Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae, Sumontha, Montri, Pauwels, Olivier S. G., Suwannakarn, Nikorn, Nutatheera, Thammarat & Sodob, Watchira, 2014

Sumontha, Montri, Pauwels, Olivier S. G., Suwannakarn, Nikorn, Nutatheera, Thammarat & Sodob, Watchira, 2014, Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new Bent-toed Gecko from Satun Province, southern Thailand, Zootaxa 3821 (1), pp. 116-124 : 117-119

Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3 )

Holotype. THNHM 22547; adult female collected from the entrance of a limestone cave near Wangsaithong Waterfall (= Namtok Wang Sai Thong) (07o 03.925’ N, 99o 05.037’ E), Amphoe (= District) Manang, Satun Province, southern Thailand. Collected by Thanin Kaewmanee on 5 September 2009.

Diagnosis. Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other congeneric species by the unique combination of characters including its maximal known SVL of 73.9 mm; unkeeled dorsal tubercles arranged in 10 regular longitudinal rows at midbody; dorsal tubercles occurring from shoulder region on to tail base, absent on postocular region, crown, occiput and limbs; 38 midbody scale rows across belly between ventrolateral skin folds; median subcaudal scales transversely enlarged; series of enlarged femoral scales separated from enlarged precloacal scales by a diastema; absence of femoral and precloacal pores; absence of precloacal groove; complex blotched and banded dorsal pattern including four dark bands between limbs insertions; long tail (1.34 times SVL) with 9 light rings; and bluish grey iris.

Description of holotype. Adult female. SVL 73.9 mm; TailL 98.7 mm, original. Head relatively long (HeadL 22.3 mm; HeadL /SVL ratio 0.30), wide (HeadW 13.9 mm; HeadW/HeadL ratio 0.62), depressed (HeadH 8.8 mm; HeadH/HeadL ratio 0.39), distinct from slender neck. Loreal region slightly inflated, canthus rostralis not prominent, rounded. Snout moderately elongate (SnOrb 8.7 mm; SnOrb/HeadL ratio 0.39; NosOrb 6.7 mm), pointed, longer than orbit diameter (OrbD 5.9 mm; OrbD/SnOrb ratio 0.68); scales on snout small, rounded to oval, granular, homogeneous, larger than those on crown, interorbital and occipital regions. Eye large (OrbD/HeadL ratio 0.26); pupil vertical with crenelated margins; supraciliaries short. Ear opening vertically elliptical, small (EarL 1.2 mm; EarL/HeadL ratio 0.05); orbit to ear distance slightly smaller than diameter of orbit (OrbEar 5.4 mm; OrbEar/ OrbD ratio 0.92). Rostral wider (2.8 mm) than deep (1.8 mm), rostral crease short (about a third of rostral height). Two enlarged supranasals separated from each other by one internasal. Rostral in contact with first supralabials, nostrils, supranasals, and internasal. Nostrils oval, laterally directed, each surrounded by supranasal, rostral, first supralabial, and two enlarged postnasals; Internar 2.3 mm. Two or three rows of small scales separate orbit from supralabials. Mental triangular, wider (2.5 mm) than deep (1.9 mm). A single pair of greatly enlarged postmentals in broad contact behind mental; each postmental bordered anteromedially by mental, anterolaterally by first infralabial and anteriormost portion of second infralabial, posterolaterally by an enlarged lateral chinshield, and posteriorly by two granules, the medialmost of which also contacts the other postmental. Supralabials to midorbital position 11/10; enlarged supralabials to angle of jaws 12/12. Infralabials 12/12. Interorbital scale rows across narrowest point of frontal bone 23; Interorb 4.9 mm. Gular region with homogeneous, smooth, juxtaposed granular scales.

