Cnemaspis affinis (Stoliczka)

Grismer, L. Lee, Grismer, Jesse L., Wood, Perry L. & Onn, Chan Kin, 2008, The distribution, taxonomy, and redescription of the geckos Cnemaspis affinis (Stoliczka 1887) and C. flavolineata (Nicholls 1949) with descriptions of a new montane species and two new lowland, karst- dwelling species from Peninsular Malaysia, Zootaxa 1931, pp. 1-24 : 4-7

Cnemaspis affinis (Stoliczka)

Pinang Island Rock Gecko

Figure 2

Cyrtodactylus affinis Stoliczka, F. 1870:167 . Observations on some Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. Journal of the Asiatic Society, Bengal 39:124–228. Type locality: “ Penang Hills” Peninsular Malaysia.

Gymnodactylus affinis Boulenger 1885:42

Gonatodes penangensis Flower 1896:863

Cnemaspis (Cnemaspis) affinis Rösler 2000:62

Diagnosis. Adult males reaching 50.8 mm SVL, adult females reaching 48.1 mm SVL; 8–11 supralabials; 8– 10 infralabials; large, lateral, postmentals separated at midline by one or two smaller postmentals; forearm, subtibials, ventrals, subcaudals, and dorsal tubercles keeled; 20–24 paravertebral tubercles; tubercles on flanks, relatively small, not linearly arranged; ventrolateral caudal tubercles present anteriorly; caudal tubercles encircle tail; lateral, caudal tubercles absent from lateral, caudal furrow; median, subcaudal row not enlarged or keeled; femoral pores absent; discontinuous row of 4–6 precloacal scales bearing pores; 1–3 postcloacal tubercles; shield-like subtibials absent; enlarged, metatarsal scales absent; 25–32 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; light markings on flanks; dark shoulder patch enclosing a white to yellow ocellus; prominent, wide, yellow to white, postscapular band; distinct, dark, caudal bands present; subcaudal region pigmented, not immaculate. These differences are summarized across all Southeast Asian species in Grismer et al. (2008b: Table 1).

Description. Head oblong in dorsal profile, moderate in size, somewhat narrow, flattened, distinct from neck; snout short, slightly concave in lateral profile; postnasal region constricted medially, flat; scales of rostrum weakly keeled, raised, slightly larger than those on occiput; low, rounded, supraorbital ridges; shallow frontorostral sulcus; canthus rostralis nearly absent, smoothly rounded; eye large; extra-brillar fringe scales largest anteriorly; pupil round; ear opening oval, taller than wide; rostral slightly concave, usually divided dorsally by longitudinal groove; rostral bordered posteriorly by supranasals and 1–3 small, azygous scales and laterally by first supralabials; 8–11 raised supralabials of similar size; 8–10 infralabials, decreasing in size posteriorly; nostrils elliptical, oriented posterodorsally; bordered posteriorly by small, granular, postnasal scales; mental large, triangular, bordered posteriorly by two, large, lateral postmentals that are separated medially by 1–3 smaller mental scales; gular scales granular, slightly raised; throat scales weakly keeled, flat, oriented vertically.

Body slender, elongate; small, keeled, dorsal scales equal in size throughout body, intermixed with several large, multicarinate tubercles more or less transversely arranged; tubercles extend from occiput to base of tail; tubercles on flanks not greatly enlarged, moderate in size; pectoral and abdominal scales weakly keeled, flat, slightly elongate, imbricate, equal in size throughout; ventral scales slightly larger than dorsals; five or six precloacal scales bearing pores in males arranged in a chevron, separated medially by one or two intervening scales lacking pores; precloacal depression absent; femoral pores absent; forelimbs moderately long, slender; dorsal scales of brachium slightly raised, weakly keeled; dorsal scales of forearm same size as brachials, imbricate, those on anterior margin keeled; ventral scales of brachium smooth, rounded, juxtaposed; scales beneath forearm, smooth, flat, slightly raised; palmar scales smooth, juxtaposed, raised; digits long with an inflected joint; claws recurved; subdigital lamellae unnotched; lamellae beneath first phalanges slightly widened; no interdigital webbing; fingers increase in length from first to fourth with fourth and fifth equal in length; hind limbs slightly longer and thicker than forelimbs; dorsal scales of thigh smooth, slightly raised, juxtaposed; scales of anterior margin of thigh weakly keeled; ventral scales of thigh weakly keeled; subtibial scales weakly keeled, flat, imbricate, with no enlarged anterior row; plantar scales smooth, juxtaposed, raised; no enlarged submetatarsal scales beneath first metatarsal; digits elongate with an inflected jointed; claws recurved; subdigital lamellae unnotched; lamellae beneath first phalanx not widened; interdigital webbing absent; toes increase in length from first to fourth with fourth and fifth equal in length; 25–32 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; caudal scales arranged in segmented whorls; caudal scales flat, smooth, juxtaposed anteriorly; shallow, middorsal caudal furrow; deeper, single lateral caudal furrow; no enlarged or keeled, median subcaudal scales; a paravertebral and lateral longitudinal row of large, flattened caudal tubercles on either side of midline; ventrolateral row of tubercles anteriorly, fading posteriorly; no tubercles in lateral furrow; transverse tubercle rows encircle tail; two enlarged, postcloacal tubercles on lateral surface of hemipenial swellings at base of tail; tail 1.1–1.6% of SVL.

Coloration. Dorsal ground color grey to brown; paired white markings on occiput; dark pre- and postorbital stripes, latter extending onto nape; medial, white marking on nape followed by distinct, large, black shoulder patches in males usually enclosing a yellow ocellus anteriorly and edged posteriorly by an obscure yellow, postscapular band (absent in juveniles); irregularly shaped, paravertebral, white markings on dorsum extending to base of tail and confluent with transversely elongate, distinct, yellow markings on flanks; dark, poorly defined, paravertebral blotches extending from nape to anterior portion of tail, alternating with light paravertebral markings; dark blotches on flanks alternating with yellow, transverse markings; brown and dull white bands encircle tail; irregularly shaped, dark and light markings on limbs; dark and light bands encircling digits; ventral surfaces of head, body, and limbs dull beige, immaculate; subcaudal region pigmented, not immaculate; females slightly less boldly marked. There is no sexual dimorphism in color pattern.

Distribution. Cnemaspis affinis is considered here to be endemic to Pulau Pinang, Penang. It has been collected at Bukit Western (= Penang Hill), Moongate Trail, and Telok Bahang.

Material examined. Penang: Pulau Pinang, Bukit Western LSUHC 6695 , 6758–59 , 6773–74 , 6787–88 , ZRC 2.1098 , 2.5203 , 2.6017 – 18 , ZMA 11987 , ZSI 5964 (holotype), Moon Gate Trail ZRC 2.4858 , Telok Bahang LSUHC 8975 , 8979 .