Cnemaspis anuradhae, Khandekar & Thackeray & Agarwal, 2024

Khandekar, Akshay, Thackeray, Tejas & Agarwal, Ishan, 2024, Five new species of the Cnemaspis beddomei clade (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from high elevation, evergreen forests of the Southern Western Ghats, India, Zootaxa 5469 (1), pp. 1-70 : 22-31

Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F9717335-80B3-4D39-8A35-75CE5BC2D461

( Figs 9–13 ; Tables 6–8)

Holotype. NRC-AA-8385 ( AK-R 1869 ), adult male, from near Sri Lakshmi Estate (10.3183°N, 77.6565°E; ca. 1400 m asl.), Mangalamkombu in Palani Hills , Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu State, India; collected by Akshay Khandekar, Ishan Agarwal, Swapnil Pawar and team on 13 th May 2022.

Paratypes. NRC-AA-8386 ( AK-R 1870 ), adult female, NRC-AA-8387 ( AK-R 1880 ), adult male, same data as holotype ; NRC-AA-8388 ( AK-R 1881 ), NRC-AA-8389 ( AK-R 1882 ), adult males, from near RASI Plantation and Coffee Farms (10.3119°N, 77.6292°E; ca. 1700 m asl.), Mangalamkombu in Palani Hills , same data as holotype ; NRC-AA-8390 ( AK-R 1906 ), adult male, NRC-AA-8391 ( AK-R 1907 ), adult female, from Kodaikanal Ghat road (10.2569°N, 77.5306°E; ca. 1650 m asl.), Kodaikanal, Dindigul District , Tamil Nadu State, India; collected by Akshay Khandekar, Ishan Agarwal, Swapnil Pawar and team on 15 th May 2022 .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a latinized eponym, honouring Anuradha Batabyal for her contributions to studies of behavioural ecology, colour physiology and cognition in Indian lizards, and for constant support and encouragement to the first author (AK).

Suggested common name. Anuradha’s dwarf gecko or Dindigul dwarf gecko.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized Cnemaspis , snout to vent length up to 50 mm (n = 7). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled granular scales intermixed with irregularly arranged rows of enlarged, weakly keeled, conical tubercles; 13–15 rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody, 20–25 tubercles in paravertebral rows; ventral scales subequal from chest to vent, smooth, subcircular and subimbricate with rounded end; 26–28 (rarely 22, n = 1/7) scales across belly at midbody, 140–156 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, unnotched, mostly entire; 15–18 lamellae under digit I of manus and 14 or 15 under digit I of pes, 21–24 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 23–28 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males with continuous series of eight or nine precloacal pores (n = 5); scales on non-regenerated tail dorsum homogeneous; composed of small, smooth, slightly elongate, flattened, subimbricate scales that are becoming slightly pronounced on lateral sides; median row of subcaudals smooth and slightly enlarged. Mottled yellow and brown anterior half of body and head, six indistinct yellow markings from nape to hindlimbs, tail banded black and light grey, females light brown and juveniles dark brown with light mid-vertebral markings.

