Cnemaspis rajakarunai, Mendis Wickramasinghe, L. J., Vidanapathirana, Dulan Ranga & Gayan Priyankara Rathnayake, R. M., 2016
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4168.1.4 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:97880677-7499-4CFD-9929-7D20F64CA385 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5632282 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AD1E6747-2B6F-4854-FF36-DEBA6983FBF1 |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Cnemaspis rajakarunai |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Cnemaspis rajakarunai sp. nov.
Holotype. NMSL 2016.07 View Materials .0 1 NH, Adult male, 38.1 mm SVL ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 ), from Salgala, Kegalle, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, (07°07'23.52"N, 080°15'01.44"E, elevation 310 m), 24 December 2012, collected by Dulan Ranga Vidanapathirana, Gayan Priyankara Rathnayake, and L. J. Mendis Wickramasinghe. GoogleMaps
Paratype. DWC 2016.05. 0 1, adult female, 40.1 mm SVL ( Figure 3 View FIGURE 3 ), DWC 2016.05 About DWC .0 2, adult male, 36.2 mm SVL ( Figure 4 View FIGURE 4 ), the same data as holotype. GoogleMaps
Diagnosis. Cnemaspis rajakarunai sp. nov., was compared with all 22 extant species of the genus Cnemaspis known from Sri Lanka and the species can be readily distinguished from all known congeners by the following combination of characters: adult snout–vent length 36–40 mm ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ); precloacal pores absent, large femoeroprecloacal scales 22; femoral pores 7–8, enlarged femoral scales 6; ventral scales 146–186; supralabials (to midorbital position) 7; supralabials (to angle of jaws) 9 ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ); total lamellae on finger IV 19–22 (4–5: 14–17), shape of the basal lamellae on toe IV elliptical ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ); and colouration prominent crown shaped off white markings on mid body from neck to tail base, pointing towards head.
Description of holotype. Adult male, snout–vent length 38.1 mm, body elongate and depressed; head large (HL/SVL 0.3) ( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 ), distinct from the neck ( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 A & C); head depressed and narrow (HD/HL 0.3), snout long (SE/HW 0.7), longer than the eye width (EW/SE 0.4) ( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 B); eye relatively small (EW/HL 0.2); ear opening small (EL/HL 0.1), bigger than nostrils, smaller than eyes, eye to ear distance is greater than the width of the eye (EE/EW 1.5) ( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 B).
Rostral large, with a groove extending ⅔ of the scale; nostril separated by two enlarged supranasals and a single internasal scale; two postnasals, smooth, larger than the nostril; scales on snout and forehead granular, and flattened, larger than those in interorbital region, much larger than those on occiput; interorbital scales across midpoint 42, mid-interorbital scales small, smaller than the outer ones; supraciliaries relatively large, oval; scales around ear smaller and granular; nostrils oval, each surrounded by two postnasals, one supranasal, and rostral; several rows of scales separate orbit from supralabials; loreal region convex and covered with slightly large scales; supralabials (to midorbital position) 7; supralabials (to angle of jaws) 9; infralabials (to angle of jaws) 8, infralabials (to midorbit) 6; mental large, sub-triangular, wider than long, concave medially; two pairs of postmentals, smaller than the mental, anterior pair separated by one small scale, in contact with the first infralabial, posterior postmentals in contact with the 1st and 2nd infralabials, bounded by two juxtaposed, smooth scales ( Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 C); dorsal scales tiny, conical, intermittent with a few flat scales; scales on dorsum across mid body 84 ( Figure 6 View FIGURE 6 A), spine-like tubercles on lower and upper flanks ( Figure 6 View FIGURE 6 B); scales on dorsal forelimb and hind limb granular; ventrally, scales decrease in size from chin to anterior gular region; ventrals 146, ventrals across mid body 26, ventral scales smooth, imbricate ( Figure 6 View FIGURE 6 C) and smaller than the postmentals; scales in ventral portion of fore and hind limbs smooth, scales in the hind limb larger than forelimb, enlarged scales on ventral side of heel 11; femoral pores (left: right) 7:8, enlarged femoral scales 6; precloacal pores absent; precloacal scale larger than the anal scale ( Figure 7 View FIGURE 7 ), large femoero-precloacal scales 22; scales on dorsal and lateral tail, imbricate, large, and smooth, edges pointed and some circular ( Figure 8 View FIGURE 8 A & B), fairly large sized scales in pairs positioned evenly beside the mid line; a groove on mid dorsal tail (from base to mid region); few spine-like tubercles at the base of tail; mid subcaudals very large ( Figure 8 View FIGURE 8 C); 10 rows of small scales between the 1st large subcaudal and cloaca, mid subcaudals hexagonal, without keels; subcaudals between cloaca and tip of tail 87; digits slender, elongate and clawed, interdigital webs absent; basal lamellae entire and enlarged, larger than distal series; distalmost of basal series largest, basalmost lamellae of distal series sometimes fragmented; basal and distal series of lamellae separated by a single scale of intermediate width, shape of the basal lamellae on toe IV elliptical; total lamellae (left: right), finger I 11: 11, II 15: 15, III 16: 16, IV 17: 16, V 16:16, toe I 11: 11, II 16: 14, III 17: 17, IV 20: 19, V 20:18, relative length of digits IV>V>III>II>I (fingers) ( Figure 9 View FIGURE 9 A), and IV>V>III>II>I (toes) ( Figure 9 View FIGURE 9 B).
