Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 4565 No. 2: 8 Mar. 2019
Type: Article
Published: 2019-03-08
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4565.2.6
Page range: 223–234
Abstract views: 84
PDF downloaded: 3

Description of a new diminutive, rupicolous species of day-gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from southern Sri Lanka

Society for the Biodiversity Conservation, 63/4, Adikaramwatta, Yaggahapitiya, Gunnepana 20270, Kandy, Sri Lanka. (Present address: e: 130, Al Rustaq, Rustaq 318, Welaiyh, Sultanate of Oman).
Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA.
Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA.
Reptilia Cnemaspis kumarasinghei dry zone forest gekkonid lizard

Abstract

A new species of Cnemaspis is described from southern Sri Lanka. Cnemaspis ingerorum sp. nov. was previously confused with C. kumarasinghei. The new species differs from C. kumarasinghei in having a lower number of ventral scales across midbody, scales on ventral sides of forelimb and hind-limb smooth (versus keeled) and dorsal caudal scales unkeeled (versus keeled). Additionally, Cnemaspis ingerorum sp. nov. has a 4.5% uncorrected ND2 sequence divergence from C. kumarasinghei and is also geographically separated from this species. Existing molecular data supports C. silvula as the sister species of the new form, however, it differs from C. silvula by the absence of keeled pectoral and abdominal scales and dorsal scales, and the absence of keeled (versus keeled) subcaudal scales.

 

References

  1. Agarwal, I., Biswas, S., Bauer, A.M., Greenbaum, E., Jackman, T.R., De Silva, A. & Batuwita, S. (2017) Cryptic species, taxonomic inflation, or a bit of both? New species phenomenon in Sri Lanka as suggested by a phylogeny of dwarf geckos (Reptilia, Squamata, Gekkonidae, Cnemaspis). Systematics and Biodiversity, 15, 427–439.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2017.1282553

    Amarasinghe, A.T.T. & Bauer, A.M. (2009) On the holotype of Cnemaspis podihuna Deraniyagala, 1944. Taprobanica, 1, 3–5.

    Amarasinghe, A.T.T. & Campbell, P.D. (2016) On the resolution of a long standing issue surrounding the holotype of Cnemaspis podihuna Deraniyagala, 1944 (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Zootaxa, 4137 (2), 296–300.

    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4137.2.12

    Ashton, M.S., Gunatilleke,S., de Zoysa, N., Dassanayake, M.D., Gunatilleke, N. & Wijesundera, S. (1997) A field guide to the common trees and shrubs of Sri Lanka. WHT Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Colombo.

    Batuwita, S. & Udugampala, S. (2017) Description of a new species of Cnemaspis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Knuckles Range of Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 4254 (1), 82–90.

    http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4254.1.4

    Bauer, A.M., de Silva, A., Greenbaum, E. & Jackman, T. (2007) A new species of day gecko from high elevation in Sri Lanka, with a preliminary phylogeny of Sri Lankan Cnemaspis (Reptilia, Squamata, Gekkonidae). Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin, Supplement, 83, 22–32.

    Giri, V.B., Agarwal, I. & Bauer, A.M. (2009a) Designation of a neotype for Cnemaspis mysoriensis (Jerdon 1853) (Sauria: Gekkonidae), with a redescription and notes on its distribution and habitat. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 16, 256–264.

    Giri, V.B., Bauer, A.M. & Gaikwad, K.S. (2009b) A new ground-dwelling species of Cnemaspis Strauch (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India. Zootaxa, 2164, 49–60.

    Manamendra-Arachchi, K., Batuwita, S. & Pethiyagoda, R. (2007) A taxonomic revision of the Sri Lankan day-geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis), with description of new species from Sri Lanka and Southern India. Zeylanica, 7, 9–122.

    Mirza, Z.A., Pal, S., Bhosale, H.S. & Sanap, R.V. (2014) A new species of gecko of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 from the Western Ghats, India. Zootaxa, 3815 (4), 494–506.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3815.4.2

    Silvestro, D. & Michalak, I. (2012) raxmlGUI: a graphical front-end for RAxML. Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 12, 335–337.

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-011-0056-0

    Stamatakis, A. (2014) RAxML version 8: a tool for phylogenetic analysis and post-analysis of large phylogenies. Bioinformatics, 30, 1312–1313.

    https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btu033

    Vidanapathirana, D.R., Rajeev, M.D.G., Wickramasinghe, N., Fernando, S.S. & Wickramasinghe, L.J.M. (2014) Cnemaspis rammalensis sp. nov., Sri Lanka’s largest day-gecko (Sauria: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from Rammalakanda Man and Biosphere Reserve in southern Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 3755 (3), 273–286.

    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3755.3.5

    Wickramasinghe, L.J.M. & Munindradasa, D.A.I. (2007) Review of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Sauria: Gekkonidae) in Sri Lanka with the description of five new species. Zootaxa, 1490, 1–63.

    Wickramasinghe, L.J.M., Vidanapathirana, D.R. & Rathnayake, R.M.G.P. (2016) Cnemaspis rajakarunai sp. nov., a rock dwelling day-gecko (Sauria: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from Salgala, an unprotected lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 4168 (1), 92–108.

    http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4168.1.4

    Uetz, P. (2016) The Reptile Database. Available from: http://www.reptile-database.org/ (accessed 7 July 2018)