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Issue: Vol. 5636 No. 2: 16 May 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-05-16
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5636.2.1
Page range: 201-236
Abstract views: 226
PDF downloaded: 15

A new mountain species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam

Joint Vietnam - Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Centre; 63 Nguyen Van Huyen Road; Nghia Do; Cau Giay; Hanoi; Vietnam
Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninskiye Gory; GSP–1; Moscow 119991; Russia
Joint Vietnam - Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Centre; 63 Nguyen Van Huyen Road; Nghia Do; Cau Giay; Hanoi; Vietnam
Joint Vietnam - Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Centre; 63 Nguyen Van Huyen Road; Nghia Do; Cau Giay; Hanoi; Vietnam
Institute for Research and Training in Medicine; Biology and Pharmacy; Duy Tan University; Da Nang; 550000; Vietnam; College of Medicine and Pharmacy; Duy Tan University; 120 Hoang Minh Thao; Lien Chieu; Da Nang; 550000; Vietnam
Joint Vietnam - Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Centre; 63 Nguyen Van Huyen Road; Nghia Do; Cau Giay; Hanoi; Vietnam; Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninskiye Gory; GSP–1; Moscow 119991; Russia
Reptilia Scincella alia sp. nov. morphology taxonomy Tay Con linh range mtDNA

Abstract

A new species of ground skinks belonging to the genus Scincella is described from Tay Con Linh Range, Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Scincella alia sp. nov. is characterized by a combination of the following characters: (1) slender, medium-sized body, snout-vent length 38.2–48.2 mm; (2) prefrontals separated from each other; (3) infralabials seven; (4) supraciliaries six; (5) two preoculars, three presuboculars, two postoculars, three postsuboculars; (6) supralabials separated from the eye by a row of small scales; (7) tympanum deeply recessed without lobules; (8) midbody scale rows 26 (rarely 28); (9) dorsal scales smooth, slightly enlarged, with paravertebral scale rows 56–63, ventral scale rows, including gulars, 66–76; (10) upper edge of lateral longitudinal stripes relatively straight, with four rows of medial dorsal scales; (11) enlarged, undivided lamellae beneath finger IV 7–10; (12) enlarged, undivided lamellae beneath toe IV 11–13; (13) ventral surface of head and belly lacking black spots, ventral surface of tail ornamented with dark sports; (14) dorsal surface of body grayish brown with small dark and pale sports; (15) ventral surface of throat, belly and base of tail from cream yellow in females to lemon yellow in males. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species forms an independent lineage clearly distinct from all other congeners included in the study and divergent in the COI (p > 18.7%) and the 16S rRNA (p > 2.6%) mtDNA gene sequences. This discovery increases the number of known Scincella species to 43. Further studies reassessing the populations of the Scincella monticola complex in northern Vietnam are required.

 

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How to Cite

Bragin, A.M., Zenin, E.S., Dang, C.H., Dinh, T.V.A., Nguyen, T.V. & Poyarkov, N.A. (2025) A new mountain species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam. Zootaxa, 5636 (2), 201–236. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5636.2.1