Cyrtodactylus kunyai, Pauwels, Olivier S. G., Sumontha, Montri, Keeratikiat, Kaweesak & Phanamphon, Eakarit, 2014

Pauwels, Olivier S. G., Sumontha, Montri, Keeratikiat, Kaweesak & Phanamphon, Eakarit, 2014, Cyrtodactylus kunyai (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new cave-dwelling Bent-toed Gecko from Loei Province, northeastern Thailand, Zootaxa 3821 (2), pp. 253-264 : 254-261

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3821.2.5
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:803D24E1-2FA8-431E-B9D4-D20A0D53EBB0
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6143341
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F14C8796-FFD6-FFCF-8C93-FC3E92E5FD5D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cyrtodactylus kunyai
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cyrtodactylus kunyai sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 )

Holotype. THNHM 2560 (field number MS 270); adult male from a limestone cave in Suan Hin Pha Ngam (17°03.062’N, 101°44.588’E), Amphoe (= District) Nong Hin, Loei Province, northeastern Thailand. Collected by Kaweesak Keeratikiat on 23 June 2008.

Diagnosis. Cyrtodactylus kunyai sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other congeneric species by its maximal known SVL of 87.9 mm; 19 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 34 ventral scale rows between ventrolateral skin folds; a continuous series of 39 enlarged femoro-precloacal scales, including 5–6 pore-bearing scales on each femur separated by a diastema from 3 pore-bearing precloacal scales (no pores in females); no precloacal groove nor depression; transversely enlarged subcaudal scales; a dark orangeish iris; adults with four or five brown bands between nuchal loop and hind limb insertions and 3 bi-colored band interspaces between limb insertions and a medially interrupted nuchal loop.

Description of holotype. Adult male. SVL 87.9 mm. Tail original, TailL 107.2 mm. Head relatively long (HeadL 24.8 mm; HeadL/SVL ratio 0.28), wide (HeadW 16.1 mm; HeadW/HeadL ratio 0.65), not markedly depressed (HeadH 10.1 mm; HeadH/HeadL ratio 0.41, distinct from slender neck. Loreal region weakly inflated, canthus rostralis not prominent. Snout elongate (SnOrb 9.8 mm; SnOrb/HeadL ratio 0.40), rounded, longer than orbit diameter (OrbD 6.6 mm; OrbD/SnOrb ratio 0.67); scales on snout small, rounded to oval, granular to weakly conical, mostly homogeneous, larger than those on crown, interorbital and occipital regions. Eye large (OrbD/ HeadL ratio 0.27); pupil vertical with crenelated margins; supraciliaries short (anteriormost longest), those at posterior part of orbit bearing small conical spines. Ear opening vertically elliptical, small (EarL 1.1 mm; EarL/ HeadL ratio 0.04); orbit to ear distance subequal to orbit diameter (OrbEar 6.5 mm; OrbEar/OrbD ratio 0.98; NosOrb 7.5 mm; Internar 2.6 mm; Interorb 4.7 mm). Rostral wider (3.5 mm) than deep (2.4 mm), rostral crease about a third of rostral height. Two enlarged supranasals in broad contact with one another. Rostral in contact with first supralabials, nostrils, and supranasals. Nostrils oval, dorsolaterally directed, each surrounded by supranasal, rostral, first supralabial and two enlarged postnasals. Three or four rows of small scales separate orbit from supralabials. Mental triangular, wider (3.4 mm) than deep (2.3 mm). A single pair of greatly enlarged postmentals in broad contact behind mental, each postmental bordered anteromedially by mental, anterolaterally by first infralabial, posterolaterally by two enlarged lateral chinshields, and posteriorly by four granules, the medialmost of which also contacting the other postmental. Supralabials to mid-orbital position 10/9, enlarged supralabials to angle of jaws 13/12. Infralabials 10/10. Interorbital scale rows across narrowest point of frontal bone 27. Gular region with homogeneous, smooth, juxtaposed granular scales.

