Luperosaurus kubli, Brown & Diesmos & Duya, 2007

Brown, Rafe M., Diesmos, Arvin C. & Duya, Melizar V., 2007, A New Luperosaurus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) From The Sierra Madre Of Luzon Island, Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 55 (1), pp. 167-174 : 168-172

Luperosaurus kubli , new species

( Figs. 2–3 )

Material examined. – Holotype: PNM 9156 (I. L. Osbucan field number 3-024), adult male; 900 m above sea level, Mt. Lataan , western slopes of Sierra Madre Range , Barangay Disimungal , Municipality of Nagtipunan , Quirino Province, Luzon Island, Philippines (16 ° 20.6'N, 121 ° 44.0'E), coll. Edmund de Rico, 14 Mar.2003.

Diagnosis. – Although the new species somewhat blurs the distinction between our concepts of the genera Luperosaurus and Gekko (as defined by Brown & Alcala, 1978; Russell, 1979; and Brown et al., 2000a) we refer it to Luperosaurus by virtue of (1) its possession of a robust body and stout limbs; (2) interdigital webbing between all adjacent fingers and toes; (3) minute cutaneous folds bordering the posterior edge of the forelimb and a moderate flap on the posterior edge of the hind limbs; (4) small cycloid scales encircling the tail (enlarged, differentiated subcaudals absent); and (5) the absence of enlarged or elongate postmentals. However, we recognize the phenotypic similarity between some members of the genus Luperosaurus ( L. kubli , L. palawanensis , and L. macgregori ) and members of the genus Gekko . Therefore, we diagnose the new species from the Philippine members of the genus Gekko (below; and Brown et al., 2000a).

Luperosaurus kubli most closely resembles L. macgregori , and to a lesser extent, L. palawanensis , due to the presence of cycloid, juxtaposed, non-imbricate body scales, the absence of dorsal and dorsolateral ornamental tubercles, possession of a moderate cutaneous expansion on the posterior margins of the hind limbs and only slight expansion on the posterior margin of the forelimbs, slight interdigital webbing, and low preanofemoral pore-bearing scale count (Brown & Alcala, 1978; Brown et al., 2000a). However, L. kubli differs from all Philippine Luperosaurus in having a large body size (SVL = 105.4 mm vs. 61–82.7 in L. cumingii ; 57.3–58.9 in L. macgregori ; 43.7–52.0 in L. palawanensis and 27.5–32.4 in L. joloensis ) and it further differs from L. cumingii , L. palawanensis , and L. joloensis by lacking ornate dorsal and/ or dorsolateral body tubercles. The new species differs further from L. macgregori by the absence (vs. presence) of enlarged lateral caudal tubercles, a greater number of Toe I and Toe III scansors ( L. kubli : 12 and 16, respectively; L. macgregori : 10 or 11 and 12–14, respectively), and by having fewer infralabials ( L. kubli : 12 or 13; L. macgregori : 14–16). Luperosaurus kubli differs further from L. cumingii and L. joloensis by the lesser extent of interdigital webbing (toes 1/ 6 to 1/4 webbed vs. 1/2 to 2/ 3 in these species). Both L. cumingii and L. macgregori possess preanofemoral porebearing scale count ranges that overlap with that of L. kubli (15–20 in L. cumingii and 16–18 in L. macgregori ) but those of L. joloensis and L palawanensis do not (28–32 and 30–31, respectively).

Luperosaurus kubli differs from all known Philippine species of Gekko by the near uniform presence of cycloid, juxtaposed, non-imbricate scales covering the body (vs. minute to moderately enlarged scales on dorsum and enlarged, subimbricate to imbricate scales covering the venter in Gekko ). Luperosaurus kubli also lacks elongate postmentals (vs. present in all Philippine species except G. gecko ) as well as enlarged imbricate subcaudal scales (vs. present in all Philippine Gekko species ). Luperosaurus kubli and G. athymus completely lack dorsal tubercles; in all other Philippine Gekko , dorsal tubercles are present. Luperosaurus kubli has a lower preanofemoral pore-bearing scale count than any Philippine Gekko (n=16; vs. 22–26 in G. athymus ; 25– 45 in G. monarchus ; 46–60 in G. mindorensis ; 54–66 in G. gigante ; 65–72 in G. palawanensis ; 69–80 in G. romblon ; and 80 in G. porosus ).

