Hemidactylus kurdicus, Safaei-Mahroo & Ghaffari & Ghafoor & Amini, 2017

Safaei-Mahroo, Barbod, Ghaffari, Hanyeh, Ghafoor, Aram & Amini, Saywan, 2017, A new species of Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkota: Gekkonidae) from Qara Dagh Mountains, Kurdistan Region, with a key to the genus in Iraq, Zootaxa 4363 (3), pp. 377-392 : 382-383

Hemidactylus kurdicus sp. nov.

( Figures 2A–H ; Table 3)

Holotype. ( CAS 262258 , MorphoBank M 452298-M452302) was collected by Barbod Safaei-Mahroo on 0 5 September 2016 at 20h 45 in the Qara-Dagh Mountains (35°14.057’ N, 45°22.871’ E, elevation 1139 m), south west of Qara Dagh village, Sulaimani Province, Northeastern Iraq.

Paratypes. ( CAS 262259, MorphoBank M452303-M452307) and ( CAS 262260, MorphoBank M452308- M452312), were collected by Barbod Safaei-Mahroo on 0 5 and 0 6 September 2016 from 23h30 to 01h00 in the Qara-Dagh Mountains (35°14.588’ N, 45°22.644’ E, elevation 1293 m), south west of Qara Dagh village, Sulaimani Province, Northeastern Iraq.

Etymology. The generic nomen kurdicus is derived from the word “Kurd” which refers to the name for the Kurdish nation (Kurdistan Region), the location where the new species was found.

Diagnosis. A species of the Arid species group of Hemidactylus that may be distinguished from other members of this group by the following morphological characters (based on 3 subadult types): single pair of postmental scales more-or-less in posterior contact with each other; 14–16 longitudinal rows of tubercles that are smallest dorsolaterally; 9–10 subdigital lamellae under first toe of pes, and 13 lamellae under fourth toe of pes.

Description (data holotype with range for type series given parenthetically). CAS 262258, Subadult (undetermined sex). SVL 40.9 mm (39.8–40.9 mm); Head elongate, HL = 10.9 mm; HL/SVL = 0.27 (26.5–27.2) and wide HW = 8.6 mm; HW/HL = 0.79 (78.0–79.4), distinct from neck, not depressed HH = 5.9 mm (50.3–54.4); HH/HL = 0.54. Snout long SL = 5.35 mm; SL/HL = 0.49. Mental scale triangular; one pair of large triangular postmental scales not in contact with each other, one small granular scale separates the postmentals posteriorly; one third of postmental in contact with second infralabial; PI = II. Rostral large and wider than high, with median vertical crease. Nostrils have a teardrop shape, each surrounded by five scales (nasorostral, supranasal, two small postnasals and first supralabial). Supranasals divided by small vertical intersupranasal, ISN = 1. Supralabials (L/ R): 11/11 (11–12); Infralabials (L/R): 9/9 (8–9).

Dorsal head scales intermixed with irregular round tubercles, becoming regular on dorsum; tubercles of body dorsum large and weakly keeled, three times larger than those on head, smaller dorsolaterally; TR = 14 (14–16). Scales on dorsal parts of forelimbs larger than dorsal body, tubercles absent on dorsal parts of forearms. Ventral scales small, smooth and uniform, becoming larger in the middle of abdomen, smallest on margins of flanks. Number of lamellae beneath each digit on pes (undivided + divided + entire apical; right/left, if different): LP 1st (L/R) = 2+6+1/3+6+1, LP 2nd (L/R) = 1+9+1/1+9+1, LP 3th (L/R) = 0+11+1/1+10+1, LP 4th (L/R) = 2+10+1/ 1+11+1, LP 5th (L/R) = 0+12+1/3+10+1. Tail longer than body TaL = 47.85 mm; TaL/TL = 0.53 (52.5–53.8); not thickened at base, tapering towards the tip; TW = 5.13 mm; subcaudals enlarged, arranged in a single row. Three keeled tubercles are on either side of each annulus on base of tail, TS = 6 (5–6). Number of dorsal markings 5, number of tail markings 13 ( Table 3).

Color in life. Subadults have a light brown head and creamy yellow body with five brown asterisk-shape dorsally markings extending from neck to the pelvic region, tail with 12–13 distinct brown bands. The ventral surface is pinkish to white.

