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FIRST RECORD OF THE CHINESE LEOPARD GECKO, GONIUROSAURUS LUII (REPTILIA: EUBLEPHARIDAE) FROM VIETNAM
By: VU NGOC THANH - Zoological Museum and Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Science, Vietnam National University, 334 Nguyen Trai Str., Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, VIETNAM
NGUYEN QUANG TRUONG - Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Hanoi, VIETNAM
L. LEE GRISMER - Department of Biology, La Sierra University, Riverside, California 92515–8247, USA and THOMAS ZIEGLER Thomas Ziegler, AG Zoologischer Garten Köln, Riehler Straße 173, D–50735 Köln, GERMANY
Abstract: The first record of Goniurosaurus luii from Vietnam is reported herein. The specimen is a female and the largest member of the species known to date. This brings the total number of Goniurosaurus in Vietnam to three.
Key words: Goniurosaurus luii; Goniurosaurus araeneus; Goniurosaurus lichtenfelderi; Vietnam.
In their recent checklist of amphibians and reptiles of Vietnam, Nguyen et al. (2005) listed two species of the East Asian eublepharid gecko genus Goniurosaurus, G. lichtenfelderi from Cao Bang Province and Hai Phong City in Vietnam, and G. murphyi from Hai Duong Province (Orlov and Darevsky, 1999). However, the record of Nguyen et al. (2005) of G. lichtenfelderi from Cao Bang Province was erroneous and Grismer (2000) demonstrated that G. murphyi was a junior synonym of G. lichtenfelderi. Grismer et al. (1999) did, however, record a new species, G. araneus, from Cao Bang Province.
During recent field research of the senior author in northern Vietnam, a remarkable Goniurosaurus that was not assignable to any of the Vietnamese species known so far was collected in Cao Bang Province . The adult female specimen was found on 5 November 2005 at 2330 h in Ngoc Khe
Commune (Trung Khanh District) at about 770 m asl. The gecko was found on the ground of the secondary forest near karst outcrops. Closer examination of the specimen, that was subsequently deposited in the collection of the Zoological Museum of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNUH 010205), revealed it to be a representative of the Chinese leopard gecko, G. luii.
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Map of northern Vietnam and southeastern China showing known localities of Goniurosaurus luii according to our new finding in Cao Bang province (arrow) and in Guangxi province after Grismer et al. (1999) and Seufer et al. (2005)
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This new specimen from Vietnam has an enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles in combination with a bright-orange colored iris, characters distinguishing it as Goniurosaurus luii and separating it from all other species of Goniurosaurus (Grismer et al., 1999). It differs further from G. lichtenfelderi in having a greater adult snout-vent length, a posteriorly protracted, v-shaped nuchal loop (= first body band according the standardization of band nomenclature by Grismer, 1988), four lightcolored, dark-bordered body bands between the nuchal loop and caudal constriction, and deep axillary pockets. Goniurosaurus luii differs further from G. araneus in having narrower body bands and nuchal loop, a darkly mottled ground color of dorsal surfaces of head and body, dark mottling on lateral portions of belly, limbs densely speckled with small dark spots, and granular dorsal body scales (Grismer et al. 1999). This specimen can be distinguished further from G. bawanglingensis by its larger maximum snout-vent length (SVL), by lacking dark spotting in the body bands, by its dark mottling on the infralabials and sublabials in adults, by the lateral spotting on the belly, by caudal bands being ventrally complete in adults, and by its greatly enlarged supraorbital tubercles (Grismer et al., 2002).
