Goniurosaurus luii Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999

Ngo, Hai Ngoc, Nguyen, Huy Quoc, Tran, Hieu Minh, Ngo, Hanh Thi, Le, Minh Duc, Gewiss, Laurenz Rafael, Schingen-Khan, Mona van, Nguyen, Truong Quang & Ziegler, Thomas, 2021, A morphological and molecular review of the genus Goniurosaurus, including an identification key, European Journal of Taxonomy 751 (1), pp. 38-67 : 50-52

Goniurosaurus luii Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999

Fig. 4

Diagnosis

Body splayed and gracile, SVL 86.5–126.5 mm; external nares bordered by 5–8 nasal scales; supraorbital region with a row of enlarged tubercles; outer surface of upper eyelid composed of granular scales, about one half the size of those on top of head and without enlarged tubercles; internasals 1 or 2; supralabials 8–12; infralabials 8–11; preorbital scales 13–16; eyelid fringe scales 46–61; postmentals 2–6; gular region below lower jaws with enlarged tubercles; paravertebral tubercles 29–38; scale rows around midbody 119– 144, granular scales surrounding tubercles 9–14; axillary pockets deep; subdigital lamellae under fourth toe 20–26; precloacal pores in males 23–32; iris brown or bright orange; dorsal ground color of head, body and limbs pale brown to grey brown, mottled with small dark brown blotched; nuchal loop thin, posteriorly protracted (in V-shape); dorsal body bands between limb insertions 3, thin, immaculate yellow; gular region, belly, and ventral surface of limbs with brown spots ( Grismer et al. 1999; Vu et al. 2006; Nguyen 2011).

Description (Supp. file 1: Table S2)

Body splayed and gracile, males: SVL 88.8–123.0 mm (mean ±SE: 109.3 ± 1.4 mm, n =34), TaL 2.8–96.8 mm (72.5 ± 3.8 mm); adult females: SVL 86.5–126.5 mm (112.4 ± 1.3 mm, n=43), TaL 43.3–102.2 mm (72.2± 2.1 mm); juveniles: SVL 55.0– 84.8 mm (74.8 ± 3.1 mm, n=11), TaL 44.2– 68.9 (58.7 ± 2.7 mm) (Supp. file 1: Table S2); head triangular, wider than neck, covered by uniform granular scales interspersed with tubercles in temporal and occipital regions; scales on rostrum slightly larger and flatter; enlarged supraorbital tubercles in a conspicuous row; middorsal portion of rostral partially sutured dorsomedially, bordered laterally by first supralabial on each side, dorsolaterally by prenasal on each side, and dorsally by 1 or 2 internasal and two supranasals; internasals 1 or 2; external nares bordered by 5–8 nasal scales (prenasal, anterior and posterior supranasals, 2 slightly enlarged postnasal, and 1–3 granular scales); preorbital scales 13–16; supralabials 8–12, grading into granular scales posteriorly; infralabials 8–11; eyes large, pupils vertical; eyelid fringe scales 46–56, those of upper eyelid slightly enlarged; outer surface of upper eyelid composed of granular scales, about one half the size of those on top of head and without enlarged tubercles; fold of skin originating in suborbital region extends posteroventrally across angle of jaw; external auditory meatus elliptical with long axis directed dorsoventrally; tympanum deeply recessed; mental triangular, bordered laterally by first infralabial on each side and posteriorly by 2–6 postmentals; postmentals bordered by 6–11 gular scales; gular region below lower jaws with enlarged tubercles; gular scales juxtaposed and granular, abruptly grading posteriorly into flat hexagonal pectoral scales and even larger ventral scales.

Neck narrower than body, covered with uniform granular scales interspersed with several sharply pointed conical tubercles on nape; tubercles on flanks conical, those of vertebral region somewhat more flat; dorsal body tubercles surrounded by 11–13 granular scales; dorsal tubercle rows at midbody 20–24; paravertebral tubercles between limb insertions 29–38, distinct vertebral row of tubercles absent; scale rows around midbody 119–144; ventral scales large; males with 24–32 precloacal pores in a transverse continuous series, females without precloacal pores (but pitted scales present); region posterior to vent covered by flat juxtaposed scales and greatly swollen, containing 1–3 enlarged tubercles on each side at level of vent; tail thick at base, light band on tail base in width of 9–13 granular scales with 9–10 tubercles in transversal series; ventral caudals of tail base larger than dorsal caudals.

Limbs relatively long and thin, covered dorsally with granular scales interspersed with several tubercles and ventrally with flat juxtaposed to subimbricate scales; dorsal granular scales grade into slightly flattened subimbricate scales on top of pes and manus; hind limbs larger than forelimbs; axillary pockets deep; subdigital lamellae wide, 9–12 under first finger, 17–22 under fourth finger, 10–12 under first toe,

20–26 under fourth toe; digits laterally compressed, increasing in length from first to fourth, fifth shorter than fourth ( Grismer et al. 1999; Vu et al. 2006; Nguyen 2011).

Coloration in life ( Fig. 4 )

Dorsal ground color of head, body and limbs pale brown to grey brown, mottled with small dark brown circle blotches, juveniles without small dark brown blotches (except juveniles SVL ≥ 72 mm initially present on head); iris red brown or bright orange; five bands on dorsal ground, thin, immaculate without dark spots, slight bisque in juveniles, orange brown or yellow in adults, all edged anteriorly and posteriorly by thin dark brown bands, including one thin nuchal loop extending from posterior corners of eyes and posteriorly protracted (in V-shape), three body bands between limb insertions, and another one on tail base; ground color of tail nearly solid black, and grey brown at mottled tail base; 3–6 immaculate white caudal bands; ventral surfaces of head, body and limbs dull white with a few dark brown spots in gular region, on belly and limbs.

Figures

Fig. 4. Goniurosaurus luii Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999. A. Juvenile (SVL= 61 mm). B. Juvenile (SVL=70 mm).C. Juvenile (SVL=80 mm).D. Adult (SVL=89 mm).E. Adult (SVL= 96 mm).F. Adult (SVL70 =104 mm). G. Adult (SVL=116 mm).H. Adult (SVL=126 mm).