Cyrtodactylus hitchi, Riyanto, Awal, Kurniati, Hellen & Engilis, Andrew, 2016

Riyanto, Awal, Kurniati, Hellen & Engilis, Andrew, 2016, A new Bent-toed gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Mekongga Mountains, South East Sulawesi, Indonesia, Zootaxa 4109 (1), pp. 59-72 : 61-67

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4109.1.5
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8674432E-9F2B-4195-86A8-53E991E1F436
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5613641
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0390878F-077D-D54F-8BF1-F9EAF957FD87
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cyrtodactylus hitchi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. Riyanto, Kurniati & Engilis

English common name: Hitch’s Bent-toed Gecko Indonesia common name: Cicak Jari Lengkung Hitch ( Figs 2–6 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 )

Holotype. MZB.Lace.8642, an adult male from Camp 3, desa Tinukari, kecamatan Wawo, kabupaten Kolaka Utara, Mekongga Mountains (03.6399o S; 121.14974o E, 936 m asl), South East Sulawesi Province, Indonesia; collected by Hellen Kurniati and Wahyu Trilaksono on 3 December 2010.

Paratypes. MZB.Lace.8635–36, 8640–41, 8643–48, MWFB 1054, 1116, from between 0 3.635943 – 0 3.63994o S; 121. 148971 – 121.16268 o E; alt.; 934–1103 m asl collected 25 November – 7 December 2010.

Diagnosis. A small-sized Cyrtodactylus with SVL up to 70.3 mm in males, 79.0 mm in females; 18–20 irregularly aligned rows of keeled tubercles; 27–30 paravertebral tubercles; 40–45 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds; ventrolateral folds with tubercles; no precloacal groove; no precloacal pores; no enlarged femoral and precloacal scales; no femoral pores; 18–20 lamellae beneath fourth toe; smooth transition between rows of large and small postfemoral and ventral femoral scales; and greatly enlarged transverse median subcaudal scales arranged in a single row.

Description of Holotype. An adult male, SVL 70.39 mm; head moderately long (HL/SVL=0.30), relatively narrow (HW/HL=0.65), depressed (HH/HL=0.39), distinct from neck; lores and interorbital regions concave; canthus rostralis prominent and rounded; frontonasal region concave; snout elongate (ES/HL=0.44), relatively pointed, longer than ED (ED/ES=0.63). Scales on snout and forehead small, rounded, granular, homogeneous; eye large (ED/HL=0.28) with vertical pupil; supraciliaries short; ear opening oval, large (EarL/HL=0.15); EE>ED (EE/ ED=0.93); rostral incompletely divided dorsally by a shallow Y-shaped groove; two enlarged supranasals separated from one another by a three intersupranasals, the supranasals and intersupranasal completely surrounded by the smaller scales; naris oval, bordered by rostral anteriorly, first supralabial ventrally, one supranasal dorsally, and three small postnasals posteriorly; orbit separated from supralabials by a row of small scales; mental triangular, wider (2.9 mm) than deep (1.9 mm), bordered anterolaterally by first infralabials and posteriorly by paired elongate primary postmentals that contact medially for 40% of their posterior sections ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A); primary postmentals bordered by two enlarged secondary postmentals and three slightly large gular scales ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A); both right and left sides consist of 12 supralabials counted to the rictus, 9 counted to the midpoint of the eye; 10 infralabial scales counted to the rictus.

Body elongate (AGL/SVL=0.45); ventrolateral folds small, with scattered rounded tubercles; ventral region with relatively homogeneous, smooth scales; dorsal scales small, granular, with scattered irregular, relatively enlarged keeled tubercles; 20 irregular longitudinal rows of tubercles at midbody; smallest tubercles on flanks and in the frontal region; 19 irregular transverse rows of tubercles between limbs. Ventral scales much larger than dorsal scales, smooth, round, subimbricate, largest posteriorly; 42 ventral scale rows at midbody between ventrolateral folds; no precloacal groove; no precloacal pores; no enlarged femoral scales; no femoral pores; smooth transition between rows of large and small postfemoral and ventral femoral scales ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 A); scales on palmar surfaces granular, juxtaposed; scales on plantar surfaces and hind limbs granular, juxtaposed.

Forelimbs and hind limbs relatively robust (FL/SVL=0.18; TBL/SVL=0.19); digits well developed, inflected at basal interphalangeal joints; subdigital lamellae transversely expanded proximal to joint inflections, all bearing slightly curved claws; basal subdigital lamellae nearly as broad as digits; subdigital lamellae on manus I(13) II(14) III(16) IV(17) V(15), not including ventral claw sheath; count of subdigital lamellae on pes I(16) II(15) III(19) IV(20) V(18), not including ventral claw sheath; relative length of fingers IV>III>V>II>I and toes IV>V> III> II> I, the first toe is very short.

