Lepidodactylus sp.

Karin, Benjamin R., Stubbs, Alexander L., Arifin, Umilaela, Bloch, Luke M., Ramadhan, G., Iskandar, Djoko T., Arida, Evy, Reilly, Sean B., Kusnadi, Agus & Mcguire, Jimmy A., 2018, The herpetofauna of the Kei Islands (Maluku, Indonesia): Comprehensive report on new and historical collections, biogeographic patterns, conservation concerns, and an annotated checklist of species from Kei Kecil, Kei Besar, Tam, and Kur, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 66, pp. 704-738 : 720

Lepidodactylus sp. — New Record

(Fig. 15)

Distribution in the Kei Islands. Known only from Kur.

Natural history. This species is abundant on Kur Island just above the high tide line associated with trees growing near the beach. We never encountered this species on rocky substrates, a marked difference with L. pantai . High population densities were observed, often with five or more lizards visible on a single large tree approximately 1-metre diameter at breast height. One specimen was collected approximately 500 metres inland, also on a tree buttress root at night, suggesting that this species may also be present inland.

Field identification. This species has much shorter limbs than other species of Lepidodactylus currently known from the Kei Islands. It also has much more pronounced skin folds along the body and limbs, and distinctly webbed digits.

Remarks. We expect that these specimens represent an undescribed species of Lepidodactylus . It matches Group II in having an undivided terminal scansor followed by three divided scansors on toe IV ( Brown & Parker, 1977). It is also genetically divergent from L. cf. novaeguineae on Kei Kecil (unpublished data).