Comparisons with members of beddomei clade. Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all described members of the beddomei clade as well as from C. boiei by a combination of the following differing or non-overlapping characters:A medium-sized Cnemaspis , snout to vent length up to 50 mm (versus small-sized Cnemaspis , snout to vent length <40 mm in C. aaronbaueri , C. azhagu , C. boiei , C. galaxia , C. nigriventris , C. regalis , C. sathuragiriensis , C. sundara and C. vangoghi ; large-sized Cnemaspis , snout to vent length> 50 mm in C. anamudiensis , C. beddomei , C. maculicollis and C. smaug ; maximum SVL 46 mm in C. ornata and 43 mm in C. nairi ); scales on non-regenerated tail dorsum homogeneous, lacking enlarged tubercles (versus scales on non-regenerated tail dorsum heterogeneous, with the presence of enlarged tubercles in C. aaronbaueri , C. azhagu , C. galaxia , C. nairi , C. nigriventris , C. ornata , C. rashidi , C. regalis , C. rubraoculus , C. sathuragiriensis , C. smaug , C. sundara , C. vangoghi and C. wallaceii ); median row of subcaudals smooth and slightly enlarged (versus median row of subcaudals smooth and slightly enlarged with condition of two slightly enlarged scales alternating with a divided scale in C. aaronbaueri , C. azhagu , C. beddomei , C. galaxia , C. nairi , C. nigriventris , C. ornata , C. regalis , C. sathuragiriensis , C. smaug , C. vangoghi , median row of subcaudals smooth and enlarged with irregularly arranged scales in C. maculicollis , and median row with individual large scale alternating with slightly smaller scale in C. nimbus ); enlarged tubercles on midbody dorsum irregularly arranged (versus enlarged tubercles on midbody dorsum absent in C. boiei , enlarged tubercles on midbody dorsum regularly arranged in C. aaronbaueri , C. azhagu , C. galaxia , C. maculicollis , C. nairi , C. nigriventris , C. ornata , C. rashidi , C. regalis , C. smaug , C. vangoghi and C. wallaceii ); 26–28 scales across belly at midbody (versus 31–33 scales across belly at midbody in C. aaronbaueri , 34–44 in C. azhagu , 30–34 in C. beddomei , 32 or 33 in C. nairi , 38–40 in C. nigriventris , 33–37 in C. ornata , 29–32 in C. rashidi , 40–44 in C. regalis , 30–37 in C. rubraoculus , 30–36 in C. smaug , 35 or 36 in C. sundara and 29–31 in C. vangoghi ); 13–15 rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody (versus only a few enlarged scattered tubercles at midbody dorsum in C. anamudiensis , two or three rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody in C. azhagu , eight in C. galaxia , 16–18 in C. nairi , 7–9 in C. regalis , 6–8 in C. sathuragiriensis , 18–20 in C. smaug , six in C. sundara , 10 or 11 in C. rashidi and 10 in C. vangoghi ); 20–25 tubercles (mean 20.0) in paravertebral rows (versus paravertebral tubercles either absent or irregular in C. anamudiensis , C. azhagu , C. sathuragiriensis and C. sundara , 14 tubercles in paravertebral rows in C. galaxia , 12 in C. regalis and 7–14 in C. vangoghi ; 16–24 tubercles (mean 18.8) in paravertebral rows in C. agamalaiensis sp. nov.); 140–156 longitudinal scales (mean 146.7) from mental to cloaca (versus 117 in C. boiei , 157–165 in C. ornata , 170–172 in C. rashidi 156–160 in C. sundara , and 137–149 (mean 142.6) in C. agamalaiensis sp. nov.); males with continuous series of eight or nine precloacal pores (versus males with continuous series of two precloacal pores in C. anamudiensis and 10 in C. maculicollis , males with continuous series of seven (eight in 1/ 7 males) precloacal pores in C. agamalaiensis sp. nov.); ventral scales smooth (versus ventral scales weakly keeled in C. beddomei and C. rubraoculus ); a distinct white ocellus on ventrolateral sides of neck absent in both sexes (versus a distinct white ocellus on ventrolateral sides of neck present in males in C. galaxia , C. nairi , C. nigriventris , C. ornata , C. rashidi , C. sathuragiriensis , C. sundara and C. vangoghi ); a distinct pair of white ocelli or streak on shoulder and behind the forearm insertions absent (versus a distinct pair of white ocelli or streak on shoulder and behind the forearm insertion present in C. smaug , and distinct white ocelli or streak on occiput, neck and shoulder present in C. maculicollis ); no light mid-vertebral stripe on anterior half of body (versus thick light mid-vertebral stripe from occiput to midbody in C. nimbus ). Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov. is diagnosed against the other new species as part of their descriptions below.

