Parvoscincus manananggalae, Siler, Cameron D., Linkem, Charles W., Cobb, Kerry, Watters, Jessa L., Cummings, Sean T., Diesmos, Arvin C. & Brown, Rafe M., 2014

Siler, Cameron D., Linkem, Charles W., Cobb, Kerry, Watters, Jessa L., Cummings, Sean T., Diesmos, Arvin C. & Brown, Rafe M., 2014, Taxonomic revision of the semi-aquatic skink Parvoscincus leucospilos (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae), with description of three new species, Zootaxa 3847 (3), pp. 388-412 : 402-404

Parvoscincus manananggalae sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–5 )

Sphenomorphus leucospilos: Linkem, Diesmos, Brown, 2011 (part); Linkem & Brown, 2013 (part); Brown et al., 2000; Siler et al., 2011d.

Holotype. PNM 9794 ( RMB Field No. 10719, formerly KU 323928), adult male, collected on rocks near a rapid flowing stream during the day on 21 June 2009, in Barangay Lipimental, Municipality of San Luis, Aurora Province, Luzon Island, Philippines (N: 15.653; E: 121.507; WGS-84; 515 m in elevation), by RMB, CDS, L. Welton.

Paratypes. KU 323920–27, 323929–30 collected 21 June 2009; CMNH 5792 (from Brown et al. 2000).

Diagnosis. Parvoscincus manananggalae can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) body size medium (SVL 47.3–55.9 mm); (2) Toe-IV lamellae 17; (3) supralabials seven; (4) infralabials six or seven; (5) midbody scale rows 32–33; (6) paravertebral scale rows 61–69; (7) prefrontals separated; (8) prefrontals contact first supraocular; (9) frontoparietals fused; (10) head pigmentation moderately mottled; (11) upper arm pigmentation present, patchy; (12) cloacal scale dark pigmentation present; (13) subcaudal pigmentation present; (14) dorsal white spots large, well-defined; (15) dorsal white bands 9–12; (16) bright lateral body coloration absent; (17) tail dorsolaterally compressed; and (18) semi-aquatic (Tables 2, 3).

Comparisons. Characters distinguishing Parvoscincus manananggalae from all species of Parvoscincus are summarized in Tables 2 and 3. Parvoscincus manananggalae most closely resembles P. duwendorum , P. leucospilos , and P. tikbalangi . However, P. manananggalae differs from these three taxa by the presence of subcaudal dark pigmentation (vs. absence). Parvoscincus manananggalae further differs from P. duwendorum and P. tikbalangi by having dorsal white spots large and well-defined (vs. faint), Toe-IV lamellae 17 (vs. 12 [ P. duwendorum ], 14–16 [ P. tikbalangi ]); from P. leucospilos and P. tikbalangi by the absence of bright lateral coloration (vs. presence and bright reddish-orange [ P. leucospilos ], presence, reduced, tan [ P. tikbalangi ]); from P. duwendorum by having a greater number of paravertebral scale rows (61–69 vs. 60), a greater number of longitudinal ventral scale rows (43–49 vs. 41), a greater number of midbody scale rows (32–33 vs. 26), dorsal white bands 9–12 (vs. 15), and the presence of cloacal scale dark pigmentation (vs. absence); from P. leucospilos by having prefrontals separated (vs. in medial contact), head pigmentation moderately mottled (vs. heavily mottled), and the presence of dark pigmentation on the upper arm surface (vs. absence); and from P. tikbalangi by having a tendency towards a greater number of midbody scale rows (32–33 vs. 28–32) and fewer paravertebral scale rows (61–69 vs. 58–63), and the presence of contact between prefrontal and first supraocular scales (vs. absence).

Description of holotype. Details of the head scalation are shown in Figure 4 . An adult male Parvoscincus , SVL 55.9 mm, with clawed, pentadactyl limbs; head distinct from neck, characterized by enlarged jaw adductor musculature in temporal region. Snout pointed in dorsal aspect, rounded in lateral aspect; rostral wide forming a nearly perpendicular margin with frontonasal, rounded margin with nasals; frontonasal equally wide as long, in contact with nasals, rostral, anterior loreal, and prefrontal scales; prefrontals in point medial contact, in contact with anterior and posterior loreals, frontal, frontonasal, first supraciliary, and first supraocular; frontal greatly longer than wide, in contact with two supraoculars on right, two on left, rounded anteriorly, rounded posteriorly; four enlarged supraoculars, first largest; single, large frontoparietal, in contact with supraoculars II–IV; interparietal arrowhead-shaped; parietals in narrow medial contact, in narrow contact with fourth supraocular, in moderate contact with postsupraocular, and secondary temporal; primary temporals two, ventral largest, overlapping dorsal; secondary temporals two, large, dorsal largest, ventral overlapping dorsal; tertiary temporals two, dorsal largest, ventral overlapping dorsal; auricular opening large.

Nasal pierced in center by large naris, surrounded anteriorly by rostral, dorsally by frontonasal, posteriorly by anterior loreal, and ventrally by first and second supralabial; anterior loreal one, narrow, sharply curved contact with nasal, posterior loreal lower in height, 2x width of anterior loreal; preoculars two; supralabials seven, fifth subocular; lower eyelid scaly and semi-transparent, nonscaled “window” absent; ear large, moderately sunk.

