Cyrtodactylus ziegleri Nazarov, Orlov, Nguyen & Ho, 2008

Specimens examined.

Vietnam • 3 ♂♂; DNGP, Dak Nong Province, cave C 1; 12°31'11.0"N, 107°53'34.4"E; December 2020; V. H. D. Nguyen leg.; ITBCZ 10209, 10211, 11034 • 1 ♀; DNGP, Dak Nong Province, cave C 3; 12°31'02.4"N, 107°53'47.3"E; October 2023; V. H. D. Nguyen, T. G. Tran leg.; ITBCZ 11035 • 1 ♀; DNGP, Dak Nong Province, cave C 6.1; 12°30'51.2"N, 107°53'59.8"E; October 2023; V. H. D. Nguyen, T. G. Tran leg.; ITBCZ 11024 .

2 ♂ (ITBCZ 10209, ITBCZ 10211) and 1 ♂ (ITBCZ 11034) from cave C 1 (12°31'11.0"N, 107°53'34.4"E), DNGP, Dak Nong Province, Vietnam, collected December 2020 by V. H. D. Nguyen • 1 ♀ (ITBCZ 11035) from cave C 3 (12°31'02.4"N, 107°53'47.3"E) and 1 ♀ (ITBCZ 11024) from cave C 6.1 (12°30'51.2"N, 107°53'59.8"E), collected October 2023 by V. H. D. Nguyen, T. G. Tran .

Notes.

The specimens were observed on the ceilings and within rock crevices, located 0–50 m inside the lava caves during both day and night. Cave C 1 has a single entrance and extends to areas with low oxygen concentrations at its deepest survey points (17.7 % at 180 m inside). The cave measures a maximum explored length of 195 m and a depth of 4.5 m. Cave C 3, also with a single entrance, has a maximum explored length of 716.3 m and a depth of 7.3 m. Cave C 6.1 features three entrances, with a maximum explored length of 293.7 m and a depth of 4.6 m (La et al. 2018). Microhabitat parameters recorded at the eight gecko occurrences are shown in Table 1. Sympatric fauna recorded alongside C. ziegleri included bats, crickets, crabs, snails, frogs ( Fejervarya limnocharis and Micryletta sp.), and other lizards ( Scincella sp.).

During cave surveys, we identified several primary threats to the cave habitat, including garbage, fire remnants, tourism, and poaching, all of which endanger cave wildlife (Fig. 3). Fires contribute to air pollution, which negatively impacts vegetation inside the caves that serve as a food source for insects (Baker et al. 2013). This, in turn, affects insectivorous species like bats and possibly C. ziegleri . Additionally, the heat from fires turned on inside the cave can lower the humidity and increase temperatures of the inner environment, provoking detrimental effects on the entire ecosystem (Baker et al. 2013). Tourism has also been reported to pose multiple threats to cave ecosystems, including alterations to the microenvironment due to rising CO 2 levels, temperature shifts, noise, and the introduction of dust and microorganisms from visitors (Piano et al. 2022). Understanding these threats is crucial for the conservation of these unique ecosystems.