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Issue: Vol. 4434 No. 1: 14 Jun. 2018
Type: Article
Published: 2018-06-14
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4434.1.9
Page range: 141–157
Abstract views: 59
PDF downloaded: 2

A distinct new species of riparian rock-dwelling gecko (genus: Hemidactylus) from the southern Western Ghats

TB-01, Evolutionary Ecology and Biogeography Lab, Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India
TB-01, Evolutionary Ecology and Biogeography Lab, Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India
TB-01, Evolutionary Ecology and Biogeography Lab, Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India
TB-01, Evolutionary Ecology and Biogeography Lab, Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Dr Salim Ali Chowk, Mumbai 400001, India
Reptilia Hemidactylus paaragowli sp. nov. Hemidactylus prashadi group Agastyamalai Western Ghats India

Abstract

We describe a new species of rock-dwelling gecko, Hemidactylus paaragowlipaaragowli sp. nov., from the Agastyamalai Hill Range, in the southern Western Ghats. Morphological and molecular data support the distinctiveness of the species and its close relationship to other large-bodied, tuberculate Hemidactylus spp. from the H. prashadi group from India and Sri Lanka. This species belongs to a rupicolous complex and can be distinguished from other members of the group based on the following characters: 22–24 longitudinal rows of fairly regularly arranged, subtrihedral, weakly keeled, striated tubercles at midbody; 9–11 and 10–12 subdigital lamellae on the first and fourth digits, respectively, of both manus and pes; tail with transverse series of four enlarged tubercles on each tail segment; 10–12 femoral pores on each side separated by 16–18 scales without pores; 11–13 supralabials and 9–10 infralabials.

 

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