Uroplatus fiera, Ratsoavina, Fanomezana Mihaja, Ranjanaharisoa, Fiadanantsoa Andrianja, Glaw, Frank, Raselimanana, Achille P., Miralles, Aurélien & Vences, Miguel, 2015

Ratsoavina, Fanomezana Mihaja, Ranjanaharisoa, Fiadanantsoa Andrianja, Glaw, Frank, Raselimanana, Achille P., Miralles, Aurélien & Vences, Miguel, 2015, A new leaf-tailed gecko of the Uroplatus ebenaui group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Madagascar's central eastern rainforests, Zootaxa 4006 (1), pp. 143-160 : 154-158

Uroplatus fiera sp. nov.

(Figures 7–8)

Remark. This new species was previously referred to as Uroplatus ebenaui [Ca7] by Ratsoavina et al. (2012, 2013), and samples from the locality Fierenana preliminarily as Uroplatus sp. 1 ( Ratsoavina et al. 2011). Ratsoavina et al. (2013) assigned one additional specimen that lacks precise locality to their U. ebenaui [Ca7] (specimen RAX 4012, named Uroplatus sp. F by Raxworthy et al. 2008).

Holotype. ZSM 213/2014 (field number FRC 619), adult male with everted hemipenes, collected in the Marohonkona forest of the Fierenana region, 18°27' 40.1" S, 48° 27' 15.1" E, 1041 m above sea level, on the night of 2 May 2013, by F. M. Ratsoavina, F. A. Ranjanaharisoa, and A. P. Raselimanana.

Paratypes. ZSM 212/2014 ( FRC 618), adult male, with same collecting data as the holotype; ZSM 1126/2003 ( FGMV 2002.3097), adult male, collected by local collectors in the Fierenana region (no precise locality) in February 2003; ZSM 211/2002 (MV 2001-1403), male, collected by local collectors in the Fierenana region (no precise locality) in December 2001; UADBA-R 70849 ( FRC 650), adult male, and UADBA-R 70850 ( FRC 651), adult female, collected by F. A. Ranjanaharisoa in 2012 at a site in the forest corridor between Fierenana and Ambatovy, 18° 47' 48.7'' S, 48° 22' 16.2'' E, 962 m above sea level.

Diagnosis. Uroplatus fiera sp. nov. is included in the Uroplatus ebenaui group of small-sized leaf-tailed geckos due to its triangular head with supraocular spines, laterally compressed body, and short tail. It differs from all members of the U. fimbriatus group ( U. fimbriatus , U. giganteus , U. henkeli , U. sikorae and U. sameiti ) and U. lineatus by its much smaller size (adult SVL 55.9–67.2 mm versus at least 85 mm), lack of lateral integumentary fringing on any part of the body, and lateral compression of the body (versus depressed body shape with lateral integumentary fringes), and a relatively much shorter tail. The evident triangular head, rather smooth skin and short tail distinguish U. fiera from U. alluaudi , U. guentheri , U. pietschmanni , and U. malahelo .

Within the U. ebenaui group, the new species differs from U. malama , U. phantasticus and U. finiavana by a shorter (adult TAL/SVL 0.28–0.34 versus 0.72 in U. malama , 0.62–0.76 in U. phantasticus , 0.42 in U. finiavana ) and narrower tail (TAW/SVL 0.06–0.07 versus 0.24 in U. malama , 0.16–0.20 in U. phantasticus , and 0.14–0.16 in U. finiavana ). It is further distinguished from U. malama , U. phantasticus and U. ebenaui by its unpigmented oral mucosa (versus blackish pigmented oral mucosa). Furthermore, U. fiera sp. nov. differs from U. ebenaui by having a greater number of lamellae under the third toe (7–8 versus 5–6), and apparently by larger body size (SVL 56–78 mm versus 50–63 mm). Additionally, U. fiera sp. nov. differs from all the other nominal species in the U. ebenaui group by its strong genetic divergence (p -distances of 16S rDNA>8.5%).

