Parvoscincus banahaoensis, Linkem, Charles W. & Brown, Rafe M., 2013

Linkem, Charles W. & Brown, Rafe M., 2013, Systematic revision of the Parvoscincus decipiens (Boulenger, 1894) complex of Philippine forest skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Lygosominae) with descriptions of seven new species, Zootaxa 3700 (4), pp. 501-533 : 518-520

Parvoscincus banahaoensis sp. nov.

Figs. 2 ; 3E; 4S, T, U; 5K, L

Sphenomorphus decipiens: Brown & Alcala, 1980: 186 (part) Parvoscincus decipiens sp 4: Linkem, Diesmos, Brown, 2011

Holotype. PNM 9784 (formerly KU 332637; A. C. Diesmos Field No. 1015): Male: Philippines, Luzon Island, Quezon Province, Municipality of Tayabas, Barangay Lalo, coordinates N: 14.0565º, E: 121.5119º, elevation 1275 m above sea level, collected August 2001 by A. C. Diesmos.

Paratypes. Same locality as holotype: PNM 6761 (ACD 1020), PNM 6762 (ACD 1021) Females; PNM 6760 (ACD 1016), TNHC 62892 (RMB 3727), TNHC 62893 (RMB 3731), TNHC 62894 (RMB 3732), Males; KU 327426–7, KU 327635, TNHC 62895 (RMB 3735).

Genetic Data. GenBank KF425445 – KF425448 .

Diagnosis. Parvoscincus banahaoensis sp. nov. can be identified by the following combination of characters: (1) A small body size (SVL at maturity 39–45 mm); (2) MBSR = 28–32; (3) PV = 62–66; (4) dorsal scales nonstriated without apical pits; (5) apical pits on hind limbs, none on forelimbs; (6) four enlarged supraoculars; (7) anterior loreal single; (8) three preoculars; (9) and 14–17 Toe IV SDL.

Parvoscincus banahaoensis sp. nov. is most closely related to P. palaliensis sp. nov. and P. aurorus sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 ), and these three species are related to other high elevation Parvoscincus species ( P. boyingi , P. laterimaculatus , P. igorotorum , P. beyeri , and P. hadros ). Parvoscincus banahaoensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. boyingi , P. laterimaculatus , P. igorotorum , P. beyeri , P. hadros by having PV 62–66 (vs.> 74) and by being smaller (SVL 39.3–45.09 vs. 42–86.7).

Parvoscincus banahaoensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. palaliensis sp. nov. by having fewer PV scales (62–66 vs. 73); by having white flanks (vs. flanks brown with white spots); dorsolateral band bordered dorsally by straight light line (vs. dorsolateral band irregular dorsally with inverted hooks of dorsal color interrupting the dark brown band).

Parvoscincus banahaoensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. aurorus sp. nov. by usually having fewer midbody scale rows (28–32 vs 31–35) and fewer paravertebrals (62–66 vs 65–73) scales; by having white flanks (vs. flanks brown with white spots); dorsolateral band bordered dorsally by straight light line (vs. dorsolateral band irregular dorsally with half circles of dorsal color interrupting the dark brown band).

Description of holotype. A small-sized Parvoscincus , SVL 42.41 mm, with clawed, pentadactyl limbs. Snout pointed in lateral profile; rostral wide forming an oval dorsal margin with the nasals and frontonasal scales; frontonasal divided with right overlapping left and a small azygous scale between frontonasals and prefrontals, in contact with nasals, rostral, anterior loreals, and prefrontal scales; prefrontals in broad medial overlap, right overlapping left, in contact with anterior and posterior loreals, frontal, frontonasals, azygous frontonasal, 1st supraciliary and 1st supraoccular; frontal slightly longer than wide, in contact with three supraoculars, posterior apex rounded; four enlarged supraoculars, 1st largest, 3rd widest; frontoparietals fused, in contact with two supraoculars; interparietal acutely triangular with parietal eye in posterior third; parietals in narrow overlap, right overlapping left, in contact with fourth supraocular, postsupraocular, primary and secondary temporal; nuchals same size as dorsals, not obliquely enlarged.

Nasal pierced in center by large naris, surrounded anteriorly by rostral, dorsally by frontonasal, posteriorly by anterior loreal, and ventrally by 1st and 2nd supralabial; single anterior loreal, posterior loreal wider than anterior; preoculars two; seven supralabials, 5th widest and under center of eye; supraciliaries 10, anterior three and posterior two larger than rest of series; 12 ciliaries; lower eyelid scaly and transparent, lacking non-scaled “window;” suboculars seven, largest anteriorly; primary temporals three, secondary temporals two, lower overlapping upper; ear large (EarD [1.59]/EyeD [2.16] = 0.74), round, and moderately sunk.

