Pseudocalotes kakhienensis ( Anderson, 1879 ) Anderson, 1879

Mahony, Stephen, 2010, Systematic and taxomonic revaluation of four little known Asian agamid species, Calotes kingdonwardi Smith, 1935, Japalura kaulbacki Smith, 1937, Salea kakhienensis Anderson, 1879 and the monotypic genus Mictopholis Smith, 1935 (Reptilia: Agamidae), Zootaxa 2514, pp. 1-23 : 15-17

Pseudocalotes kakhienensis ( Anderson, 1879) new combination.

Figure 4

Oriocalotes discolor Anderson, 1870 Oriocalotes kakhienensis Anderson, 1879 Acanthosaura kakhienensis Boulenger, 1885 Calotes feae Boulenger, 1887

Calotes kakhienensis Smith, 1935 a

Salea brachydactyla Rendahl, 1937

Salea kakhienensis Moody, 1980

Examined material. NHM [18]93.10.9.3, “Yado, 1300–1400 m, Karin Hills” and NHM [18]93.10.9.4, “Thao, Karin Hills”, Collector S. L. Fea.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a toponym after the type locality, Kakhyen Hills.

Distribution. P. kakhienensis new comb. is currently known from the following localities in Yunnan Province, China: “Ponsee, Khakien Hills” corrected to “Pengxi, western Yunnan” ( Das et al. 1998) or considered not to exist now = near Shi-ti, above Taiping River, Huo-Yan-Shan ( Anderson 1879; Manthey in prep.); “Longling county” [Baoshan Prefecture] (Manthey in prep.); “Tengyueh, Yunnan” [=Tengyueh (25°01’58” N, 98°28’1” E), Baoshan Prefecture] ( Schmidt 1927); “Qushi, approx. 25°17’ N, 98°36’ E, Baoshan Prefecture” (CAS specimens); “a small village south of Gongshan, 27°42’13.7” N, 98°42’10.2” E, ca. 4760 ft, Nujiang Prefecture” (CAS specimens). Hengduan Mountains, Quinghai–Xizang Plateau, China ( Zhao & Yang 1997). In Myanmar, P. kakhienensis new comb. is known from the following localities: “ Birma, Kambaiti…. 7000 fuss ” [=Kambaiti Pass (25°23’60” N, 98°09’0” E, 2130 m a.s.l.), Kachin State, Myanmar] as Salea brachydactyla ( Rendahl 1937) ; “Mogok, upper Burma ” [=Mogok (17°34’0”N, 95°5’0”E, 1,170 m asl), Pyin Oo Lwin District, Mandalay Division, Myanmar] (NHM 1904.4.26.1); “Toungyi, southern Shan State” (NHM [18]93.1.16.15); “Yado and Thao, Karin Hills” [=Kayah State, Myanmar] (NHM [18]93.10.9.3 and NHM [18]93.10.9.4); “Pla-Poo, station on the mountains between Meekalan and Ryeat steams, about six miles west of Mt. Mooleyit (1000–1400 m) [Kayin State, Myanmar] as Calotes feae ( Boulenger 1887, 1893). Boulenger (1885) referral to the Khasia Hills appears to be an error.

Description. Based on adult male discussed by Boulenger (1893) (NHM [18]93.10.9.3). Mensural and meristic data is summarised in Table 1 . General habitus moderately compressed. Snout bluntly pointed in profile, rostral contacted by first supralabials, six small scales dorsally, separated from the nasal by one scale.

Nostril oval, laterally positioned, nasal moderately large, suboval in shape, bordered by eight scales including supralabial one (right side). Eight/seven (left/right) smooth, rectangular supralabials and eight infralabials (both sides). Loreal region concave, scales of the loreal region heterogenous in size, flat, dominated by a single row of enlarged scales extending from the posterior edge of the nasal to the posterior border of the orbit. A single row of narrow scales separate the enlarged suborbital row from the supralabials, extending from the first supralabial, below the nasal to the level below mid orbit where the enlarge suborbital row borders the supralabials, remaining loreal scales small. A single enlarged, raised keeled scale above the anterior edge of the tympanum and two smaller linear bluntly conical scales extend from above the posterior border. Orbital scales small and granular. Tympanum naked. Canthals enlarged, weakly overlapping, dramatically decreasing in size along the supraciliaries which are subimbricate.

Scales on the dorsal surface of the snout are moderately small, heterogenous in size and shape, dominated by a series of two enlarged median scales, strongly keeled longitudinally, bordered posteriorly by two pairs of larger keeled scales with keels directed posterolaterally, overall forming an inverted “Y” arrangement, remaining snout and supraorbital scales small and keeled. A single small conical horn on the anterior temporal region and a larger laterally compressed spine on the posterior temporal region.

Mental subtriangular, approximately as wide as long, bordered posteriorly by a ventrolateral row of five elongated chin shields gradually decreasing in size and shape posteriorly to blend with surrounding rows of gular scales. The first pair of post-mental chin shields are in contact laterally with the infralabials, the remaining shields are separated from the infralabials by one to two rows of small gular scales. Remaining gular scales smooth, subimbricate, increasing in size posteriorly and laterally across the jowls to the level of the tympanum, those of the central throat are the smallest. A small longitudinal gular pouch present, transverse gular fold absent.

