Gekko wenxianensis, Zhou, Kaiya & Wang, Qiuxian, 2008

Zhou, Kaiya & Wang, Qiuxian, 2008, New species of Gekko (Squamata: Sauria: Gekkonidae) from China: morphological and molecular evidence, Zootaxa 1778, pp. 59-68 : 61-63

Gekko wenxianensis sp. nov.

(Figure 1)

Holotype. Nanjing Normal University (NNU) Z 2006.013, adult male; China, Gansu Province, Wenxian County, Danbao Village on the south slope of the west Qinling Mts, 32°51’N; 104°46’E, altitude 905 m; collected by J.Y. Zhang, 2 August 2006.

Paratypes. NNU Z 2006.001–012, Z 2006.014–043), 21 males and 21 females; same data and collector as for holotype.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a latinization of the name Wenxian, Gansu Province, China.

Diagnosis. Gekko wenxianensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all congeners on the basis of the following combination of characters: body size moderate; nostril in contact with rostral; dorsal tubercles oval or conical, extending from occiput and temporal region on to back and tail base, lacking on forelimb and thigh; 42–44 ventral scales across belly; short web between the toes; 6–8 precloacal pores in continuous series in male; tailbase with 2–3 (usually 2) cloacal spurs on each side. From their most morphologically similar congers they can be distinguished by: the lack of forelimb and thigh tubercles from G. japonicus ; usually 2 cloacal spurs (versus mostly 3 in G. japonicus and G. taibaiensis , and 1 in G. hokouensis ); and a continuous series of precloacal pores in males (versus left and right series separated by a single scale in G. taibaiensis ).

FIGURE 1. Adult male holotype of Gekko wenxianensis , sp. nov., (NNU Z 2006.013) from Wenxian County, Gansu Province, Photo by Chao Tian.

Description (based on the holotype, NNU Z 2006.013). Adult male. Snout-vent length 52.87 mm. Head relatively long (HeadL/SVL ratio 0.28), wide (HeadW/HeadL ratio 0.75), not markedly depressed (HeadH/ HeadL ratio 0.45), distinct from neck. Lores and interorbital region weakly inflated, frontonasal region weakly concave. Snout elongate (SnEye/HeadL ratio 0.45), rounded at tip; longer than eye diameter (OrbD/ SnEye ratio 0.54); scales on snout and forehead small, rounded, granular, homogeneous; scales on snout larger than those on occipital region. Eye large (OrbD/HeadL ratio 0.25); pupil vertical with crenelated margins; Ear opening rounded, relatively large (EarL/HeadL ratio 0.08); eye to ear distance larger than diameter of eye (EyeEar/OrbD ratio 1.42). Rostral quadrangular, twice as wide (3.23 mm) as high (1.57 mm), without middorsal notch; rostral in contact with supralabial I and supranasals and internasal; two enlarged supranasals separated by a single internasal; nostrils round, each surrounded by supranasal, rostral, first supralabial, and two postnasals; Mental pentagonal, wider (1.78 mm) than deep (1.28 mm); one pair of enlarged postmentals, each bordered anteromedially by mental, medially in broad contact with other postmental, bordered anterolaterally by first infralabial, laterally by an enlarged sublabial, posteriorly by two enlarged chin-shields. Supralabials to midorbital position 9 (right) to 10 (left); enlarged supralabials to angle of jaws 12/12; infralabials 11/ 11.

Body slender, elongate (TrunkL/SVL ratio 0.43). Scales on dorsum of body granular, nearly homogeneous, intermixed with distinctly enlarged tubercles (4–6 times size of adjacent scales), in approximately 10 rows at midbody; tubercles oval or conical; a few tubercles present in temporal and occipital region and also on shank, tubercles lacking on the other parts of limbs; ventral scales larger than dorsals, smooth, hexagonal, and imbricate, much larger in precloacal region; 44 rows of ventral scale across midbody; gular region with relatively homogeneous, smooth scales. Six large preanal pores in continuous series, each borne in an enlarged scale. Base of tail distinctly swollen, with 2 cloacal spurs on each side.

Fore and hindlimbs moderately long, slender (ForeaL/SVL ratio 0.13; CrusL/SVL ratio 0.19); digits moderately dilated, inflected at interphalangeal joints, clawed except for digit I; distal, compressed claw-bearing phalanges arising from anterior margin of dilated portion, extending only a short distance beyond; undivided scansors covering the distal dilated portion: 6–6–7–8–7 (manus), 6–8–9–9–7 (pes); interdigital webbing minimal. Relative length of digits (manus; measurements in mm in parentheses): IV (3.93)> III (3.71)> V (3.56)> II (3.01)> I (2.77); (pes): IV (4.84)> III (4.39)> V (4.08)> II (3.47)> I (3.29).

Coloration in preservative. Dorsal ground color brown, with a series of roundish, somewhat enlarged grayish spots along the midline of the back, each outlined by a dark brown border. First spot on the neck, seven on the trunk. A grayish stripe, bordered above with dark brown, extends from the posterior corner of the orbit, passing above the ear opening to the occiput. Dorsal surfaces of the limbs brown, with irregular grayish markings outlined by dark brown borders. Dorsal surface of the tail with several transverse grayish bands, each band margined by a narrow dark band anteriorly. Ventral surface cream yellow, with or without dark dots on the head or body; dark dots occurring in high density on limbs and tail.

Variation. Comparative mensural data for the holotype and paratypes are presented in Table 2 . The enlarged chin-shields vary in number; tail with 2–3 pairs of cloacal spurs, mostly 2. Male with 6–8 preanal pores.