Description of the holotype. Adult male in good state of preservation except tail tip bent towards left, a small skin injury on occiput, fourth toe on left pes incomplete, and a 3.7 mm long incision in abdomen region for tissue collection ( Fig. 9A–E ). SVL 48.4 mm, head short (HL/SVL 0.27), wide (HW/HL 0.68), not strongly depressed (HD/HL 0.47), distinct from neck. Loreal region marginally inflated, canthus rostralis indistinct. Snout almost half of head length (ES/HL 0.48), slightly more than two times eye diameter (ES/ED 2.20); scales on snout and canthus rostralis somewhat elongate, subequal, smooth to weakly keeled, conical, much larger than those on forehead and interorbital region; scales on forehead similar to those on snout and canthus rostralis except slightly smaller; scales on interorbital region even smaller, granular and smooth; scales on occipital, and temporal region heterogeneous, composed of granular scales intermixed with scattered, enlarged, weakly keeled, conical tubercles ( Fig. 10A ). Eye small (ED/HL 0.21), with round pupil; supraciliaries short, larger anteriorly; 10 interorbital scale rows across narrowest point of frontal; 34 scale rows between left and right supraciliaries at mid-orbit ( Fig. 10A, C ). Ear-opening deep, oval, small (EL/HL 0.07); eye to ear distance much greater than diameter of eye (EE/ED 1.41) ( Fig. 10C ). Rostral almost two times wider (2.7 mm) than high (1.3 mm), incompletely divided dorsally by a strongly developed rostral groove for more than half of its height; a single enlarged, roughly rectangular supranasal on each side, almost two times larger than upper postnasal, and separated from each other behind rostral by one or two much smaller internasal scales; a pair of slightly enlarged, conical scales behind internasals, separated from each other by three much smaller, granular scales; rostral in contact with supralabial I, lower postnasal, nostril, supranasal, and internasal on either side; nostrils oval, surrounded by two postnasals, supranasal, and rostral on either side; two roughly circular postnasals on either side, upper supranasal larger than lower; two single row of scales separate orbit from supralabials ( Fig. 10C ). Mental enlarged, subtriangular, slightly wider (3.2 mm) than high (2.7 mm); two pairs of postmentals, inner pair roughly rectangular, much shorter (1.1 mm) than mental, separated from each other below mental by a single enlarged median chin shield; inner pair bordered by mental, outer postmental, median chin shield and two enlarged chin shields on either side; additionally, by infralabial I on left and infralabial I and II on right side; outer postmentals roughly square, almost half (0.5 mm) in size than inner pair, bordered by inner postmentals and four enlarged chin shields on either side, additionally, bordered by infralabial I & II on left and infralabial II on right; four enlarged gular scales (including median chin shield) between left and right outer postmentals; all chin shields bordering postmentals protrudent, subcircular, smooth, and much smaller than outermost postmentals; scales on rest of throat, granular, even smaller, smooth, subcircular, and weakly conical ( Fig. 10B ). Infralabials bordered below by a row or two of slightly enlarged, much elongated scales, decreasing in size posteriorly. Ten supralabials on left and nine on right side up to angle of jaw and six at midorbital position on each side; supralabial I largest, gradually decreasing in size posteriorly; eight infralabials on left and nine on right side up to angle of jaw, five at midorbital position on left and six on right side; infralabial I largest, gradually decreasing in size posteriorly ( Fig. 10C ).

Body relatively slender (BW/AGL 0.46), trunk marginally less than half of SVL (AGL/SVL 0.42) without spinelike tubercles on flank ( Fig. 11A–C ). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled granular scales intermixed with irregularly arranged rows of enlarged, weakly keeled, conical tubercles; granular scales gradually increasing in size towards each flank, largest on mid-flank; granular scales on occiput slightly smaller than paravertebral granules; enlarged tubercles in approximately 14 longitudinal rows at midbody; 22 tubercles in paravertebral rows ( Fig. 11A ).

Ventral scales much larger than granular scales on dorsum, subequal from chest to vent, smooth, subcircular and subimbricate with rounded end; scales on precloacal region and four or five rows on lower thigh distinctly enlarged; midbody scale rows across belly 28; 152 scales from mental to anterior border of cloaca ( Fig. 11B ). A continuous series of seven precloacal pores, femoral pores absent ( Fig. 10D ).

Scales on palm and soles, smooth, subcircular, and flattened; scales on dorsal aspects of limbs homogenous; composed of small, weakly keeled, weakly conical, subimbricate scales; scales on ventral aspect of upper arm smooth, granular, much smaller than granular scales on body dorsum, scales on ventral aspect of lower arm with much larger scales than those on upper arm, smooth, subcircular, flattened, and subimbricate scales; ventral aspect of thigh and shank with enlarged, smooth, flattened, subimbricate scales, much larger than body ventrals ( Fig. 9A, B ). Forelimbs and hindlimbs slightly long, slender (LAL/SVL 0.15; CL/SVL 0.19); digits long, with a strong, recurved claw, distinctly inflected, distal portions laterally compressed conspicuously. Digits with mostly unpaired lamellae, separated into a basal and narrower distal series by single enlarged lamella at inflection; two or three paired lamellae above the inflection on some digits; basal lamellae series: (3-6-6-5-5 right manus, 4-7-7-9-4 right pes, Fig. 10F ), (4-6-5-5-6 left manus, Fig. 10E ; 3-8-7-6 *-4 left pes); distal lamellae series: (13-14-16-17-15 right manus, 11-14-18-17-17 right pes, Fig. 10F ), (13-14-17-16-15 left manus, Fig. 10E ; 12-14-18 -*-16 left pes). Relative length of digits (measurements in mm in parentheses): III (5.2)> V (5.0)> IV (4.8)> II (4.7)> I (3.7) (right manus); IV (6.3)> V (6.2)> III (5.6)> II (5.2)> I (3.3) (right pes).

