Sphenomorphus temengorensis, Grismer, Lee, Ahmad, Norhayati & Onn, Chan Kin, 2009

Grismer, Lee, Ahmad, Norhayati & Onn, Chan Kin, 2009, A new, diminutive, upland Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843 (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Peninsular Malaysia, Zootaxa 2312, pp. 27-38 : 29-34

Sphenomorphus temengorensis sp. nov.

Temengor Forest Skink

Figures 2 , 3

Holotype. Adult male ( DWNP 5018) collected from the Royal Belum Park, Perak, West Malaysia. Collector and date of collection unknown.

Paratype. Subadult ( LSUHC 5650; sex unknown) collected by L. Lee Grismer at 2300 h on 20 August 2003 on Gibbon Trail in the Temengor Forest Reserve at 800 m a.s.l. (05 34’ 15”N; 101 33’ 00”E).

Diagnosis. Sphenomorphus temengorensis is differentiated from all other species of Sundaland and Malay Peninsula Sphenomorphus by being relatively small (SVL 35.5 mm) and having 30–35 midbody scale rows; smooth as opposed to striated dorsal scales; 68–70 paravertebrals; 70 or 71 ventrals; four supraoculars; the parietals contacting the posteriormost supraocular; one medially projecting superciliary scale; two loreals; six supralabials and five infralabials; 10 or 11 lamellae beneath the fourth toe; keeled subdigital lamellae; enlarged precloacal scales; no body bands; limbs not overlapping when adpressed; a dark, diffuse, dorsolateral stripe bordered above by a cream dorsolateral stripe extending from the postorbital region to the groin as opposed to terminating in the axillary region; and the anterior half of the body being orangish as opposed to brownish. See TABLE 1 for the distribution of these character states across all 36 species.

Description of holotype. SVL 35.5 mm; TailL 30.0 mm (tip broken); AxGnL 20.4 mm; HeadL 7.2 mm; HeadW 4.5 mm; Sn-ForeL 12.7 mm; rostral wider than long, in broad contact with frontonasal; frontonasal wider than long; prefrontals large, in broad contact, left prefrontal overlaps right; frontal elongate, diamondshaped, in contact with first two supraoculars; four supraoculars; frontoparietals in contact posterior to frontal, contacting posterior portion of second, all of third and nearly all of fourth supraoculars anteriorly and parietals and interparietal posteriorly; left frontoparietal overlaps right; interparietal diamond-shaped, large, slightly projecting posteriorly, parietal eyespot in posterior projection; parietals large, in medial contact posterior to interparietal, contacting posterior corner of fourth supraocular anteriorly; left parietal overlaps right; nuchal scales absent; nasals small, widely separated, trapezoidal, contacting rostral anteriorly, frontonasal dorsally, first loreal posteriorly, first supralabial ventrally; nostril in center of nasal; supranasals absent; two similarly sized loreals taller than wide; two similarly sized preoculars in contact with posterior margin of second loreal; seven supraciliaries, posterior supraciliary elongate and projecting dorsomedially; two pretemporals, dorsalmost largest; six suboculars; six supralabials, third, fourth, and fifth below eye; three postsupralabials; two primary temporals; two secondary temporals, uppermost not contacting parietals; lower eyelid transparent, scaly, no enlarged central window; mental twice as wide as long; single, large postmental, contacting first infralabials on each side; two enlarged pairs of chinshields following postmental, anterior pair contacting medially, posterior pair widely separated posteriorly by a single scale; chinshields contacting first, second and third infralabials; five infralabials; external ear opening equal to diameter of eye, vertically subcircular, lacking anterior lobules; tympanum recessed.

florensis continued.

temengorensis

stellatus adult snout-vent length 80 48–64 56 46 90–92 64 35.5 midbody scale rows 24 40–42 30–37 26 34–36 31 30–35 Body scales smooth, cycloid, imbricate; ventral scales same size as dorsal scales; 35 longitudinal scale rows around midbody; 68 paravertebral scale rows; 70 ventral scale rows; two enlarged, medial, precloacal scales overlapping outer precloacal scales; tail robust, cylindrical; anterior subcaudals same size as dorsal caudals; posterior subcaudals slightly larger than dorsal caudals.