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Chinese Cave Gecko - Goniurosaurus luii - Picture: Phung My Trung
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The measurements (in mm) of the new specimen from Cao Bang are as follows: SVL 119.0 (Grismer et al. [1999] stated only 107– 116 mm adult SVL for this species); tail length 67.0; maximum head length (from snout tip to hind margin of ear) 31.3; maximum head width 20.0; maximum head height 13.4; maximum distance from snout tip to anterior corner of eye 12.8; maximum distance of posterior corner of eye to hind margin of ear 11.7. The scalation features of the specimen from Cao Bang are as follows: 9/9 supralabials; 8/9 infralabials; 4 postmentals; 139 scales around midbody; 33 paravertebral tubercles between limb insertions; 11–12 granular scales surrounding tubercles; 1–2 distinctly enlarged tubercles laterally on each side at the level of the vent; 11/11 subdigital lamellae below first finger, and 19/18 subdigital lamellae below fourth finger; 12/12 subdigital lamellae below first toe, and 22/23 subdigital lamellae below fourth toe; claws are sheathed by four scales.
Goniurosaurus luii was previously known only from Hainan Island and Guangxi Province, Peoples Republic of China (Grismer et al., 1999). However, the Hainan records may be based on wrong locality data (see comment by Grismer in Seufer et al. [2005]). Therefore, the new finding represents the first country record of G. luii for Vietnam. Three Goniurosaurus species (G. araneus, G. lichtenfelderi, and G. luii) are now known from Vietnam, two of which, G. araneus and G. luii occur sympatrically in Cao Bang Province. Grismer et al. (1999) noted that G. luii and G. araneus were separated by approximately 69 km along the Bang Giang River Valley and indicated the possibility of these two species intergrading.
The discovery of this new population of G. luii from Cao Bang brings these two species to within probable sympatry with no signs of intergradation, thus supporting the taxonomy of Grismer et al. (1999).
Further research and conservation measures are undoubtedly required to learn more about this species’ distribution and natural history as well as for the long-term preservation of its natural habitat. Grismer et al. (1999) noted that conservation efforts are needed to protect wild populations and their habitats from illegal black market collectors in China and therefore urged the Chinese and Vietnamese Governments to put sanctions on the collection of all Goniurosaurus. As a first step, we herein propose to list G. luii, which already has been extirpated from its type locality in China due to over collecting and habitat damage (see Grismer et al., 1999; Stuart et al., 2006), in the Red Data Book of Vietnam.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Field work of the senior author was made possible due to Fauna and Flora International (FFI) Vietnam Programme. Thanks also to Luu Tuong Bach and Nguyen Thi Hien for their help during the field surveys. Last but not least we are grateful to Theo Pagel (Cologne Zoo) for his support.
LITERATURE CITED
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GRISMER, L. L. 1988. Phylogeny, taxonomy, classification, and biogeography of eublepharid geckos. p. 369–469. In: R. Estes and G. Pregill (eds.), Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.
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GRISMER, L. L. 2000. Goniurosaurus murphyi Orlov and Darevsky: A junior synonym of Goniurosaurus lichtenfelderi Mocquard. J. Herpetol. 34: 486–488. GRISMER, L. L., SHI HAITAO, N. L. ORLOV, AND N. B. ANANJEVA. 2002. A new species of Goniurosaurus (Squamata: Eublepharidae) from Hainan Island, China. J. Herpetol. 36: 217–224.
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GRISMER, L. L., B. E. VIETS, AND L. J. BOYLE. 1999. Two new continental species of Goniurosaurus (Squamata: Eublepharidae) with a phylogeny and evolutionary classification of the genus. J. Herpetol. 33: 382–393.
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NGUYEN VAN SANG, HO THU CUC, AND NGUYEN QUANG TRUONG. 2005. A Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Vietnam. Nha xuat ban nong nghiep, Hanoi.
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ORLOV, N. L. AND I. S. DAREVSKY. 1999. Description of a new mainland species of Goniurosaurus genus, from the north-eastern Vietnam. Russ.J. Herpetol. 6: 72–78.
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SEUFER, H., Y. KAVERKIN, AND A. KIRSCHNER (eds.). 2005. Die Lidgeckos. Pflege, Zucht und Lebensweise. Kirschner & Seufer Verlag, Karlsruhe.
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STUART, B. L., A. G. J. RHODIN, L. L. GRISMER, AND T. HANSEL. 2006. Scientific description can imperil species. Science 312: 1137. Accepted: 26 October 2006
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