Tail original, subcylindrical, slender, entire, slightly longer than body (TL/SVL 1.18) ( Fig. 9C–E ). Dorsal pholidosis on tail homogeneous; composed of small, smooth, slightly elongate, flattened, subimbricate scales that are becoming slightly pronounced on lateral sides ( Fig. 9C, E ). Scales on tail venter much larger than those on dorsal aspect, smooth, roughly subcircular to elongate, flattened, subimbricate; median series smooth, slightly enlarged than rest ( Fig. 9D ). Scales on tail base much smaller, smooth, subimbricate; a single, smooth postcloacal tubercle on either side ( Fig. 9D ).

Colouration in life ( Fig. 12A ). Dorsum of body and head dark brown, mottled with yellow, brown and grey markings; forelimbs yellow brown, hindlimbs grey and tail dark grey with about 12 light blue-grey bands. Brown preorbital streak flanked ventrally by lighter band that run from nostril to orbit; indistinct light cream postorbital streak; thick reticulation of light markings on head. About six sets of yellow markings from nape to hindlimb insertions, last two fading to blue-green. A few spots on forelimbs and numerous ones on hindlimbs; digits light grey with alternating dark brown markings. Ventral colouration dirty white; throat dull brown with thick white reticulation and spots on ventrolateral region; subcaudals with some dark grey or black scale edges; precloacal and femoral regions with almost no dark markings. Pupil black, iris reddish with a light orange ring lining pupil.

Variation and additional information from the paratype series ( Figs 12B, C ; 13A, B ). Mensural, meristic and additional character state data for the type series is given in Tables 6–8 respectively. There are four adult males and two adult females, ranging in size from 45.8–50.3 mm ( Fig. 13A, B ). All paratypes resemble the holotype except as follows: internasals absent, supranasals in strong contact with each other behind rostral in NRC-AA-8389, NRC-AA-8390 and NRC-AA-8391. Inner postmentals bordered by mental, outer postmental, enlarged median chin shield in all paratypes, additionally, bordered by infralabial I on either side and four small chin shields in NRC-AA-8386; infralabial I on either side and two small chin shields in NRC-AA-8387; infralabial I & II on either side and four small chin shields in NRC-AA-8388; infralabial I on either side and three small chin shields in NRC-AA-8389; infralabial I & II on left and infralabial I on right side, and three small chin shields in NRC-AA-8390; infralabial I & II on either side and two small chin shields in NRC-AA-8391. Outer postmentals bordered above by inner pair in all paratypes, additionally, bordered by infralabial I & II on either side, and four small chin shields on either side in NRC-AA-8386 and NRC-AA-8387; bordered by infralabial II on either side and four small chin shields on either side in NRC-AA-8388 and NRC-AA-8391; bordered by infralabial I & II on either side, and five small chin shields on left and four on right side in NRC-AA-8389; bordered by infralabial II on left and infralabial I & II on right side, and five small chin shields on left and three on right side in NRC-AA-8390; outer postmental separated from each other by enlarged median chin shield, additionally, separated by two small chin shields in NRC-AA-8387, NRC- AA-8390 and NRC-AA-8391, three small chin shields in NRC-AA-8389. Two paratypes —NRC-AA-8386 and NRC-AA-8387 with original and complete tail, marginally longer than body (TL/SVL 1.11 and 1.03 respectively), tail detached from the body in NRC-AA-8386; NRC-AA-8389, NRC-AA-8390 and NRC-AA-8391 with complete tail but fully regenerated tail, much shorter than body (TL/SVL 0.66, 0.75 and 0.67); tail completely detached and missing in NRC-AA-8388; NRC-AA-8387 with partially everted hemipenis on both side ( Fig. 13A, B ). Females light brown and juveniles dark brown, with a series of mid-vertebral light and dark greyish brown markings ( Fig. 12B, C ).