Infralabials seven, decreasing in size posteriorly in series; mental large, forming a straight suture with a single large postmental and first infralabials; postmental contacts anterior two infralabials; chin scales increasing in number posteriorly (one, two, five) and then blending into size and shape of gular scales; gular scales slightly smaller than ventrals.

Body non-elongate (AGD [20.24]/SVL [42.41] = 0.48), cylindrical, with 28 equal-sized midbody scales, limbs overlapping when adpressed; lateral body scales with one row of faint apical pits; paravertebral scales 65, imbricate, with no apical pits. Tail original, slightly elongate, not complete, slightly longer than body (TL [44.2]/ SVL [42.41] = 1.04) square at base, becoming dorsoventrally compressed distally; subcaudal scales nondifferentiated.

Forelimbs smaller than hind limbs (FLL [3.50]/HLL [4.88] = 0.72), pentadactyl; dorsal forelimb scales smaller than body scale, ventral forelimb scales much smaller than ventral scales, dorsal and ventral forelimb scales imbricate without apical pits; multiple rows of dorsal scales on digits. Relative digit length with lamellae (L/R) in parentheses IV(11/11)> III(10/10)> II(8/8)> V(8/8)> I(5/5). Palmar scales irregular, raised, forming ventral protrusions from palmar surface; large set of four scales on distolateral edge of Digit V to the wrist, largest scale at wrist.

Hind limbs small (HLL [4.88]/SVL [42.41] = 0.11), pentadactyl; dorsal and ventral hind limb scales smaller than body scales; dorsal scales with single row of apical pits, ventral scales without apical pits; multiple scale rows on dorsal side of digits. Lamellae slightly keeled. Relative digit length with lamellae (L/R) in parentheses: IV(16/ 16)> III(12/13)> V(10/10)> II(9/9)> I(6/6). Plantar scales irregular, slightly raised; three large, ventrally pointed scales along ankle/plantar margin; ventrally raised scales along distolateral edge of Digit V to ankle, increasing in size toward ankle.

Precloacal region with series of enlarged scales between pelvic region and cloaca, more elongate than ventral scales; medial precloacal scales larger, overlapping lateral scales.

Coloration of holotype (in preservative). Dorsal ground color brown throughout; a series of small dark brown dorsovertebral spots from the nuchals to the base of the tail. Dorsolateral line broad near head, from posterior midline of ear to nuchal region tapering irregularly on ventral margin to forelimb and blending in midbody; bordered anteriorly by a tan line half a scale wide that continues down the entire length of the body and anterior of tail; dark brown dorsolateral line starts again at hind limb as a series of large blotches until just posterior to the cloacal opening. Anterior to the forelimb and ventral to the dorsolateral line are some brown flecks that continue around the gular region. The ground color of the gular and ventral region is cream color. The mental, postmental, infralabials scale margins have a concentration of brown ticking that blend in with the gular streaks. The ventrum from the gular region posteriorly and the ventral side of limbs are all cream without any markings. Distal portion of ventral tail has some brown ticking. Dorsal aspect of limbs are dark brown with random tan spots that decrease in size and increase in frequency towards the solar surface of the feet. Coloration in life unrecorded.

Variation. Paratypes closely resemble the holotype. Two paratypes (TNHC 62894 and PNMH 6760) have a divided frontonasal like the holotype, the other paratypes have a single frontonasal. Coloration is invariant across the type series. Variation in meristic and mensural characters in the type series and referred specimens is presented in Table 2.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 ). Known only from forest above 1275 m above sea level on Mt. Banahao (Municipality of Tayabas, Barangay Lalo). The species appears to be a high elevation endemic. Natural history. This species is found in primary forest in loose soil under rocks and logs above 1000 m elevation.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin participle formation of the name of the type locality (Mt. Banahao, Quezon Province, Luzon Island).

Figures

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

FIGURE 2. Partitioned Bayesian majority rule consensus estimate of molecular phylogeny from the ND 2 data of Parvoscincus. Populations within the P. decipiens complex are genetically unique and are diagnosed as new species based on morphological differences. Black circles label nodes with posterior probabilities above 0.95.