Description of holotype. – ( Figs. 2–3 ; adult male). Habitus robust, limbs stout and short, tail relatively short; head at widest point ( Fig. 2A ) significantly wider than (1.3 times) body at widest point ( Fig. 3 ); anterior margins of limbs smooth, lacking cutaneous flaps or dermal folds; posterior margin of forelimbs with minute cutaneous fold (≤ 1.0 mm); posterior margins of proximal (femoral) segment of hind limbs with moderate, 2.0– 2.5 mm wide cutaneous expansion; distal (tibial) half of posterior margins of hind limbs with minute cutaneous flap (≤ 1.0 mm); cutaneous expansions with undifferentiated, minute scales on dorsal and lateral surfaces. Head large, characterized by hypertrophied temporal and adductor musculature; snout subelliptical, rounded at tip in dorsal and lateral aspect ( Fig. 2A, 2B ); HW 83.5% of HL and 21.7% of SVL; SNL 52.8% of HW and 44.1% of HL; dorsal surfaces of head somewhat heterogeneous, with pronounced concave postnasal, prefrontal, interoribital, and parietal depressions; transverse parietal crest immediately posterior to orbits, raised and pronounced; auricular opening punctiform, obliquely ovoid; tympanum deeply sunken; orbits large, their dorsal boundary the result of highly pronounced supraorbital crests; eye large, pupil vertical, its posterior margin wavy ( Fig. 2B ); TAD 23.8% of ED; limbs stout and relatively short, femoral segments of hind limbs especially robust; TBL 14.8% of SVL, 81.2% of FL.

Rostral large, rectangular, twice as broad as high, with no dorsomedial depression or groove; nostril surrounded by rostral, the first labial, an enlarged subtriangular supranasal, and two smaller postnasals; supranasals separated by a single internasal; internasal azygous, pentagonal; two slightly enlarged cycloid scales follow postnasals along lateral margins of internasal ( Fig. 2A, 2B ); supralabials 12/13 (L/ R; 8–13 subocular), bordered dorsally by one row of slightly differentiated snout scales; infralabials 13/12, bordered ventrally by 4 rows of only slightly differentiated chin scales (twice the size of gular scales); postrictal scales slightly enlarged, 2–3 times the size of scales of temporal region; mental scale triangular, followed by one pair of only slightly enlarged postmentals, and five rows of scales decreasing in size until they become undifferentiated from gular scales; remainder of undifferentiated throat scales very small, round, nonimbricate, juxtaposed ( Fig. 2C ); dorsal cephalic scales round to oval, nonimbricate, convex to granular; undifferentiated head scales irregularly convex, reducing in size posteriorly by interorbital region and becoming smaller and less granular in the temporal and parietal regions; palpebrals slightly larger than scales in adjacent frontal region; nuchals granular, strongly convex, continuously grading into enlarged dorsals; dorsals enlarged, round, each separated by interstitial granules, giving the appearance under magnification of a “Star of David” arrangement; throat and chin scales increasing greatly in size, becoming slightly imbricate in gular and pectoral regions, and continuing to increase in size through ventral abdomen where they become sub- to non-imbricate and juxtaposed; cephalic tubercles and spines absent; 42/44 circumorbitals, undifferentiated except for very slight dorsolateral transverse elongation and modification into slight, fringe-like points, projecting into orbit in the cases of a few scales; 34 interorbital scales.

Axilla-groin distance 48% of SVL; undifferentiated dorsal body scales round to hexagonal, nonimbricate, smaller in vertebral region, larger laterally; each dorsal with 6–8 minute surrounding interstitial granules; 116 transverse midbody dorsals; scales on dorsal surfaces of limbs enlarged, flat to convex, juxtaposed to subimbricate, heterogeneous in size with interspersed enlarged scales surrounded by markedly smaller scales; scales on dorsal surfaces of manus and pes (on both digits and interdigital webbing) similar to dorsal limb scales; ventral body scales nonimbricate to subimbricate, much larger than lateral or dorsal body scales; imbricate ventrals.