Limbs widely separated when adpressed; scales of dorsal surface slightly larger than those of ventral surface; palmar and plantar scales slightly raised; scales of dorsal surfaces of digits in a single row; 10 keeled, subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; first digit of manus not vestigial.

Color in alcohol. Overall dorsal ground color yellowish; distinct, light, dorsolateral stripe extending from postorbital region to near middle of trunk, becoming indistinct at midbody, bordered below by a distinct, thick, dark-brown stripe extending to the groin; light spots on back, head, and dorsal surfaces of limbs and tail; labial scales banded; venter cream colored, immaculate.

Variation. Dorsal ground color of the paratype (LSUHC 5650; Fig. 3 ) in life brown; distinct, cream to orange colored, dorsolateral stripe extending from postorbital region down the body and fading near the groin, bordered below by a thick, irregular, dark-brown stripe extending to the groin; back, top of limbs, tail, and top of head bearing light mottling; flanks cream colored, with faint, dark flecking; labials alternating brown and white; venter cream colored, immaculate. Differences in mensural and meristic characters between the holotype and the paratype are listed in TABLE 2 .

Distribution. Sphenomorphus temengorensis is known only from the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Perak, West Malaysia ( Fig. 1 ). Smith (1935) reported a specimen of S. butleri from eastern Perak at the headwaters of the Pelus River, just 30 km due east of the locality of the collection site of the paratype and 45 km southeast of the type locality ( Fig. 1 ). The habitat between all these areas is continuous hill dipterocarp forest and we believe it is likely that Smith (1935) found S. temengorensis . Unfortunately Smith (1935) did not provide a description of the specimen and it could not be located.

Natural history. Sphenomorphus temengorensis is a forest floor species inhabiting hill dipterocarp forests. Grismer et al. (2006) report collecting LSUHC 5056 foraging through the leaf litter during the evening. This is in accord with other reports of these small forest floor Sphenomorphus being active on cool cloudy days or evenings ( Grismer 2007a; Grismer 2006).

0 = absence of character state; 1 = presence of character state; pro = projecting dorsomedially. / indicates character state

could not be examined. Measurements in mm.

Etymology. The specific epithet temengorensis is in reference to the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex. The suffix ensis is a derivation meaning “from” or “inhabiting” and renders the specific epithet an adjective that must be in grammatical accord with the gender of Sphenomorphus .