Tail cylindrical but broken at the tip; dorsally tubercles keeled from the base of tail to approximately 1/3 tail length. The tubercles are arranged in 11 irregular rings with each ring consisting of four tubercles with each separated by seven to nine small transverse scale rows; ventrally transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales arranged in a single row, these scales are smooth and hexagonal in form ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 A); three postcloacal tubercles on each side of tail base.

Coloration in Life. A strikingly marked Cyrtodactylus . Ground color of dorsum uniformly velvety brown, tubercles the same color as background. Four pairs of overlapping “><” shaped irregular yellow transverse bands between nape and base of tail and 10 similar markings on the tail, the first three being more or less similar to the dorsal pattern, the remainder less distinct in form with yellow spots and crosses. The areas within the overlapping “><” shaped marks are lighter compared to the dorsum. A yellow line borders the posterior margin of the head. Limbs with irregular yellow bands or spots at various angles; distinct yellow bars at the metacarpal-phalangeal joint; head coloration slightly lighter than dorsum, faintly marbled with yellow spots which are variable in size, a yellow line running along superciliaries to occiput, enclosing parietal region of head and posterior part of canthus rostralis; nape with a broad dark V-shaped bordered by yellow; rostral as dark as body coloration with yellow spots; iris greenish metallic during daylight ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ); lateral surfaces similar to dorsum but with yellow tubercles, sparsely arranged on the flanks, strongly contrasted with velvety black base color; venter and undersides of limbs uniformly blackish, ventral scales with numerous fine purple flecks covering otherwise pale scales. Pattern remains clearly evident in preserved specimens ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ), although yellow areas fade to white.

Variation. For other detailed measurements and character states for the entire type series see Table 1 View TABLE 1 .

Natural History. All specimens were collected from secondary forest in various microhabitats such as on vegetation along streams, along rivers and foot paths, and on tree trunks and fallen logs ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ). Cyrtodactylus hitchi appears to have a relatively narrow elevational range corresponding to hill forest habitat ranging from 900–1100 m asl. We did not encounter the species above 1200 m asl and below 900 m asl. It is replaced below 500 m by C. jellesmae .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive singular case, honoring Dr. Alan Thomas Hitch for his friendship and as the field leader of expeditions to the Mekongga.

Species comparisons. Cyrtodactylus hitchi sp. nov. is distinguished from all other congeners from Sundaland, Wallacea, and Eastern Indonesia except C. batik , C. jellesmae , C. wallacei by having the following unique combination of characters: no precloacal groove, no precloacal or femoral pores and absent enlarged femoral scales.

The new species differs from C. batik in having a smaller SVL (79 mm versus 114.6 mm), fewer dorsal tubercles (18–20 versus 23–26), fewer lamellae under fourth toe (18–21 versus 24–27) and transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales arranged in a single row (as opposed to transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales in single row mixed with paired median subcaudal scales, Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 A,B). It is distinguished from C. fumosus in having “><” shaped dorsal pattern (as opposed to blotched dorsal pattern), lacking a precloacal groove, absence of precloacal and femoral pores, absent enlarged femoral and precloacal scales, elongated primary postmentals that contact medially for 40% of their posterior sections (as opposed to having ~70% contact posteromedially), smooth transition between rows of large and small postfemoral and ventral femoral scales (as opposed abrupt); and have transversely enlarged median sub-caudal scales arranged in a single row (as opposed absent). Distinguished from C. jellesmae in having enlarged median subcaudal scales and “><” shaped dorsal pattern (as opposed to “V” shaped pattern) and transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales with arrangement in a single row (as opposed to a fragmented pattern, see Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 A,D). It is distinguished from C. spinosus in having fewer dorsal tubercles (18–20 versus 25–30), lacking a precloacal groove, lacking precloacal pores, lacking spines on the ventrolateral folds, and having primary postmentals in contact medially (as opposed to separated, see Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 A,D) and having “><” shaped dorsal pattern (as opposed to “V” shaped pattern). Finally it is distinguished from C. wallacei in having smaller maximum SVL (79 mm versus 113.6 mm), fewer lamellae under fourth toes (18–21 versus 24–25) and transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales with arrangement in a single row (as opposed to smaller, variable size scales, see Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 A,C).