Sixteen continuous dimpled scales in the preanofemoral porebearing series, arranged in a non-bowed, widely obtuse, inverted “V” formation; preanofemorals preceded by one similarly enlarged but nondimpled scale rows; followed by slightly reduced scales along medial body axis to vent; scales lateroposterior to preanofemoral series (i.e., along ventroposterior surfaces of hind limb) reduce in size sharply to minute scales under the cutaneous expansion of the posterior edge of the hind limb.

Digits widely dilated and covered on palmar/plantar surfaces by wide, bowed scansors ( Fig. 2D ); penultimate 2 or 3 scansors deeply notched (not divided); all digits webbed slightly, with web extending 1/5–1/4 from base and ending below the dilated hyperextensible portions of digits; subdigital scansors of manus: 11/12, 12/12, 17/16, 16/16, and 11/12 on left/right digits I–V respectively; pes: 12/12, 13/12, 15/15, 15/15, and 13/13 on left/right digits I–V respectively; all digits clawed but first; first (inner) with greatly reduced minute claw like scale; remaining terminal claw-bearing phalanges compressed, with large recurved claws, rising free at distal end, extending well beyond dilated portion of digit.

Tail base bordered by a single, greatly enlarged cloacal spur on each side of vent; postcloacal swellings pronounced; Tail short, 60.7% of SVL (including regenerated 14 mm tip); TH (not including basal denticulate lobes) 76.3% of TW; tail not depressed, cylindrical, unadorned, lacking dorsal or lateral tubercles; 11 fracture planes / autotomy grooves (= whorls or annulations) before autotomy scar (52.5 mm), 4–5 annuli estimated in autotomized portion based on length (13.7 mm), for an estimated total annuli count of 15–16; dorsal caudal scales granular, convex, round to hexagonal; scales at posterior margin of each annulation only slightly enlarged.

Colouration in preservative. – Dorsum background dark grey with three straight transverse black bands (10 mm in width) in AGD, the darkest before insertion of hind limbs; dorsal nuchal region and posterior portions of head very dark grey, interorbital region, palpebra, and snout slightly lighter; lateral portions of head and labial scales flat grey; postrictal region with white flecks; dorsal surfaces of limbs light grey with numerous dark brown flecks and two transverse thin bands per distal limb segment; humeral and femoral segments of limbs light grey with dark brown blotches; dorsal surfaces of digits dark grey with slightly lighter claws; dorsal and lateral portions of tail banded alternating dark and light grey (not corresponding to tail annuli); distal autotomy regrowth dark brown; inguinal region with bright white oblique markings.

Infralabial region and chin flat grey; gular region light grey, flanked by slightly lighter ventrolateral jaw colouration, accented by three dark brown postrictal bars on both sides of the head (one subocular, one postrictal, one infratympanic); sternal region homogeneous grey; ventral body and limbs light grey with numerous brown and dark grey blotches; preanofemoral pore-bearing scale series white with orange pores; palmar and plantar surfaces of manus and pes yellowish with light grey subdigital scansors; ventral tail white with three flat grey transverse bars.

Colouration in life. – Dorsal surfaces of body and limbs light tan with dark brown blotches and transverse crossbars; head pale yellow with dark brown blotches and postrictal bars; labials alternating dark brown and bright yellow; iris grey; ventral surfaces of head light grey to white; oblique inguinal marking bright white. (From photographs of holotype before preservation).

Ecology and Natural History. – We have no information on microhabitat preference, abundance and distribution, or reproduction in the new species. The single specimen was first observed gliding/parachuting from the canopy (estimated 8–15 m) and was collected where it landed at 1.5 m above the ground on the trunk of a large tree (70–90 cm dbh). When captured by hand, the animal attempted to escape by twisting and biting the collector. For a description of the forests of the Sierra Madres, see Danielsen et al. (1994).

Etymology. – The specific epithet is chosen from Tagalog (traditional Filipino) term for hidden, unknown, or concealed, in reference to the secretive habits of this apparently rare forest species, and to the uncertain systematic affinities of the genus Luperosaurus .

Figures

Fig. 2. Luperosaurus kubli, holotype (PNM 9156; adult male, SVL = 104.5 mm): A, dorsal view of head, with snout tilted forward 10°); B, lateral view of head; C, ventral view of head; D, palmar surface of right manus.

Fig. 3. Luperosaurus kubli, holotype (PNM 9156; adult male, SVL = 104.5 mm): Dorsal and ventral views of the body.