Comparisons. Sphenomorphus temengorensis is most similar to S. butleri from Bukit Larut, Perak ( TABLE 1 ) which occurs 220 km to the southwest in a different mountain range, the Banjaran Bintang ( Fig. 1 ). It differs from S. butleri primarily in having fewer ventral scales (70 or 71 vs 62–71); having a welldefined, dark, dorsolateral stripe bordered above by a well-defined, cream-colored to orangish stripe extending from the postorbital region to the groin as opposed to having poorly defined, diffuse stripes extending to only the axilla; and in having the anterior half of the body being dark brown as opposed to orangish. Sphenomorphus temengorensis differs from S. bukitensis which occurs farther south in the same mountain range, the Banjaran Titiwangsa, by potentially being much smaller (35.3 mm vs. 44.0 mm maximum SVL); having fewer midbody scale rows (68–70 vs. 73 or 74); having one as opposed to two posteriorly projecting, superciliary scales; having fewer subdigital lamellae (10 or 11 vs. 12 or 13); having as opposed to lacking enlarged, precloacal scales; having as opposed to lacking a light, postorbital stripe; and the anterior portion of the body being brown and not nearly as orange in color. Sphenomorphus temengorensis differs from all other Sundaland species except S. butleri , S. buttikoferi , S. cophias , S. langkawiensis , S. necopinatus , and S. perhentianensis in being less than 40 mm SVL; it differs from S. anomolopus , S. cameronicus , S. cyanolaemus , S. floresnsis , S. haasi , S. multisquamatus , S. sabanus , and S. tanahtinggi in having less than 36 midbody scale rows and differs from S. buttikoferi , S. cophias , possibly S. perhentianensis , S. praesignus , possibly S. puncticentralis , possibly S. sibuensis , S. stellatus , and S. tenuiculus by having more than 29 midbody scale rows; it differs from S. floresensis , S. multisquamatus , S. puncticentralis , S. sabanus , and S. sanctus in having smooth as opposed to striated dorsal scales; S. temengorensis differs from S. anomolopus , S. bukitensis , S. indicus , S. kinabaluensis , S. maculicollus , S. malayanus , S. multisquamatus , possibly S. murudensis , S. sabanus , possibly S. sanctus , S. tanahtinggi , and S. vanheurni in having less than 71 paravertebral scales and from S. butleri , S. cophias , S. perhentianensis , possibly S. praesignus , S. puncticentralis , S. sibuensis , S. stellatus , and S. tenuiculus in having more than 67 paravertebral scales; it differs from S. crassa , S. cyanolaemus , S. haasi , S. indicus , S. kinabaluensis , S. maculicollus , S. malayanus , S. multisquamatus , possibly S. murudensis , and S. praesignus in having less than 72 ventral scale rows but differs from S. aesculeticola , S. butleri , S. perhentianensis , S. sibuensis , and S. tenuiculus in having more than 69 ventral scale rows. Sphenomorphus temengorensis has four supraoculars which differs from S. anomolopus , S. puncticentralis , S. sanctus , S. scotophilus , and S. tanahtinggi which have five; from S. kinabaluensis which has five or six; from S. cyanolaemus , S. haasi , and S. murudensis which have six; from S. floresensis , S. multisquamatus and S. sabanus which have six or seven; and S. maculicollus which has seven. Sphenomorphus temengorensis differs from S. cameronicus in that the parietals contact the supraorbitals as opposed to these scales not being in contact. Sphenomorphus temengorensis has a single posteriorly projecting supraciliary scale as opposed to having two as in S. bukitensis , S. butleri , S. cyanolaemus , S. indicus , S. ishaki , S. multisquamatus , S. murudensis , S. sanctus , S. scotophilus , and S. sibuensis and lacking posteriorly projecting supraciliaries in S. tanahtinggi . The prefrontal scales contact one another on the midline in S. temengorensis but do not contact in S. aesculeticola , S. cameronicus , S. cophias , S. crassa , S. indicus , S. maculicollus , S. tenuiculus , and S. vanheurni . Sphenomorphus temengorensis has two loreal scales as opposed to three in S. cyanolaemus , S. multisquamatus , S. tersus , S. sabanus , and S. sibuensis ; one in S. kinabaluensis and S. maculicollus ; and four in S. tanahtinggi . There are six supralabials in S. temengorensis as opposed to seven in S. anomolopus , S. cameronicus , S. cophias , S. crassa , S. cyanolaemus , S. haasi , S. indicus , S. kinabaluensis , S. malayanus , S. praesignus , S. puncticentralis , S. sabanus , S. sanctus , S. scotophilus , S. stellatus , S. tenuiculus , and S. tersus and five in S. ishaki and S. multisquamatus . Sphenomorphus temengorensis has five infralabials and differs from S. cyanolaemus , S. haasi , S. maculicollus , S. perhentianensis , S. sanctus , S. scotophilus , and S. tenuiculus which have six; from S. cophias , S. crassa , S. indicus , S. kinabaluensis , S. murudensis , S. praesignus , S. puncticentralis , S. stellatus , S. tanahtinggi , and S. tersus which have seven; from S. anomolopus which has six or seven; and from S. malayanus which has seven or eight. Sphenomorphus temengorensis differs from S. anomolopus , S. bukitensis , S. butleri , S. buttikoferi , S. cameronicus , S. crassa , S. cyanolaemus , S. floresensis , S. haasi , S. indicus , S. kinabaluensis , S. maculicollus , possibly S. malayanus , S. multisquamatus , S. murudensis , S. praesignus , S. puncticentralis , S. sabanus , S. sanctus , S. scotophilus , S. shelfordi , S. stellatus , S. tanahtinggi , S. tenuiculus , S. tersus , and S. vanherni in having less 11 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe and differs from S. cophias and S. sibuensis in having more than nine subdigital lamellae. The subdigital lamellae are keeled in S. temengorensis and all other Sundaland Sphenomorphus except S. butleri , S. bukitensis , S. floresensis , S. haasi , S. kinabaluensis , S. maculicollus , S. multisquamatus , S. murudensis , S. perhentianensis , S. praesignus , S. puncticentralis , S. shelfordi , S. temmincki , S. tenuiculus , and S. vanheurni which have smooth subdigital lamellae. The precloacal scales in S. temengorensis are enlarged as in all other Sundaland Sphenomorphus except S. aesculeticola , S. bukitensis , S. hallieri , and S. temmincki .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of the diminutive, montane and insular, endemic species of Sphenomorphus in Peninsular Malaysia. 1 = Royal Belum State Park, Perak; 2 = Temengor Forest Reserve, Perak; 3 = head waters of the Pelus River, Perak.

