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Issue: Vol. 3986 No. 3: 17 Jul. 2015
Type: Article
Published: 2015-07-17
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3986.3.2
Page range: 279–306
Abstract views: 23
PDF downloaded: 1

Morphological and molecular review of the Gekko diversity of Laos with descriptions of three new species

Department of Wildlife, Faculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam Forestry University, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam. Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam. Zoological Institute, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47b, D–50674 Cologne, Germany.
WWF Greater Mekong, House No. 39, Unit 05, Ban Saylom, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam National University, 334 Nguyen Trai Road, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Gekko morphology taxonomy molecular phylogeny Khammouane Province Laos karst forest

Abstract

A review of the taxonomy, phylogeny, zoogeography, and ecology of the genus Gekko in Laos is provided based on morphological and molecular datasets. Three new species, which are both morphologically distinctive and molecularly divergent from described congeners, are described from Khammouane Province, central Laos: two members of the G. japonicus group, Gekko bonkowskii sp. nov. and Gekko sengchanthavongi sp. nov., and another member of the G. petricolus group, Gekko boehmei sp. nov. Gekko bonkowskii sp. nov. is closely related to the recently described G. thakekensis, which also occurs in Khammouane Province. Gekko sengchanthavongi sp. nov. is supported as a sister taxon to G. scientiadventura and Gekko boehmei sp. nov. is recovered as a sister species to G. petricolus. In addition, a key to the currently recognized members of the genus Gekko from Laos is provided.