Colour in life. Dorsum body and limbs brown with small off white spots and darker blotching. Prominent off white markings on mid body from neck to tail, which are crown shaped pointing towards head ( Figures 2 View FIGURE 2 , 6 View FIGURE 6 A), well defined towards vent. Black spot margined with orange at nape. Tail with ten off white irregular cross bands till end of tail tip and a crown shaped mark at base of tail. Venter white.
Colour in alcohol. Colour pattern in preservative similar to that in life with some fading, but dorsal background colour slightly darker.
Etymology. The species is named in honor of Henry Rajakaruna, one of the grandmasters in Sri Lankan photography, in recognition of his services to promote Fine Art Photography, in Sri Lanka for over half a century. The species epithet rajakarunai is a noun in the genitive case.
Suggested vernacular names. The vernacular names assigned for the species are Rajakarunage diva huna, Rajakaruna pahalpalli and Rajakaruna’s day gecko in Sinhala, Tamil and in English, respectively.
Digits Holotype (NMSL) Paratypes (DWC)
2016.07.0 1 NH 2016.05.0 1 2016.05.0 2
TABLE 1. The morphometric measurements (mm) of the type series of Cnemaspis rajakarunai sp. nov..
| Holotype (NMSL) | Paratypes (DWC) | Mean | SD | Range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AG | 2016.07.0 1 NH 17.4 | 2016.05.0 1 2016.05.0 2 17.9 17.3 | 17.5 | 0.3 | 17.3–17.9 |
| AIO | 3.5 | 3.7 3.3 | 3.5 | 0.2 | 3.3–3.7 |
| EaW | 0.2 | 0.2 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2–0.2 |
| E-E | 3.0 | 3.3 3.2 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 3.0–3.3 |
| EL | 0.8 | 0.8 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.7–0.8 |
| E-N | 3.6 | 4.1 3.8 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 3.6–4.1 |
| EW | 2.0 | 2.0 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.3–2.0 |
| FL | 5.6 | 5.8 5.3 | 5.6 | 0.3 | 5.3–5.8 |
| HD | 3.3 | 3.7 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.2 | 3.3–3.7 |
| HL | 10.5 | 10.5 10.1 | 10.4 | 0.2 | 10.1–10.5 |
| HLE | 6.8 | 6.6 6.2 | 6.5 | 0.3 | 6.2–6.8 |
| HW | 6.4 | 6.5 6.2 | 6.4 | 0.2 | 6.2–6.5 |
| IN | 1.4 | 1.2 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 1.2–1.4 |
| IO | 5.0 | 5.5 5.1 | 5.2 | 0.2 | 5.0–5.5 |
| NE | 8.1 | 8.5 8.3 | 8.3 | 0.2 | 8.1–8.5 |
| NW | 0.1 | 0.1 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1–0.1 |
| PIO | 4.9 | 5.2 4.1 | 4.7 | 0.6 | 4.1–5.2 |
| SE | 4.6 | 4.9 4.3 | 4.6 | 0.3 | 4.3–4.9 |
| SED | 9.2 | 9.9 9.1 | 9.4 | 0.4 | 9.1–9.9 |
| SN | 0.9 | 0.8 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.8–0.9 |
| SVL | 38.1 | 40.1 36.2 | 38.2 | 2.0 | 36.2–40.1 |
| TBL | 6.9 | 6.6 6.5 | 6.7 | 0.2 | 6.5–6.9 |
| TD | 4.0 | 3.7 3.3 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 3.3–4.0 |
| TL | 46.7 | 48.2 42.7 | 45.9 | 2.8 | 42.7–48.2 |
| TW | 4.8 | 4.3 3.6 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 3.6–4.8 |
TABLE 2. Scale and pore counts of the type series of Cnemaspis rajakarunai sp. nov..
| Scale and pores count | Holotype (NMSL) | Paratypes (DWC) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016.07.0 1 NH | 2016.05.0 1 | 2016.05.0 2 | |
| Nasal contact SUP | No | No | No |
| Intra-orbital | 42 | 35 | 39 |
| Supralabial (end of jaw) | 9 | 11 | 10 |
| Supralabial (mid orbit) | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Infralabial (end of jaw) | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Infralabial (mid orbit) | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Post mentals | Separated | Separated | Separated |
| Dorsal tubercles | 84 | 85 | 81 |
| Ventrals (at mid body) | 26 | 29 | 27 |
| Ventrals | 146 | 167 | 186 |
| Subcaudals | 77 | 79 | 63 |
| Presubcaudals | 10 | 13 | 12 |
| Subcaudals enlarged/not | Enlarged | Enlarged | Enlarged |
| Femoral pores L / R | 7,8 | 0 | 7,7 |
| Precloacal pores | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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