Body very slender, elongate (AG 32.7 mm; AG/SVL ratio 0.44) with relatively well defined, non-denticulate ventrolateral folds. Dorsal scales homogeneous, with irregularly distributed tubercles (3-4 times size of adjacent scales), extending from shoulder region on to tail base; no tubercles on postocular region, crown and occiput; tubercles flat and unkeeled, restricted to dorsal region, i.e., absent from lower half of flanks; tubercles in 10 rows at midbody, typically separated from one another by 3 dorsal granules. Ventral scales larger than dorsals, smooth, oval and subimbricate. Midbody scale rows across belly between ventrolateral skin folds 38. Small patch of enlarged, poreless, precloacal scales, separated by a diastema from a series of 6/6 enlarged, poreless, femoral scales, extending along femur, 3 to 5 times the size of adjacent anterior femoral scales. No precloacal groove or depression. No postcloacal spurs ( Fig. 3 ).

Scales on palm and sole smooth, rounded to oval, flat. Scalation on dorsal surfaces of limbs similar to body dorsum but lacking tubercles. Fore and hind limbs long, slender (ForeaL 12.2 mm; ForeaL/SVL ratio 0.17; TibiaL 15.3 mm; TibiaL/SVL ratio 0.21). Digits long, slender, inflected at interphalangeal joints, all bearing robust, slightly recurved claws. Basal subdigital lamellae broad, ovoid to rectangular, without scansorial surfaces (5-7-8-9- 6 right manus, 5-8-9-11 -9 right pes); narrow lamellae distal to digital inflection and not including ventral claw sheath: 7-8-10-11-8 (right manus), 9-10-11-10-8 (right pes), no interdigital webbing. Relative length of digits: IV>V>III>II>I (manus); IV>III>V>II>I (pes). Tail original, gently tapering to pointed tip, distinctly longer than SVL (TailL/SVL ratio 1.34); TailW 4.8 mm; tail with enlarged median subcaudal plates, and without lateral denticulate fringe.

Coloration in life. Dorsal ground color of head, body, limbs and tail beige. Dark-brown nuchal collar, joining posterior extremities of orbits. One dark-brown band on neck behind nuchal collar, preceding a dark brown band above shoulders, itself followed by four irregularly shaped dark-brown bands between limbs insertions, another such band above sacrum, and ten dark bands on tail. Skin above orbit bluish. Upper surface of head, inter-spaces between dark brown dorsal bands, and upper surfaces of limbs with irregular light-brown spots. Anterior dark bands on tail dark brown, progressively darkening towards posterior part of tail, last bands black. Ventral surfaces of head, limbs, belly and cloacal area whitish. Underside of tail brown.

Distribution and natural history. The species is currently known only from a single female from the type locality ( Fig. 4 ). The gecko was found at about 23:00 on a tree, 1m above the ground, along the entrance to a limestone cave. It was found in direct proximity with Cyrtodactylus lekaguli Grismer, Wood, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Sumontha, Ahmad, Bauer, Wangkulangkul, Grismer & Pauwels, 2012 , Cnemaspis niyomwanae Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Wood, Pauwels & Kunya, 2010 , Cnemaspis sp., Gehyra fehlmanni (Taylor) , Gekko gecko (Linnaeus) (Gekkonidae) , Acanthosaura cf. crucigera Boulenger , Calotes emma Gray (Agamidae) , Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel) (Natricidae) and Lycodon laoensis Günther (Colubridae) .

Etymology. The specific epithet, formed in the feminine genitive, honors our friend and colleague Professor Sansareeya Wangkulangkul of the Prince of Songkhla University for her contributions to the herpetology of Thailand. We suggest the following common names: Took-kai Sansareeya ( Thai), Wangkulangkul’s bent-toed gecko (English) and Cyrtodactyle de Wangkulangkul (French).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal view of live adult holotype of Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae sp. nov. Photo. by M. Sumontha.

FIGURE 2. Head view of live adult holotype of Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae sp. nov. Photo. by M. Sumontha.

FIGURE 3. Cloacal area of the preserved adult holotype of Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae sp. nov. Photo. by O. S. G. Pauwels.

FIGURE 4. Map of Thailand showing the position of the type locality of Cyrtodactylus wangkulangkulae sp. nov. by W. Sodoab.