Description of the holotype. Adult male in good condition with intact tail and everted hemipenes. SVL 66.2 mm, tail length 19.9 mm, maximum tail width 3.8 mm, for further measurements see Table 1. Head triangular in dorsal view, postorbital region 6.8 mm; snout length 7.3 mm; canthus rostralis indistinct; snout sloping strongly and continuously downward anteriorly; snout depressed, short (1.2 times longer than eye diameter); eyes large (eye diameter 6.1 mm), bulging slightly above dorsal surface of cranium, directed laterally, pupil vertical with crenate borders; ear opening very small (horizontal diameter 1.0– 1.1 mm), its opening facing posterolaterally, but also posteroventrally (ear opening clearly visible in ventral view but not in dorsal view); nostrils laterally oriented; body somewhat laterally compressed, without lateral fringes; limbs well developed, without fringes, forelimb reaches beyond tip of snout when adpressed forward and almost to the groin when adpressed backwards along body (forelimb length/axilla-groin distance 29.1/ 25.7 mm =113%), hind limb reaches beyond axilla when adpressed forward along body (hind limb length/axilla-groin distance 36.3/ 34.9 mm = 104%); tail length 30% of snout-vent length, membranous borders of the tail narrow and completely absent from the distal tip of the tail, tail with 6 lateral spine-like indentations. Nares separated from each other by at least six small granular scales, from the first supralabial by one scale, and from the rostral scale by one scale; first supralabial taller than the others; rostral entire, much wider than tall; mental scale very small, not differentiated from infralabial scales (total series of infralabials on one side of the head, without mental scale and counting tiny scales at the jaw commissure, equals 28; supralabials yield the same count of 28 on one side); no enlarged postmental scales or chin shields; dorsal and ventral scales of head, neck, body, limbs, and tail small, granular, juxtaposed and largely of uniform size, except for the irregular lines on the head and body which consist of series of slightly enlarged scales. Two curved lines (rows of slightly enlarged scales) extending from the posterolateral parts of the head (nuchal region) converge on the neck forming a V-shaped pattern (neck triangular line). A similar, curved, moderately distinct and posteriorly directed line (also formed by a row of slightly enlarged scales) is present between the eyes and connects the supraciliary spines. Three additional transverse lines, consisting of slightly enlarged scales, are recognizable on the frontal region of the head. Several spines on the posterior part of the head (ca. 16), on hind limbs (ca. 11 per limb), two spines on knee, spines absent from elbow and forelimb; a prominent pointed flap on the posterior portion of each upper eyelid; upper eyelid becomes broader as it approaches the parietal region of the head.

FIGURE 7. Photos of the male holotype ZSM 213/2014 (FRC 619) of Uroplatus fiera sp. nov. in life from Marohonkona forest near Fierenana, taken in the night of May 2nd, 2013.

Coloration ( Fig. 8 ). After one year of preservation in 70% ethanol the colour pattern remains the same as in the living animal (Fig. 7) but its vivacity and intensity have faded. All dorsal surfaces are beige to light brown except on the dorsal sides of the head, neck, forelimbs, in the cloacal region, and on the hind limbs, where the colour is darker, showing an irregular light pattern. The tail is uniformly light brown mottled with few dark spots. The mottling of the body is configured as a series of fine posteriorly directed markings along the dorsum. Two whitish spots are present below each eye. The chin is darker than the throat, which is beige with a distinct blackish wide V-marking, the arms of which merge to form an indistinct dark longitudinal line that fades on the throat. The venter is light brown with irregular dots, which become more numerous towards the posterior half of the body, where a distinct dark line delimits the ventral and the dorsal side of the body. The lower hind limbs and feet are slightly darker than other ventral surfaces. The postpygal portion of the tail is marked with a whitish spot. A dorsolateral dark line runs from each forelimb insertion backwards, both lines joining at the tail insertion; just above this dark line four obvious spines are visible on each side of the body. The oral mucosa is unpigmented (whitish in preservative, pinkish in life).

Variation. In general, the paratypes agree well with the holotype in morphology. For measurements, see Table 1. The number of head spines varies from 4 (FRC 651) to 25 (ZSM 211/2002). FRC 650 also has spines on elbow (n=1) and forelimb (n=4). The oral mucosa is unpigmented in all specimens. The number of recognizable transverse lines across the head (in addition to the one between supraciliaries) varies from zero (ZSM 211/2002) to three (in various specimens). FRC 650 is the largest specimens (SVL 78.0 mm; Table 1). The colour pattern is highly variable. FRC 650 is rather strongly patterned including an isolated small dark brown patch on the neck and a second one on the dorsum. Other specimens such as ZSM 212/2014 are dorsally almost uniform pale brown and ventrally with very limited mottling.

Hemipenis structure. The everted hemipenes of the holotype (ZSM 213/2014) and one paratype (ZSM 212/ 2014) were examined ( Fig. 9 ). In both specimens, and as in other species of the U. ebenaui group, each hemipenis has two lobes that become more obvious towards the apical region. The calyx displays a protuberance with a honeycomb appearance, especially on the asulcal side. The area of the sulcus spermaticus is smooth. Each lobe has a dense field of pointed papillae at its apex.

Etymology. The species name fiera is used as noun in apposition to the generic name. It was chosen because it alludes, on one hand, to an euphonious abbreviation of the species' type locality Fierenana, and on the other hand it corresponds to the Spanish noun fiera = beast, thus making allusion to the devil-like appearance of this species and other small Uroplatus in frontal view.

Distribution. Known from the Fierenana and Ambatovy regions, of Northern Central East of Madagascar.

Habitat and habits. The holotype was collected in the Fierenana region in a primary forest called Marohonkona. Part of the Northern Central East of Madagascar, the type locality has a humid tropical climate, and its vegetation at is dominated by moist evergreen forest. The holotype was found active during a night search, perched on a fern tree at 2 m above ground.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Preserved holotype (ZSM 213 / 2014 - FRC 619) of Uroplatus fiera sp. nov.

FIGURE 9. Photos of everted hemipenes of two males of Uroplatus fiera: holotype ZSM 213 / 2014 (FRC 619) and paratype ZSM 212 / 2014 (FRC 618). Not to scale.