Goniurosaurus, Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999

Ngo, Hai Ngoc, Nguyen, Huy Quoc, Tran, Hieu Minh, Ngo, Hanh Thi, Le, Minh Duc, Gewiss, Laurenz Rafael, Schingen-Khan, Mona van, Nguyen, Truong Quang & Ziegler, Thomas, 2021, A morphological and molecular review of the genus Goniurosaurus, including an identification key, European Journal of Taxonomy 751 (1), pp. 38-67 : 58-60

Key to the species of Goniurosaurus ( Fig. 7 , Table 1 )

Modified from Grismer et al. (1999, 2002), Vu et al. (2006), Orlov et al. (2008), Ziegler et al. (2008), Wang et al. (2010, 2013, 2014), Nguyen (2011), Chen et al. (2014), Yang & Chan (2015), Honda & Ota (2017), Zhou et al. (2018, 2020a, 2020b), Qi et al. (2020a, 2020b) and the present study.

1. Precloacal pores in males present, claws are sheathed by scales ...................................................... 7

– Precloacal pores absent, unsheathed claws ( G. kuroiwae group) ..................................................... 2

2. Yellow brown to gold iris; a single scale at the base of each digit which is occasionally slightly enlarged ............................................................................................... G. yamashinae (Okada, 1936)

– Blood-red iris; one to three enlarged scales at the base of each digit on the limbs .......................... 3

3. Adults without interspace mottling ................................................................................................... 4

– Adults with interspace mottling ........................................................................................................ 5

4. Robust body stature; dorsal body tubercles between the limb insertions in cross-section are triangular to elliptical and sharply keeled anteriorly; 34–42 paravertebral tubercles; ventral scales are juxtaposed and sharply raised ..................................... G. toyamai Grismer, Ota & Tanaka, 1994

– Slender body stature; dorsal body tubercles between the limb insertions in cross-section are smooth or very weakly keeled; 22–29 paravertebral tubercles; ventrals are flat, wide, and subimbricate to imbricate ............................................................................ G. splendens (Nakamura & Uéno, 1959)

5. Dorsal banding absent or incomplete ................................................... G. kuroiwae (Namiye, 1912)

– Prominent dorsal pattern consisting of transverse bands between the nape of the neck and the caudal constriction ....................................................................................................................................... 6

6. No such reddish or pinkish tint in dorsal pattern and iris ......................... G. orientalis (Maki, 1931)

– Reddish or pinkish tint to some extent in dorsal pattern and iris ........................................................ ...................................................................................................... G. sengokui ( Honda & Ota, 2017)

7. Precloacal pores in males less than 16 ( G. yingdeensis group) ........................................................ 8

– Precloacal pores in males more than 16 ..........................................................................................11

8. Scales around midbody 121–128; longitudinal dorsal tubercle rows at midbody 16–17 ................... ................................................................... G. gollum Qi, Wang, Grismer, Chen, Lyu & Wang, 2020

– Scales around midbody 99–115; longitudinal dorsal tubercle rows at midbody 20–28 ................... 9

9. Nuchal loop and body bands with small dark blotches; enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles absent; trunk of body usually with a longitudinal light vertebral stripe ......................................................... ........................................................................ G. varius Qi, Grismer, Lyu, Zhang, Li & Wang, 2020

– Nuchal loop and body bands without dark blotches; enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles present; trunk of body without a longitudinal light vertebral stripe ............................................................. 10

10. Tubercles between orbits present; gular scales bordering the postmentals 2–4; preorbital scales 5–7 ............................................................................................ G. yingdeensis Wang, Yang & Cui, 2010

– Tubercles between orbits absent; gular scales bordering the postmentals 4–6; preorbital scales 7–9 ........................................................................................ G. zhelongi Wang, Jin, Li & Grismer, 2014

11. Body and limbs robust ( G. lichtenfelderi group) ............................................................................ 12

