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Issue: Vol. 5666 No. 3: 29 Jul. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-07-29
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5666.3.3
Page range: 361-388
Abstract views: 225
PDF downloaded: 6

Description of a new forest-dwelling bent-toed gecko of the Cyrtodactylus intermedius group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand

Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Srinakharinwirot University; Bangkok; 10110 Thailand
Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900; Thailand; Biodiversity Center Kasetsart University (BDCKU); Bangkok 10900; Thailand
Department of Biological Science; Faculty of Science; Ubon Ratchathani University; Ubon Ratchathani 34190; Thailand
School of Science (Biology); Walailak University; Nakhon Si Thammarat 80161; Thailand
Herpetology Laboratory; Department of Biology; La Sierra University; 4500 Riverwalk Parkway; Riverside; CA 92515; USA; Department of Herpetology; San Diego Natural History Museum; P.O. Box 121390; San Diego; CA 92112; USA
Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900; Thailand; Biodiversity Center Kasetsart University (BDCKU); Bangkok 10900; Thailand
Reptilia gekkonid Southeast Asia integrative taxonomy ND2 systematics

Abstract

A new forest-dwelling bent-toed gecko of the Cyrtodactylus intermedius group is described from a dry evergreen forest habitat in the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand. Based on an integrative taxonomic approach using molecular analyses of the mitochondrial ND2 gene and statistical analyses of morphological characteristics it was revealed that the Sakaerat population is the sister species of C. kulenensis from Banteay Srei District, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia and differs morphologically from all other species in the C. intermedius group. Cyrtodactylus sakaeratensis sp. nov. is differentiated from its congeners by having the combination of a SVL 64.6–80.0 mm in adult males (n = 14) and 65.0–83.1 mm in adult female (n = 8); 9–11 supralabial and nine or 10 infralabial scales; 27 or 28 paravertebral tubercles; 17–19 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 46–48 ventral scales; seven or eight expanded subdigital lamellae on the 4th toe; 12 or 13 unmodified subdigital lamellae on 4th toe; 20 total subdigital lamellae on the 4th toe; 22–28 total number of enlarged femoral scales; enlarged femoral and precloacal scales continuous; seven or eight pore-bearing precloacal scales in males; three rows of enlarged post-precloacal scales; two or three postcloacal tubercles; proximal femoral scales greater than 1/2 the size of distal femoral scales; absence of interdigital pocketing between the digits; and posterior border of the nuchal loop pointed. Uncorrected pairwise genetic divergences (p-distances) between the new species and other species of the C. intermedius group ranged from 6.02–29.10%. The presence of this new species, currently known only from Sakaerat’s dry evergreen forest, implies that additional undescribed Cyrtodactylus species may exist in other unexplored habitats of northeastern Thailand.

 

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How to Cite

Ampai, N., Aowphol, A., Yodthong, S., Termprayoon, K., Grismer, L.L. & Rujirawan, A. (2025) Description of a new forest-dwelling bent-toed gecko of the Cyrtodactylus intermedius group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand. Zootaxa, 5666 (3), 361–388. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5666.3.3