Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis Liu & Rao, 2021

Zhang, Dongru, Wu, Yunhe, Zuo, Changsheng, Yin, Fawang & Liu, Shuo, 2024, First description of the female of Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis Liu & Rao, 2021, with extended diagnosis of this species (Squamata, Gekkonidae), Herpetozoa 37, pp. 65-72 : 65

Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis Liu & Rao, 2021

Figs 3 , 4

Specimen examined.

KIZ2022159, adult female, collected on 13 September 2022 by Shuo Liu from Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Xueli Village, Taiping Town, Yingjiang County, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China (24°26'35"N, 97°33'1"E; at an elevation of 380 m) (Fig. 1 ).

Description of the female specimen.

SVL 75.0 mm; head relatively large (HL/SVL 0.26, HW/HL 0.68), depressed (HH/HL 0.45), distinct from neck; loreal and interorbital region concave, canthus rostralis slightly swollen; snout moderately long (SE/HL 0.40); eye large (ED/HL 0.24); pupil vertical with crenulated margins; ear opening oval, obliquely oriented (EL/HL 0.08); rostral with midrostral suture dorsally; two large supranasals, separated by one small internasal; dorsal head scales heterogeneous, rounded, granules; mental triangular with a pair of enlarged postmentals followed by some gradually decreasing chin-shields; scales on other region of the ventral head almost homogeneous, small, rounded, granules; supralabials seven to midorbital position on both sides, nine to angle of the jaw on right side and ten to angle of the jaw on the left side; infralabials nine on right side and seven on left side.

Body slender (TRL/SVL 0.45); dorsal scales heterogeneous, primarily small rounded granules, intermixed with irregularly arranged large circular tubercles, tubercles on nape and occipital region smaller than those on dorsum; ventrolateral folds present; ventral scales larger than dorsal; enlarged femoral scales and femoral pores absent; precloacal scales enlarged, precloacal pores absent; no precloacal groove; cloacal spurs indistinct.

Limbs slender (FL/SVL 0.15, CL/SVL 0.18); digits strongly inflected at each joint, all bearing robust, recurved claws; relative length of digits: I<II<V<III<IV (manus) and I<II<III<V<IV (pes); scales on dorsal forelimbs heterogeneous, granules, with small tubercles interspersed, scales on dorsal hind limbs heterogeneous, granular, with large conical tubercles interspersed; ventral scales of limbs almost homogeneous, granular, smaller than those on ventral body.

Original tail broken but exists, subequal to body length (TL/SVL 0.98); dorsal tail scales heterogeneous, with small tubercles interspersed; two rows of subcaudal scales slightly enlarged.

Coloration in life.

Dorsal surface of head almost uniform brownish gray; upper lip brownish gray with many white spots, an indistinct black postorbital streak that extends backwards above ear opening on each side; a disconnected W-shaped black stripe on the occiput; dorsal surface of body brownish gray with many short black and white streaks roughly forming longitudinal rows; dorsal surface of limbs gray with indistinct white bands and spots; dorsal surface of tail grayish black with ten white bands; ventral surfaces of head, body, and limbs white, ventral surface of tail checkered with brownish gray and white; iris bronze with dark reticulations, edge of pupil orange red.

Extended diagnosis.

Body size moderate (SVL 73.8-79.9 mm in adults); 9-12 supralabials; 8-11 infralabials; 17-19 longitudinal rows of rounded, conical dorsal tubercles; 31-32 paravertebral tubercles; 35-41 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds; no precloacal groove; femoral scales not enlarged, no femoral pores; 7-8 precloacals in males, no precloacal in female; 16-17 total subdigital lamellae beneath finger IV, 19-20 total subdigital lamellae beneath toe IV; subcaudal scales not transversely enlarged or two median rows slightly enlarged. Dorsum with light and dark blotches roughly forming longitudinal markings; a W-shaped black stripe present on occipital region; tail with 8-10 alternating dark and light bands; iris blueish gray or bronze with orange red edge.

Figures

Figure 1. Sampling sites of Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis: solid black star, the locality of the holotype; solid black triangle, the locality of the paratype; solid green circle, the locality of the newly collected female specimen.

Figure 3. The female specimen (KIZ 2022159) of Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis in life. A. Dorsal view; B. Close-up dorsal view of the head; C. Close-up dorsolateral view of the head.

Figure 4. The female specimen (KIZ 2022159) of Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis in preservative. A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Close-up view of the precloacal and femoral regions.