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Issue: Vol. 5380 No. 4: 1 Dec. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-12-01
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5380.4.1
Page range: 301-320
Abstract views: 1140
PDF downloaded: 21

A new species of the genus Dibamus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 (Squamata: Dibamidae) from the driest and hottest place of Vietnam

Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninskiye Gory; GSP–1; Moscow 119991; Russia
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 122000; Vietnam; VNU University of Sciences; Vietnam National University; Vietnam; 334 Nguyen Trai Road; Thanh Xuan District; Hanoi 100000; 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 122000; Vietnam
Department Conservation of Forest and Marine resources; Nui Chua National Park; Thai An; Ninh Hai; Ninh Thuan; Vietnam
Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninskiye Gory; GSP–1; Moscow 119991; Russia
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 122000; Vietnam
Reptilia Dibamus tropcentr sp. nov. Nui Chua National Park Ninh Thuan Province Blind Skinks conservation Southeast Asia systematics morphology

Abstract

A new species of the genus Dibamus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 is described based on seven specimens collected from Nui Chua National Park, Ninh Thuan Province, southern Vietnam, the hottest and driest place of the country. Dibamus tropcentr sp. nov. is superficially similar to Dibamus smithi Greer, 1985, but can be distinguished from the latter by: the presence of a rudimentary labial suture; by larger number of subcaudal scales; by comparatively longer tail; by generally larger number of midbody scale rows; by having the interparietal scale not enlarged, subequal to the nuchal scale; by having frontal and frontonasal scales subequal in size as compared to almost twice larger frontal scale in D. smithi; by having three scales posterior to interparietal; by having the medial scale posterior to mental not enlarged; by having three to four scales on the posteromedial edge of infralabials; and by having supralabial scale larger than ocular scale. We suggest the new species should be considered as Vulnerable (VU) following the IUCN’s Red List categories. The new species occurs in dry maritime mixed low evergreen forests at elevations of 200–280 m a.s.l. and was recorded in association with termite species Globitermes sulphureus (Haviland). Our study brings the total number of species of the genus Dibamus to 25; this is the seventh species of the genus recorded from Vietnam.

 

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