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Issue: Vol. 5486 No. 1: 24 Jul. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-07-24
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.1.6
Page range: 129-141
Abstract views: 1389
PDF downloaded: 9

A New Species of the Genus Tropidophorus Duméril, Bibron, 1839 (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from China-Vietnam Border Region in Southeastern Yunnan Province, China

Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming; Yunnan; 650223; China; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yezin; Nay Pyi Taw; 05282; Myanmar
Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming; Yunnan; 650223; China
Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming; Yunnan; 650223; China; Kunming College of Life Science; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650204; China
College of Forestry; Southwest Forestry University; Kunming 650224; China
Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming; Yunnan; 650223; China; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yezin; Nay Pyi Taw; 05282; Myanmar
Reptilia cryptic species conservation Sphenomorphinae Vietnam water skink

Abstract

Based on morphological and genetic data, we describe a new species of Tropidophorus from the tropical karst landscape in southeastern Yunnan Province, China, close to the Vietnam border. Phylogenetically, the new species forms a clade with T. baviensis, T. murphyi, and T. hainanus, with p-distances ranging from 4.7–5.1% for the 16S gene and 3.9–6.8% for 12S gene. Morphologically, the new species shares the karst morphotype of Tropidophorus, particularly similar as T. murphyi and T. baviensis, in which all having a dorsally compressed head and body, smooth dorsal head scales, and distinctively keeled body scales. However, the new species can be distinguished from these similar species by numbers of supralabial scales, ventral scales, scales around the tail at the10th subcaudal, and a larger body size. We emphasize the urgency of conservation for the tropical karst landscape in northern Indochina.

 

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