Goniurosaurus catbaensis Ziegler, Nguyen, Schmitz, Stenke & Rösler, 2008

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 : 45-47

Goniurosaurus catbaensis Ziegler, Nguyen, Schmitz, Stenke & Rösler, 2008

Fig. 2

Diagnosis

Body splayed and gracile, SVL 89.3–125.3 mm; external nares bordered by 6–8 nasal scales; supraorbital region with a row of enlarged tubercles; outer surface of upper eyelid composed of granular scales, about the same size of those on top of head and with a row of 6–10 enlarged tubercles; internasals absent; supralabials 8–11; infralabials 7–10; eyelid fringe scales 45–56; postmentals 2–5; gular region below lower jaws without enlarged tubercles; paravertebral tubercles 31–38; scale rows around midbody 112– 127, granular scales surrounding tubercles 8–11; axillary pockets deep; subdigital lamellae under fourth toe 22–25; precloacal pores in males 16–23; iris orange-brown; dorsal ground color of head, body and limbs gray-brown to pale brown and mottled with dark brown blotches; nuchal loop thin, posteriorly protracted (in V-shape); dorsal body bands between limb insertions 3–4, thin, yellow, without dark spots; light band on tail base in width of 8–9 scales; ground color of tail black, caudal bands 5, white, completed ventrally; ventral surface of head, body and limbs dull white and immaculate, gular region with brown spots (modified after Ziegler et al. 2008; Nguyen 2011).

Description (Supp. file 1: Table S2)

Body splayed and gracile, adult males: SVL 92.9–125.3 mm (mean ± SE: 112.3± 0.8 mm, n =80), TaL 7.2– 97.9 mm (75.2 ± 1.9 mm); adult females: SVL 89.3–122.1 mm (111.8± 0.8 mm, n =93), TaL 17.5– 98.3 mm (70.3 ± 1.7 mm); juveniles: SVL 53.4–78.8 mm (68.8 ± 1.8 mm, n =21), TaL 11.8–61.2 mm (48.1 ± 2.6 mm) (Supp. file 1: Table S2); head triangular, wider than neck, covered by uniform granular scales interspersed with tubercles in temporal and occipital regions; scales on rostrum slightly larger and flatter; enlarged supraorbital tubercles in a conspicuous row; middorsal portion of rostral partially sutured dorsomedially, bordered laterally by first supralabial on each side, dorsolaterally by prenasal on each side, and dorsally by two supranasals; internasal (postrostral) scales absent; external nares bordered by 6–8 nasals: anteriorly by prenasal and supranasal, dorsally by supranasal, posteriorly by two slightly enlarged postnasals and 1 or 2 smaller granular scales, and ventrally by prenasal; prenasals with long recurved ventral portion; supranasals triangular, meeting in midline behind rostral suture; preorbital scales 10–13; supralabials 8–11; infralabials 7–10; eyes relatively large, pupils vertical; eyelid fringe scales 45–56, those of upper eyelid slightly enlarged; outer surface of upper eyelid composed of granular scales of about the same size of those on top of head, including a row of 6–10 enlarged tubercles; fold of skin originating from suborbital region extends posteroventrally across angle of jaw; external auditory meatus elliptical with long axis directed dorsoventrally; tympanum deeply recessed; mental triangular, bordered laterally by first infralabial on each side and posteriorly by 2–5 postmentals; postmentals bordered by 6–10 gular scales; gular region below lower jaws without enlarged tubercles; gular scales juxtaposed and granular, abruptly grading posteriorly into flat hexagonal pectoral scales and even larger ventral scales.

Neck narrower than body, covered with uniform granular scales interspersed with several sharply pointed conical tubercles on nape; tubercles on flanks conical, those of vertebral region somewhat lower in profile; dorsal body tubercles surrounded by 9–11 granular scales; dorsal tubercle rows at midbody 19–24; paravertebral tubercles between limb insertions 31–38, distinct vertebral row of tubercles absent; scales around midbody 112–127; larger ventral scales grade abruptly into smaller granular scales immediately anterior to vent at level of preanal pores; males with 18–23 precloacal pores in a transverse continuous series; region posterior to vent covered by flat juxtaposed scales and great hemipenial bulges, containing 2 or 3 enlarged postcloacal tubercles laterally on each side at level of vent; tail long and thin, thick at base, anteriorly with whorls; dorsal tail scales flat, smooth, up to 1.5 times the size of dorsal scales, arranged in more or less regular transverse rows; light band on tail base in width of 8–9 granular scales and with 7–8 tubercles in a transversal series; subcaudals larger than those on dorsal surface of tail.

Limbs relatively long and thin, covered dorsally with granular scales interspersed with several tubercles and ventrally with flat juxtaposed to subimbricate scales; dorsal granular scales grade into slightly flattened subimbricate scales on top of pes and manus; hind limbs slightly larger than forelimbs; larger granular scales on ventral surface of pes and manus; axillary pockets deep; subdigital lamellae wide, 9–11 under first finger, 18–21 under fourth finger, 9–12 under first toe, 22–25 under fourth toe; digits laterally compressed, increasing in length from first to fourth, fifth shorter than fourth (modified after Ziegler et al. 2008; Nguyen 2011).

Coloration in life ( Fig. 2 )

Dorsal ground color of head, body and limbs grey brown (in animals with SVL 53.4–105 mm) and blotches chestnut brown (in animals with SVL 110–125.3 mm), juveniles without small blotches, adults mottled with few circular blotches on body and limbs and long dark brown blotches on head; few yellow conical tubercles on franks of neck and body, and limbs in adults; iris light orange or red brown; five bands on the dorsal ground, thin, immaculate without dark spots, cream in juveniles and light orange or yellow in adults, all edged anteriorly and posteriorly by thin dark brown bands, including one thin nuchal loop extending from posterior corners of eyes and posteriorly protracted (in V-shape), three body bands between limb insertions, and another one on tail base; ground color of tail dark brown, and grey brown at mottled tail base; 3–5 immaculate white caudal bands, edged anteriorly and posteriorly in black; ventral surface of head, body and limbs dull white, juveniles absolutely immaculate, but adults with few dark spots on limbs, weak brown lateral spotting in gular region, venter and limbs.

Figures

Fig. 2. Goniurosaurus catbaensis Ziegler, Nguyen, Schmitz, Stenke & Rösler, 2008. A. Juvenile (SVL=55 mm). B. Juvenile (SVL=69 mm). C. Juvenile (SVL=75 mm). D. Adult (SVL=91 mm). E.Adult (SVL=99 mm).F.Adult (SVL=105 mm).G. Adult (SVL=116 mm).H.Adult (SVL=125 mm).