Hemiphyllodactylus typus Bleeker, 1860

Neang, Thy, Samorn, Vireak, Hun, Seiha, Henson, Adam & Stuart, Bryan L., 2024, Review of the Slender Geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Hemiphyllodactylus) of the Cardamom Mountains of southwestern Cambodia, with descriptions of two new species and one country record, Zootaxa 5537 (3), pp. 377-394 : 389-390

New country records of Hemiphyllodactylus typus Bleeker, 1860 ( Fig. 5 )

Material examined. CBC 03120 (field tag NT 01257), subadult female, Cambodia, Kampot Province, Teuk Chou District, Preah Monivong Bokor National Park , 10.60581ºN, 104.02975ºE, 400 m elev., coll. 12 June 2017 by Thy Neang. CBC 02880 (field tag NT 00944), adult male, Cambodia, Kampot Province, Teuk Chou District, Preah Monivong Bokor National Park , 10.78261ºN, 104.07873ºE, 192 m elev., coll. 22 October 2012 by Seiha Hun. ( Fig. 1 ).

Diagnosis. The Cambodian specimens match the expanded description of this species by Zug (2010) in having small slender body with short limbs, maximum SVL 41.1, TaL/SVL 0.806 –0.849, HL/SVL 0.217 –0.228, HW/SVL 0.131–135, HW/HL 0.648, TrunkL/SVL 0.512 –0.528, EyeD/HL 0.236 –0.242, SnEyeD/HL 0.383 –0.439, chin scales nine, circumnasal scales three, dorsal scales 18–19, postcloacal spurs 2–3. However, the Cambodian specimens have more (16) ventral scales (vs. 8–14 in H. typus in Zug 2010), 4444 lamellae on Fingers II– V (vs. 3444 in Zug 2010), and 5555 lamellae on Toes II– V (vs. 4454 in Zug 2010). The finding of a male specimen (CBC 02880) verifies that the species is bisexual, as reported by Taylor (1963).

Description of CBC 03120. A subadult female with SVL 28.9 mm; head small, triangular in dorsal profile, slightly distinct from neck, HL 6.6 mm, longer than width, HW 3.9 mm, slightly depressed, HD 2.8 mm; snout rounded in dorsal profile, SnEyeD 2.9 mm, 44% HL; eye rounded, relatively small, EyeD 1.6 mm; ear small, oval, vertically elongated, EarDH 0.3 mm, EarDV 0.2 mm; Eye-EarD 2.1 mm, slightly larger than ED. Rostral subrectangular with median notch dorsally, in contact with first supralabials laterally, supranasals, intersupranasals dorsally; supranasals two, similar in size, separated by an intersupranasal; intersupranasals single, much smaller than supranasals; circumnasal scales three; external nares in contact with rostral anteriorly, supralabials ventrally, supranasals dorsally, postnasals posteriorly; postnasal scale single, large, 1/3–1/4 the size of supranasal, in contact with upper protruding part of 1 st supralabial; lore slightly concave; canthus rostralis rounded, slightly depressed anteriorly; frontal region slightly concave; supralabials 10 R /10L, subrectangular, tapering posteriorly, the first the largest, the 10 th the smallest; infralabials 10 R /10L, subrectangular, tapering posteriorly, the first the largest, the 10 th the smallest. Scales on top of head, nuchal region small, rounded, granular, homogenous; scales on supraocular regions similar to those on rostrum, strongly granular, slightly larger than those on top of head; mental relatively small, triangular, in contact with infralabial laterally, two chin scales posteriorly; chin scales nine, the two postmentals largest.

Body small, elongated, depressed ventrally, TrunkL 14.8 mm, 51% of SVL; dorsal scales within one diameter of eye transversely across mid-dorsum 19, small, granular, lacking enlarged, emerging tubercles; scales on flanks similar in size to those on dorsum; ventral scales within one diameter of eye 16, smooth, imbricate; ventrolateral fold absent; enlarged precloacal and femoral scales absent; postcloacal spurs on lateral tail base 2 R / 2L. Forelimbs relatively short, slender, bearing five fingers with unsheathed claws except first finger vestigial, cone-shaped; distal portions of fingers strongly curved, terminal joint free; enlarged subdigital lamellae wider than long on Finger I 3 R /3L; proximal subdigital lamellae on Fingers II– V undivided, with U-shape distal subdigital lamellae divided, distal lamellae formula of Fingers II– V 4444 on each side, total lamellae on Fingers II– V 16; forearm and fingers with scales flat, slightly imbricate dorsally and ventrally; palmar region with scales flat, subimbricate; hindlimb longer and more robust than forelimb, with larger, flat, dorsally juxtaposed scales, those on anterior thigh larger than those on posterior thigh; scales on ventral surface of anterior hind limb large, flat, similar to those on ventral scales, those on posterior thigh smaller, denser, more juxtaposed; scales on plantar region flat, subimbricate; hindlimb bearing five toes with unsheathed claws except Toe I vestigial, cone-shaped, distal portion of toes strongly curved, terminal joint free; enlarged subdigital lamellae on Toe I 4 R /4L; proximal subdigital lamellae on Toes II– V undivided, angular, with U-shape distal subdigital lamellae divided, distal lamellae formula of Toes II– V 5555 on each side, total lamellae on Toes II– V 20; tail short, original, TaL 23.3 mm, 81% of SVL, slightly depressed, tapering posteriorly; dorsal caudal region with small scales anteriorly similar to those on dorsum, larger posteriorly; caudal scales not enlarged, homogenous, slightly larger lateral and dorsal caudal scales ( Table 1 ).

Coloration of CBC 03120 in life. Dorsal ground color gray with four dark stripes of elongated, broken dark bars, those on dorsum running from top of head to the level of hind limb insertion, that on flank connected anteriorly, more or less broken posteriorly, running from postorbital to groin; preorbital dark brown streak; sparse grayish white to rusty white on rostrum, top of head dorsum, dorsal surface of limbs darker gray with dark transverse bars; digits with distinct rusty white speckling; orange spot near tip of each digit; dark chevron at tail base; dorsal surface of tail with light to dark brown with rusty white blotches; dark lateral caudal stripe, distinct anteriorly, indistinct posteriorly.

Coloration of CBC 03120 in preservative. Mostly unchanged, except that dorsal gray coloration faded to light brown, rusty color faded to white, and ventral surfaces white with small dark brown speckling on scales.

Distribution and natural history. This species is known in Cambodia from semi-evergreen forest between 192–400 m elevation in Preah Monivong Bokor National Park, Teuk Chou District, Kampot Province ( Fig. 5 ). CBC 03120 was found at night on a leaf of an herbaceous plant 0.3 m above the ground along a logging trail and CBC 02880 was found during the day under a log.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map illustrating the new Cambodian locality of Hemiphyllodactylus typus (triangle) and the type localities of Hemiphyllodactylus bokor sp. nov. (triangle) and Hemiphyllodactylus samkos sp. nov. (circle), and their closest relatives Hemiphyllodactylus flaviventris (square) and Hemiphyllodactylus indosobrinus (pentagon).

FIGURE 5. Subadult female of Hemiphyllodactylus typus (CBC 03120) in life (A) and its habitat at Preah Monivong Bokor National Park, Kampot Province, Cambodia (B).