13 ), 9-9-11-11-12 (right pes; Fig. 13F View Figure 13 ), 9-9-*-11-10 (left manus), 9-10-12-11-12 (left pes). Relative length of digits (measurements in mm in parentheses): IV (3.2) > III (3.00) > II (2.8) > V (2.6) = I (2.06) (right manus); IV (4.2) > III (3.8) > V (3.5) > II (3.2) > I (2.0) (right pes).
Tail entire, original, subcylindrical and slender (Fig. 12C, D View Figure 12 ). Dorsal scales on tail base weakly keeled, granular, similar in size and shape to granular scales on mid-body dorsum, gradually becoming larger, flattened, imbricate posteriorly, intermixed with enlarged, strongly keeled, distinctly pointed, conical tubercles; enlarged tubercles on the tail forming whorls six tubercles each on first 10 whorls, four in 11-14th whorls, rest of the tail with only paravertebral tubercles (Fig. 12C View Figure 12 ). Scales on ventral aspect of tail much larger than those on dorsal aspect, subimbricate, smooth only at anterior half of the tail, rest weakly keeled; median series slightly larger than rest, roughly subtriangular (Fig. 12D View Figure 12 ). Scales on tail base slightly smaller than those on mid-body ventrals, smooth, imbricate; a single enlarged, conical, and weakly keeled postcloacal spur on each side (Fig. 13D View Figure 13 ).
Colouration in life (Fig. 11B).
Dorsal ground colour of head, body, limbs and tail brown; head speckled with black, fine dark vertical streak between left and right orbit; fine dark pre-orbital streak from nostril to orbit, two fine dark postorbital streaks just extending onto neck; labials yellow with lighter and darker bars. A discontinuous straw-coloured mid-dorsal stripe runs from occiput to tail; a small, dark ocellus is present just anterior to forelimb insertions; enlarged, spine-like tubercles on flank yellow. Tail lighter than body; dorsum of forelimbs mottled, hindlimbs with light and dark markings, digits with alternating indistinct dark and light bands. Ventral surfaces dull-white, underside of head and neck throat dirty yellow with fine back spots fading out between hindlimb insertions, fine black spots under forelimbs and sides of the belly; underside of the tail off white, without any dark markings. Pupil black, iris bronze, outlined by fine silver ring.
Variation and additional information from type series.
Mensural, meristic and additional character states evaluation data for the type series is given in Tables 6 View Table 6 - 8 View Table 8 respectively. There are two male and two female specimen ranging in size from 32.1-34.1 mm. All paratypes resemble the holotype except as follows: inner postmentals bordered by mental, infralabial I outer postmental and two enlarged chin scales either side in NRC-AA-1185, NRC-AA-1187, and in BNHS 2815. Outer postmentals bordered by inner postmental, infralabial I & II, five enlarged chin scales on left and three on right side in NRC-AA-1186; outer postmentals bordered by inner postmental, infralabial I & II, four enlarged chin scales on left and five on right side in and NRC-AA-1187; outer postmentals bordered by inner postmental, infralabial I & II and five enlarged chin scales on left and three on right side in NRC-AA-1186, outer postmentals bordered by inner postmental, infralabial I & II and three enlarged chin scales on left and four on right side in BNHS 2815; outer postmental separated from each other by three enlarged gular scales in NRC-AA-1185 and NRC-AA-1187. NRC-AA-1187 with original and complete tail, slightly longer than body (TL/SVL 1.31); NRC-AA-1186 with entire but partially regenerated tail, slightly longer than body (TL/SVL 1.30); NRC-AA-1185 with original but incomplete tail (TL= 21 mm); and BNHS 2815 with tail entirely missing. All paratypes agree with the holotype in overall colouration except for BNHS 2815 which has more or less continuous middorsal stripe running from occiput to tail tip (Fig. 15 View Figure 15 ).
Distribution and Natural history.
The new species is currently known only from its montane type locality (1250 m elevation) in the Central Western Ghats, within a large property surrounded by coffee plantations with large trees and evergreen forest (Fig. 16C View Figure 16 ). The area is contiguous with Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, where the new species may occur. A few individuals were observed during sunny weather between ~0800-1400 hrs at a height of 2-4 m on the walls of a few buildings. The new species is sympatric with two congeners, C. cf. schalleri and C. cf. wynadensis . During the second trip to the type locality in late November, we observed new species in good numbers, predominantly on the building walls above 2-4 m height and sympatric with C. cf. schalleri .
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