Variation. CAS 262259 and CAS 262260, subadult paratypes. Comparative measurements, scalation and color pattern of holotype and paratypes are presented in Table 3. Single pair of large, triangular postmentals not in contact in first specimen (as in holotype), but contacting one another in the second specimen. Body dorsum bearing 14–16 regular rows of weakly keeled tubercles. 9–10 subdigital lamellae under first toe of pes and 13 lamellae under fourth toe of pes.

In one adult male specimen (MorphoBank M452313-M452317) that was caught and released in September 2015 these characters were observed: Large body size (approximately 60 mm SVL), postmentals in contact with one another along posterior one fourth of their length, and contacting the first and one third to one fourth of second infralabials. There are 10 precloacal pores in a curved line. Dorsal surface of head, body, and tail slightly yellowish with irregular dark brown blotches; limbs lighter than body; a dark brown stripe extending from nostril to ear; ventral surface white.

Comparisons. We compared Hemidactylus kurdicus sp. nov. from the Kurdistan region of Iraq with the Hemidactylus species listed in the Appendix I (Baha el Din 2003, 2005; Busais & Joger 2011; Carranza & Arnold 2012; Garcia-Porta et al. 2016; Moravec et al. 2011; Šmíd et al. 2013, 2015, 2016; Torki 2011; Vasconcelos & Carranza 2014).

H. kurdicus sp. nov. is distinguished from all other related Arid clade Hemidactylus species of the Middle East by having a single pair of postmental scales, also it differs from the species below based on the number of lamellae under the first and fourth toes of the pes (1st/ 4th). H. kurdicus sp. nov. has 9–10 lamellae under the first toe and 13 lamellae under the fourth toe of pes, which is more than the following species (mean values reported) H. adensis Šmíd, Moravec, Kratochvíl, Nasher, Mazuch, Gvoždík & Carranza, 2015 (5.3/ 9.3), H. alfarraji Šmíd, Shobrak, Wilms, Joger & Carranza, 2016 (7.1/10.8), H. alkiyumii Carranza & Arnold, 2012 (7/10.8), H. asirensis Šmíd, Shobrak, Wilms, Joger & Carranza, 2016 (6.2/10.1), H. awashensis Šmíd, Moravec, Kratochvíl, Nasher, Mazuch, Gvoždík & Carranza, 2015 (8/11.4), H. dawudazraqi (6.6/10.9), H. endophis Carranza & Arnold, 2012 (6/9), H. festivus Carranza & Arnold, 2012 (6.9/11.2), H. foudaii Baha El Din, 2003 (7/10.3), H. granosus Heyden, 1827 (7.4/11.5), H. hajarensis (8/12.1), H. homoeolepis Blanford, 1881 (5/9.8), H. inexpectatus Carranza & Arnold, 2012 (6/10.5), H. jumailiae Busais & Joger, 2011 (6.9/10.9), H. lavadeserticus (7.4/11.4), H. lemurinus Arnold, 1980 (7/11), H. mandebensis Šmíd, Moravec, Kratochvíl, Nasher, Mazuch, Gvoždík & Carranza, 2015 (5.3/8.3), H. masirahensis Carranza & Arnold, 2012 (6/10), H. mindiae Baha El Din, 2005 (6.2/10), H. minutus Vasconcelos & Carranza, 2014 (4.4/7.9), H. montanus Busais & Joger, 2011 (6.4/10.2), H. paucituberculatus Carranza & Arnold, 2012 (4.9/8.3), H. robustus (6.1/9.8), H. romeshkanicus Torki, 2011 (–/9), H. saba Busais & Joger, 2011 (8.1/11.1), H. shihraensis (6/10), H. sinaitus (5.2/9.7), H. turcicus (6.8/10.2), H. ulii Šmíd, Moravec, Kratochvíl, Gvoždík, Nasher, Busais, Wilms, Shobrak, Carranza, 2013 (5.4/8.6), and H. yerburii Anderson, 1895 (6.9/10.4).

Figures

FIGURE2. Detail of head and bodyof Hemidactylus kurdicus sp.nov. holotype(CAS 262258) in life.A:dorsal view of head, B: side of head C: ventral view of head, D: dorsal view of back, E: lateral view, F: ventral scales G: dorsal view, and H: dorsal view of paratype (CAS 262259).Photographs by B. Safaei-Mahroo.