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Issue: Vol. 5632 No. 1: 6 May 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-05-06
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5632.1.5
Page range: 91-114
Abstract views: 65
PDF downloaded: 3

Along the Mekong: a new leaf-toed gecko (Gekkonidae: Dixonius sambhupura) from northeastern Cambodia

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Rue Vautier 29; B-1000 Brussels; Belgium.
Ecological Genetics Research Unit; Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme; Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Helsinki; Helsinki 00014; Finland.
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Rue Vautier 29; B-1000 Brussels; Belgium.; Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation npo; Glabbeek; Belgium.
Ranong Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center; 157 Chaloem Phrakiat Rd.; Paknam; Muang; Ranong 85000; Thailand.
Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Khon Kaen University; Muang; Khon Kaen 40002; Thailand.
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Rue Vautier 29; B-1000 Brussels; Belgium.
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Rue Vautier 29; B-1000 Brussels; Belgium.
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Rue Vautier 29; B-1000 Brussels; Belgium.; Royal Museum for Central Africa; Leuvensesteenweg 13;3080 Tervuren; Belgium.
Faculty of Science and Technology; Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya; 109 M. 2; Tham Yai Subdistrict; Thung Song District; Nakhon Si Thammarat Province 80110; Thailand.
Reptilia Gekkota morphology taxonomy Southeast Asia Mekong

Abstract

We describe Dixonius sambhupura sp. nov. from the western bank and Koh Klap (island) of the lower Mekong River in Kratie Province, northeastern Cambodia. The new species differs from all currently recognized Dixonius by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 49.0 mm, 14 or 16 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 34 to 37 paravertebral tubercles; 24 to 27 longitudinal rows of ventral scales across the abdomen; six precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; no marked canthal stripe; strongly barred lips; and a spotted to blotched dorsal pattern in adult males and females. We provide a cranial osteological description and a phylogenetic analysis of the new species. The discovery of this new species endemic to Cambodia brings the number of recognized Dixonius species to 20.

 

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How to Cite

Pauwels, O.S., Das, S., Jocqué, M., Sumontha, M., Donbundit, N., Magda, D., Sonet, G., Brecko, J. & Meesook, W. (2025) Along the Mekong: a new leaf-toed gecko (Gekkonidae: Dixonius sambhupura) from northeastern Cambodia. Zootaxa, 5632 (1), 91–114. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5632.1.5