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Issue: Vol. 5787 No. 1: 2 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-02
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.1.7
Page range: 143-169
Abstract views: 57
PDF downloaded: 1

A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam

Faculty of Environmental Sciences; University of Science; Vietnam National University; Hanoi; 334 Nguyen Trai Road; Hanoi 11416; Vietnam
Faculty of Environmental Sciences; University of Science; Vietnam National University; Hanoi; 334 Nguyen Trai Road; Hanoi 11416; Vietnam
Faculty of Environmental Sciences; University of Science; Vietnam National University; Hanoi; 334 Nguyen Trai Road; Hanoi 11416; Vietnam; Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies; Vietnam National University; 19 Le Thanh Tong Street; Hanoi 11021; Vietnam; Department of Herpetology; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79 Street; New York; New York 10024
Institute of Biology; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road; Hanoi 10072; Vietnam; Graduate University of Science and Technology; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road; Hanoi 10072; Vietnam
Vu Quang National Park; Ha Tinh Province; Vietnam
Thai Nguyen University of Education; Luong Ngoc Quyen Road; Thai Nguyen Province; Vietnam
Faculty of Biology; University of Science; Vietnam National University; 334 Nguyen Trai Road; Hanoi 11416; Vietnam
Reptilia Scincella vuquangensis sp. nov. CoI molecular phylogeny morphology taxonomy

Abstract

A new species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 is described from Vietnam based on morphological differences and molecular divergence. Scincella vuquangensis sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by body size; number of primary temporals; the presence of external ear opening and the absence of lobules on anterior margin; head scalation (loreals, supralabials, infralabials, nuchals); number of midbody scale rows; number of smooth scales across the back; number and size of paravertebral; number of ventral scale rows; number of lamellae beneath finger IV and toe IV; length of toe finger; and color pattern. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species is recovered as a sister taxon to S. rufocaudata. The new species is separated from S. rufocaudata by 9.37–9.64% in pairwise genetic distance, based on a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene.

 

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How to Cite

Pham, A.V., Nguyen, A.M.H., Le, M.D., Nguyen, T.Q., Nguyen, H.V., Hoang, N.V. & Nguyen, van T.H. (2026) A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam. Zootaxa, 5787 (1), 143–169. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.1.7