Infralabials seven, decreasing in size posteriorly in series; mental small, forming straight suture with single, large postmental and first infralabials; enlarged chin shields in three pairs; gular scales slightly smaller than ventrals.

Body elongate, cylindrical, slender, with 32 equal sized midbody scales, limbs overlapping when adpressed; paravertebral scales 68, imbricate, smooth, without striations, keels or pits. Tail elongate, dorsolaterally compressed, longer than body (TL [67.0] / SVL [55.9] 1.20); subcaudal scales nondifferentiated for basal half of tail, enlarged for distal half of original tail. Precloacal region with series of enlarged scales between pelvic region and cloaca, more elongate than ventral scales; medial precloacal scales larger; left hemipene everted.

Forelimbs smaller than hind limbs, pentadactyl; forelimb scales slightly smaller in size than body scales, imbricate and smooth, reducing slightly in size distally; lamellae becoming slightly keeled distally on each digit; relative digit length I <V <II <III = IV; palmar scales irregular, raised, forming ventral protrusions from palmar surface. Hind limbs small, pentadactyl; hind limb scales equal in size and shape to body scales; dorsal scales on digits multiple. Lamellae keeled proximally and distally, flat for a few scales in between on Toe-IV; Toe-IV lamellae 17; relative digit length I <II <V <III <IV; plantar scales irregular, slightly raised.

Coloration of holotype in preservative. The dorsal background color is dark brown, with extensive mottling of several shades of brown. Three dorsal longitudinal rows of cream spots start posterior to the head and continue to the anteriormost portions of the tail, where the pattern becomes mottled more darkly brown. Lighter brown mottling is present in between the three dorsal rows of spots. The dorsal mottling pattern is more broken up with small cream spots on the lateral surface of the body, until eventually becoming a solid cream on the ventral side of the body. Similar small cream spots are present and sporadically distributed across the dorsal surface of both sets of limbs, continuing distal to the distinct large cream band on the forelimb, proximate to the body. The ventral surfaces of the feet are heavily mottled brown, except for Fingers I and II and Toe V. The solid cream ventral body coloration is broken up at the cloaca by four heavily pigmented enlarged precloacal scales. The ventral surface of the tail is mottled medium and dark brown, except for the area just posterior to the cloaca, which is solid cream in color. The mottled pattern on the dorsal surface of the head is a lighter brown than the dorsal surface of the body. This mottling is slightly darker around the orbits. There are two small cream spots just anterior to the eyes. There is a transition to a lighter mottled pattern on the lateral surface of the head starting just ventral to the eyes that continues to the venter. The supra- and infralabial series have four distinct tan spots, surrounded on either side by one indistinct spot. The ventral surface of the head is solid cream.

Coloration of holotype in life (Differences from preserved specimens; Fig. 5 ). The cream mottling and indistinct cream spots present on the lateroventral surface of the head, body, and tail is replaced by light pale bluish-gray coloration. Bright lateral coloration is absent in this species.

Measurements and scale counts of holotype in mm. SVL 55.9; AGD 29.3; TotL 122.9; TL 67.0; HL 12.2; HW 7.3; SnFa 18.1; ED 2.7; SNL 4.2; IND 2.1; FLL 5.5; HLL 6.6; MBSR 32; PVSR 68; ToeIVlam 17; SL 7; IFL 7; SO 4.

Variation. Scale pigmentation was observed to vary among the examined series: dark cloacal scale pigmentation was present (KU 323920, 323922, 323923, 323925, 323926, 323928–30, 325810) or absent (KU 323921, 323924, 323927, 325807, 328808, 325811–13).

Distribution, ecology and natural history. Parvoscincus manananggalae is known only from east-central Luzon Island, in Aurora Province near the Barangay of L. Pimentel in the San Luis Mountains and from Mt. Palali in Nueva Vizcaya Province ( Fig. 1 ). This semi-aquatic species occurs in primary- and secondary-growth forest habitats, and occurs in sympatry with Parvoscincus agtorum , P. palaliensis , P. steerei , and P. tagapayo .

We have evaluated this species against the IUCN criteria for classification, and find that it does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened status. Parvoscincus manananggalae has a relatively broad geographic distribution on Luzon Island and is quite abundant at all sampled localities. We therefore classify this species as Least Concern LC (IUCN, 2010).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a feminine noun, formed from the name “Manananggal,” a female, blood sucking, vampire-like creature who flies like a bat at night to hunt humans, after separating from her lower extremities (derived from the Tagalog word Tanggal, to separate). Manananggal can be repelled by garlic and even killed by heavily salting her legs once she has left to hunt for the night. Suggested common name:Aurora Aquatic Skink.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of the Luzon Island, Philippines, showing the collection localities for the new species and P. leucospilos.

FIGURE 3. Dorsal views of representative specimen heads and flanks, exhibiting pigmentation pattern variation among species.

FIGURE 4. Photographs of heads from dorsal and lateral perspectives to show pigmentation and scale pattern variation among species. With the exception of P. leucospilos (KU 313870), all photographs are of the holotypes of the new species.

FIGURE 5. Photographs in life of (A) P. leucospilos (Mt. Banahao; TNHC 62683); (B) P. leucospilos (Angat Watershed; KU 329388); (C) P. manananggalae sp. nov. (PNM 9794); and (D) P. tikbalangi sp. nov. (Holotype; PNM 9795).