Body slender, moderately elongate (AG 39.7 mm; AG/SVL ratio 0.45) with relatively well-defined, nondenticulate ventrolateral folds. Dorsal scales weakly heterogeneous, flat or slightly domed; irregularly distributed tubercles (about three times size of adjacent scales) extending from shoulder region onto tail base, smaller tubercles on postocular region, crown, occiput and nape; some tubercles bearing a low keel, those on flanks flat, most lacking a keel; tubercles in 19 irregular rows at midbody, typically separated from one another by two dorsal granules. Ventral scales larger than dorsals, smooth, oval and subimbricate, larger in precloacal region. Midbody scale rows across belly between ventrolateral folds 34. A continuous row of 39 enlarged femoro-precloacal scales, as follows, from left to right: 5 pore-bearing femoral scales + a diastema of 12 unpitted poreless scales + 3 porebearing preanal scales + a diastema of 12 unpitted poreless scales 6 pore-bearing femoral scales + 1 unpitted poreless femoral scale. Distal femoral scales about three times the size of adjacent anterior femoral scales; proximal femoral scales of the femoro-precloacal series smaller, about the size of adjacent anterior femoral scales. No precloacal groove nor depression. Postcloacal spurs each bearing two enlarged, conical scales, the anterior one largest.

Scales on palm and sole smooth, rounded to oval or hexagonal, slightly domed. Scalation on dorsal surface of hind limbs similar to body dorsum, with enlarged conical tubercles interspersed among smaller scales; no enlarged tubercles on fore limbs. Fore and hind limbs relatively long, slender (ForeaL 14.8 mm, ForeaL/SVL ratio 0.17; TibiaL 17.9 mm, TibiaL/SVL 0.20). Digits long, slender, inflected at interphalangeal joints, all bearing robust, slightly recurved claws. Basal subdigital lamellae broad, ovoid to rectangular, without scansorial surfaces (5-7-7-6- 9 right manus, 5-7-8-9-9 right pes); narrow lamellae distal to digital inflection and not including ventral claw sheath: 9-10-9-11 -10 (right manus), 10-12-12-11-11 (right pes); weak interdigital webbing between digits and toes (except between toes IV and V). Tail original, gently tapering to pointed tip, longer than SVL (TailL/SVL ratio 1.22); TailW 6.0 mm. Median subcaudal plates enlarged.

Coloration in life. Dorsal ground color of head, dorsum, limbs and tail beige. Upper surface of head with a brown reticulum. One bi-colored interspace on neck between brown nuchal loop and a brown band above anterior insertion of forelimbs, dark brown anteriorly and posteriorly, beige with irregular transversely arranged dark brown spots in their middle. Another such band interspace above shoulders, three between limbs insertions, one above hind legs insertion, four on anterior half of tail; between limbs insertions these band interspaces forked at their base ( Figs 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 ). On dorsum bands of the same length as band interspaces. Nuchal loop connecting the orbits interrupted medially by a yellowish stripe connecting the neck band interspace to the reticulum on upper surface of head. Upper surfaces of fore and hind limbs with irregular and discontinuous transversal bands and bi-colored band interspaces. Posterior part of tail grayish mottled with beige and dark brown. Iris dark orangeish. Throat, ventrum and underside of fore limbs uniformly whitish, underside of hind limbs darker, except the series of enlarged femoro-precloacal scales, whitish; underside of tail brown ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ).

Variation. Besides the holotype, four other individuals (not preserved) were photographed and examined: a subadult male ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ), two adult females ( Figs 5–7 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 ) and a juvenile ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ). The adults and subadult show a pattern similar to the holotype, with three bicolored band interspaces between limbs insertions, a dark orangeish iris and a medially interrupted nuchal loop. The brown band between the nuchal loop and the brown band above shoulders is variably present ( Figs 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 , 4–8 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 ). The juvenile shows a white posterior half of tail, similarly to the subadult male; it also shows a partly interrupted nuchal loop, even if it is less obvious than in adults. The females have a continuous series of enlarged femoro-precloacal scales but lack femoral or precloacal pores or pits ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ).

Distribution and natural history. The species is currently known only from its type locality where it is common. It was found inside small limestone caves and crevices and on nearby outcrops. It is nocturnal. Outside the caves it was found in syntopy with Cyrtodactylus interdigitalis Ulber , Dixonius siamensis (Boulenger) , Gehyra fehlmanni (Taylor) and Gekko gecko (Linnaeus) (Gekkonidae) .

Etymology. The specific epithet, formed in the masculine genitive, honors our friend and colleague Kirati Kunya, curator of the reptile collection of the Nakhonratchasima Zoo, Khorat, for his contributions to the herpetology of Thailand. We suggest the following common names: Took-kai Kirati ( Thai), Kunya’s bent-toed gecko (English) and Cyrtodactyle de Kunya (French).