FIGURE 2. Type series of Sphenomorphus temengorensis. Holotype DWNP 5018 (upper) and paratype LSUHC 5659 (lower).

FIGURE 3. Paratype of Sphenomorphus temengorensis (LSUHC 5650) from the Temengor Forest Reserve, Perak.

Tables

TABLE 1. Selected scale counts, mensural and color pattern characteristics of Sundaland Sphenomorphu. 0 = absence of character state; 1 = presence of character state; pro = projecting dorsomedially. — indicates character state could not be examined due to inaccessibility of specimens or its description in the literature. The data from asterisked species were taken from the literature.

haasi adult snout-vent length 40–43 midbody scale rows 26–32 hallieri dorsal scales striated 0	70 38–39 0	40.5–44 31–33 0	34–44 31–33 0	35 24 0	70 38 0	37 24 0	82 32 0	60 40 0	71 aesculeticola 40–50 1
paravertebral scale rows — ventral scale rows indicus 60–68 supraoculars 4 parietals contact ishaki supraocular 1	71 — 5 1	73–74 61–74 4 1	66–67 62–63 4 1	— — 4 1	69 — 4 1	56 — 4 1	— 72 4 1	67–75 78–93 6 1	— anomolopus — 6–7 bukitensis —
supraciliaries 1 pro prefrontals in contact kinabaluensis 0 loreals 2 supralabials 6 langkawiensis infralabials 5	1 pro 1 2 7 6–7	2 pro 1 2 6 5	2 pro 1 1,2 6 5–6	— 1 — — —	1 pro 0 2 7 5	— 0 2 7 7	— 0 2 7 7	2 pro 1 3 7 6	— butleri 1 2 buttikoferi — —
4th toe lamellae 6–10 lamellae texture maculicollus —	16–17 —	12–13 keeled	12–13 smooth	21–23 smooth	20–21 —	9 —	18–19 —	18 keeled	27–29 cameronicus smooth
enlarged preanal scales 0 body banded 0 malayanus dark dorsolateral stripe 0 light postorbital stripe 0 multisquamatus light dorsolateral stripe 0	1 1 0 0 0	0 0 faint 0 0	1 0 1 0 0	1 — 1 — 0	1 0 1 0 0	1 0 1 0 0	1 0 1 0 0	1 0 1 0 0	1 cophias 0 1 0 crassa 0
sample size * continued. murudensis	*	2	7	*	*	2	*	9	* cyanolaemus

TABLE 2. Data on the type series of Sphenomorphus temengorensis.

	LSUHC	DWNP
	5650	5018
sex	/	male
snout-vent length (SVL)	20.7	35.5
tail length (TL)	19.2	30
axila-groin length (AxGnL)	13.1	20.4
head length (HeadL)	6.1	7.2
head width (HeadW)	3.6	4.5
snout to forelimb (SnForeL)	9.8	12.7
midbody scale rows	30	35
dorsal scales striated	0	0
paravertebral scale rows	70	68
ventral scale rows	71	70
supraoculars	4	4
parietals contacting supraocular	1	1
supraciliaries	1 pro	1 pro
prefrontals in contact	1	1
loreals	2	2
supralabials	6	6
infralabials	5	5
4th toe lamellae	11	10
lamellae texture	keeled	keeled
enlarged preanal scales	1	1
body banded	0	0
overlap of limbs	0	0
dark dorsolateral stripe along body (X)	X	X
or from eye to axilla only (—)
light dorsolateral stripe along body (X)	—	—
or from eye to axilla only (—)
anterior half of body orangish	0	0