Bionomina

On the unavailability of five reptilian names

HENRIQUE C. COSTA — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +1200

Failure to follow the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature can lead to significant confusion in taxonomic literature. This study examines five reptilian names (for two species, two genera and one family) that should be considered unavailable due to non-compliance with specific Code’s criteria. Proper adherence to the Code is essential for maintaining consistency and clarity in taxonomy. However, interpreting the Code is often challenging, and some of its rules require improvement. Despite these difficulties, taxonomists must remain knowledgeable about the Code regulations to ensure the nomenclatural availability of their work and stability of zoological nomenclature.

Problems with the nomenclatural availability and promulgation date of zoological works, nomina and nomenclatural acts published electronically online

ALAIN DUBOIS, THIERRY FRÉTEY — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +1200

Various problems posed by the 2012 Amendment to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature are reviewed. They concern mainly the nomenclatural availability and the promulgation date of works published online and of the new nomina and nomenclatural acts they contain. A methodology is proposed for the analysis of these problems in many works published after 3 September 2012. A detailed survey of 120 herpetological online publications having nomenclatural implications is presented: 63 of them include unavailable nomina and nomenclatural acts, and 57 of them were made available through their printed versions at dates subsequent to that stated on their PDFs. Detailed proposals and recommendations to authors, editors and referees, publishers, libraries, and concerning the Code, Zoobank and the Commission, are offered to try to limit the negative impact of these problems in zootaxonomy.

Code-compliant description of a recently identified distinct Dravidogecko species from Coonoor, Western Ghats, India (Squamata, Gekkonidae)

A. ABINESH, R. S. NAVEEN, A. N. SRIKANTHAN, S. BABU, S. R. GANESH — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +1200

We formally name the distinct population of Dravidogecko in Coonoor Hills of the Upper Nilgiris, Western Ghats, India. The initial attempt that demonstrated molecular and geographical divergence of this species, unfortunately fell short on Code compliance for nomenclatural availability. We here sampled the very same population from the same location as that by the previous authors who erected an unavailable name. Following its published critic, we here erect the nomen Dravidogecko coonoor sp. nov. for this species, along with the first typification and full-fledged specimen description.