Ventral scales subimbricate, strongly keeled, heterogenous in size and arranged in irregular rows. Approximately 67 scales around mid body. Nuchal crest is composed of nine primary lanceolate spines, each separated by a small secondary spine. Primary spines increase in size to their maximum length mid crest before decreasing in size posteriorly, followed by a short diastema of two small scales. The first three vertebral scales are enlarged into three small triangular spines, the remaining vertebral row on the body is not enlarged relative to adjacent rows but possess a more pronounced median keel providing a serrated appearance in profile. 51 middorsal scales in total. Dorsal scales are heterogenous in size and shape, smaller scales moderately keeled, larger weakly keeled, not arranged into regular rows, keels on those of the upper flanks are oriented obliquely upward, horizontal on the mid flanks and obliquely downward on the lower flanks. A deep antehumeral fold extends from the posterior jaw obliquely to above the shoulder. Scales of the forelimbs, hind limbs and digits are covered in regular scale arrangements on which the keels form parallel longitudinal rows, with the exception of keeled rows on ventral surface of the thighs which are obliquely transverse. Those on the outer surfaces of the forelimbs strongly keeled grading into weakly keeled scales on the inner surface. 26 4FinLam and 29 4ToeLam. Scales on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the tail are strongly keeled. The mid dorsal row on the base of the tail are considerably enlarged with strongly keeled, low spines. Those on the ventral surface of the tail base are also enlarged and plate like. Obvious hemipenal enlargement of tail base. Precloacal and femoral pores absent.

Colouration in preservative. Dorsal surface of the snout dark brown anterior to a light transverse stripe across the ocular region with a mottled dark area bordering the stripe posteriorly. Remaining dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head and body primarily light with speckles and blotches. Three broad dark cross bands across dorsum between the fore and hind limbs. Fore and hind limbs banded light and dark, tail without bands. Loreal scales light with thin brown stripes radiating from the orbits to the supralabials which are mottled medium brown. A dark brown blotch covers the tympanum and extends posteriorly above the jowls. Dark narrow longitudinal stripes along lateral throat, remaining ventral surfaces of the throat, body and limbs light.

Variation. Female SVL 95 mm, TL 180 mm, TL/ToL 0.65 (n=1) ( Boulenger 1887), TL/ToL 0.60–0.64 (n=15)( Schmidt 1927), SVL to 125 mm, TL 255 mm, TL/ToL 0.67 (n=?) (Smith 1935), MBSR 56–70 ( Anderson 1879; Boulenger 1887, 1893; Smith 1935a), supralabials 6–9 ( Schmidt 1927; Smith 1935a; here), infralabials 6–9 ( Schmidt 1927; Smith 1935a; here), nuchal spines 6–9 ( Anderson 1879; Smith 1935a; here). Boulenger (1893) states 12 nuchal spines for the specimens described here, presumably including small secondary spines.

Comparison. Pseudocalotes kakhienensis new comb. differs from all congeners except P. flavigula , P. brevipes , P. kingdonwardi new comb. and P. austeniana new comb., by lateral scales of heterogenous size and shape, and further from all congeners except P. brevipes , P. kingdonwardi new comb. and P. austeniana new comb. by presence (vs. absence) of an antehumeral fold. From the following species by dorsal and lateral scales forming irregular rows (vs. forming regular rows); P. dringi , P. floweri , P. khaonanensis , P. larutensis , P. microlepis , P. saravacensis and P. tympanistriga . From the following species by MB scale number, 56–70 on P. kakhienensis new comb; P. austeniana new comb. (51–53), P. dringi (48–52), P. flavigula (38–40), P. kingdonwardi new comb. (45–52), P. khaonanensis (72–75), P. larutensis (51–53), and from the following by the number of 4ToeLam, 29 on P. kakhienensis new comb.; P. brevipes (20–23), P. dringi (26), P. floweri (21– 24), P. larutensis (24–26), P. microlepis (23–26), P. poilani (24–25), and P. saravacensis (20).

Pseudocalotes kakhienensis new comb. appears to be morphologically most similar to P. austeniana new comb. and P. kingdonwardi new comb. It can be distinguished from P. austeniana new comb. (in parenthesis), by the shoulder fold extending from the posterior jaw to above the shoulder (vs. crescentic in front of shoulder, not connected to the jaw), on males a distinct diastema separates the nuchal crest from the raised dorsal scales (vs. no diastema apparent), middorsals 51 on examined specimen (vs. 30–39), considerably shorter length of digits, 4FinL/SVL 9.2% (vs. 13.8–15.6%), 4ToeL/SVL 14.2% (vs. 23.8–24.9%). From P. kingdonwardi new comb. (in parenthesis), based on the following characters; larger number of middorsals, MD 51 (vs. 42–44) and larger adult size, SVL to 125 mm (vs SVL up to 103 mm, n=6), gular region without apparent contrasting signal colouration (vs. males with scarlet signal colouration in life, appearing as a distinct reddish brown patch in preservation).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Adult male of Pseudocalotes kakhienensis new comb. (NHM [18] 93.10.9.4); dorsal view (A), lateral view showing heterogenous scales (B), profile of head (C).