Distribution and natural history. Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov. is known from only two localities (including the type locality) around Mangalamkombu in Palani Hills and from a single locality in Kodaikanal, all in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, within 15 km straight-line distance ( Fig. 1 ). The new species was recorded in evergreen forest patches between elevations of 1400–1700 m asl. ( Fig. 14A ) active during the daytime (1030–1300 hrs) on rocks <2 m high from the base ( Fig. 14B ). A few sightings were also obtained inside a culvert in Lantana dominated area during the daytime. During summer season, we obtained <10 sightings/hr at both localities in Mangalamkombu in Palani Hills and only three sightings /hr at Kodaikanal, indicating low to moderate density. Sympatric lizards sighted at the type locality include C. cf. palanica , Dravidogecko sp. Kaestlea sp. and Ristella sp.

data unavailable.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Elevation map of the southern Western Ghats, India showing sampled localities for the anamudiensis (triangles) and beddomei (circles) subclades of the beddomei clade.

FIGURE 3. Cnemaspis agamalaiensis sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8374): (A) dorsal view of body, (B) ventral view of body, (C) dorsal view of tail, (D) ventral view of tail, (E) lateral view of tail. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 4. Cnemaspis agamalaiensis sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8374): (A) dorsal view of head, (B) ventral view of head, (C) lateral view of head on right, (D) view of precloacal region showing precloacal pores, (E) ventral view of right manus, (F) ventral view of right pes. Scale bars 5 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 5. Cnemaspis agamalaiensis sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8374): (A) dorsal view of midbody, (B) ventral view of midbody, (C) lateral view of midbody. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 6. Cnemaspis agamalaiensis sp. nov. in life: (A) adult male (holotype, NRC-AA-8374), (B) adult male (paratype, NRC-AA-8381), and (C) subadult female (paratype, NRC-AA-8376). Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 7. Paratype series of Cnemaspis agamalaiensis sp. nov., from left to right, NRC-AA-8375–8384: (A) dorsal view and (B) ventral view. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 8. Habitat photos of Cnemaspis agamalaiensis sp. nov.: (A) general view of evergreen forest and (B) microhabitat photo showing the boulder located inside the evergreen forest patch from where the new species was collected; both from the type locality, Agamalai in Theni District, Tamil Nadu. Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 9. Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8385): (A) dorsal view of body, (B) ventral view of body, (C) dorsal view of tail, (D) ventral view of tail, (E) lateral view of tail. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 10. Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8385): (A) dorsal view of head, (B) ventral view of head, (C) lateral view of head on right, (D) view of precloacal region showing precloacal pores, (E) ventral view of left manus, (F) ventral view of right pes. Scale bars 5 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 11. Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8385): (A) dorsal view of midbody, (B) ventral view of midbody, (C) lateral view of midbody. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 12. Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov. in life: (A) adult male (holotype, NRC-AA-8385), (B) adult female (paratype, NRC-AA-8386), and (C) juvenile (uncollected). Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 13. Paratype series of Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov., from left to right, NRC-AA-8386–8391: (A) dorsal view and (B) ventral view. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 14. Habitat photos of Cnemaspis anuradhae sp. nov.: (A) general view of evergreen forest and (B) microhabitat photo showing the cave located inside the evergreen forest patch from where the new species was collected; both from the type locality, near Mangalamkombu, Palani Hills in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu. Photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 15. Cnemaspis anaimalaiensis sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8392): (A) dorsal view of body, (B) ventral view of body, (C) lateral view of tail. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 16. Cnemaspis anaimalaiensis sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8392): (A) dorsal view of head, (B) ventral view of head, (C) lateral view of head on right, (D) view of precloacal region showing precloacal pores, (E) ventral view of right manus, (F) ventral view of right pes. Scale bars 5 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 17. Cnemaspis anaimalaiensis sp. nov. (holotype, NRC-AA-8392): (A) dorsal view of midbody, (B) ventral view of midbody, (C) lateral view of midbody. Scale bars 10 mm; photos by Akshay Khandekar.

FIGURE 18. Cnemaspis anaimalaiensis sp. nov. in life: (A) adult male (holotype, NRC-AA-8392) and (B) adult female (paratype, NRC-AA-8393). Photos by Akshay Khandekar.