– Body and limbs splayed gracile ( G. luii group) .............................................................................. 16

12. Precloacal pores in males 37–46 ....... G. bawanglingensis Grismer, Haitao, Orlov & Anajeva, 2002

– Precloacal pores in males fewer than 37 ......................................................................................... 13

13. Nuchal loop protracted posteriorly (in V-shape); number of body bands 4; axillary pockets deep; precloacal pores in males more than 33 ......................... G. zhoui Zhou, Wang, Chen & Liang, 2018

– Nuchal loop rounded posteriorly (in U-shape); number of body bands 3; axillary pockets shallow; precloacal pores in males fewer than 33 ......................................................................................... 14

14. Eyelid fringe scales 55–70; enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles absent; scales of upper eyelid to top of head equal of those on the top of the head in size .................... G. hainanensis Barbour, 1908

– Eyelid fringe scales 47–58; enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles present; scales of upper eyelid to top of head ½ of those on the top of the head in size ..................................................................... 15

15. Lateral spotting on belly absent; preorbital scales 18–21; scales around midbody 109–118; subdigital lamellae under the fourth finger 18–19 .............................................. G. kwanghua Zhu & He, 2020

– Lateral spotting on belly present; preorbital scales 12–18; scales around midbody 117–130; subdigital lamellae under the fourth finger 13–17 ...................................... G. lichtenfelderi (Mocquard, 1897)

16. Internasal absent ........................... G. catbaensis Ziegler, Nguyen, Schmitz, Stenke & Rösler, 2008

– Internasal present ............................................................................................................................ 17

17. Postcloacal tubercles 3–6 ................................................. G. araneus Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999

– Postcloacal tubercles 1–3 ................................................................................................................ 18

18. Adult body length (SVL)> 126 mm; dorsum without dark blotches ................................................. .............................................................. G. huuliensis Orlov, Ryabov, Nguyen, Nguyen & Ho, 2008

– Maximum body length (SVL) ≤ 126 mm; dorsum with dark blotches .......................................... 19

19. Dorsum with many small dark blotches .................................. G. luii Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999

– Dorsum with rarely scattered dark blotches ................................................................................... 20

20. Outer surface of upper eyelid composed of granular scales, about the same size of those on top of head and with enlarged tubercles .......................................................... G. gezhi Zhu, He & Li, 2020

– Enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles present; scales of upper eyelid to top of head ½ of those on the top of the head in size ............................................................................................................... 21

21. Precloacal pores in males 31–33 .............................................. G. kwangsiensis Yang & Chan, 2015

– Precloacal pores in males fewer than 31 ......................................................................................... 22

22. Lateral spotting on belly present; nasal scales 6–7; paravertebral tubercles between limb insertions 30–34; precloacal pores 26–28 ............................................... G. kadoorieorum Yang & Chan, 2015

– Lateral spotting on belly absent, nasal scales 8–9; paravertebral tubercles between limb insertions 27–28; precloacal pores 23 .............................................. G. liboensis Wang, Yang & Grismer, 2013

Figures

Fig. 7. A few key characters for species identification in the genus Goniurosaurus Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999. A. Snout tip of G. catbaensis Ziegler, Nguyen, Schmitz, Stenke & Rösler, 2008 with lacking postrostral (internasal) and two supranasals are in contact with each other. B. Snout tip of G. lichtenfelderi (Mocquard, 1897) with few internasals. C. Nuchal loop of G. huuliensis Orlov, Ryabov, Nguyen, Nguyen & Ho, 2008 protracted posteriorly (in V-shape). D. Nuchal loop of G. lichtenfelderi rounded posteriorly (in U-shape). E. Precloacal pores and large swollen hemipenial bulges of G. luii Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999 in males, and two postcloacal tubercles. F. Indistinct precloacal pores of G. lichtenfelderi in females and only one postcloacal tubercle on each site. Yellow arrows point to postcloacal tubercles, and red arrows to other scales.