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TWO NEW CAVE-DWELLING BENT-TOED GECKOS (CYRTODACTYLUS, GEKKONIDAE) FROM VIETNAM
Ngo Van Tri of the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences and Technology, Hochiminh City, Vietnam has described two new cave-dwelling species of Cyrtodactylus from mainland southwestern Vietnam and an offshore island. They are differentiated from all other members of the genus in lacking a precloacal groove and precloacal pores; the presence of enlarged femoral scales beneath thigh; and in having a color pattern consisting of four or five narrow white bands on the body dorsum and one on the tail. Cyrtodactylus grismeri sp. nov. is reddish brown, has a mean body length of 87.6 mm, 18–22 irregular longitudinal rows of weakly-keeled tubercles at midbody between the lateral folds, 33–38 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds, 0–3 enlarged scales beneath thighs, and 20–24 subdigital lamellae under the first toe. Cyrtodactylus eisenmani sp. nov. is chocolate brown; has a mean body length of 81.3 mm; 14 irregular longitudinal rows of weakly keeled tubercles at midbody between ventrolateral folds; 44–45 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds at midbody; 4–6 enlarged femoral scales beneath each thigh; and 22–25 subdigital
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Cave-dwelling bent-toed geckos - Cyrtodactylus eisenmani - Pictures: Phung My Trung |
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lamellae under the first toe. This discovery increases the total number of Cyrtodactylus found in Vietnam to fifteen.The gekkonid fauna of Vietnam and the Indochinese Peninsula is diverse, with 11 new species having recently been described . These discoveries, as well as the reconfirmation of the occurrence of Cyrtodactylus intermedius Smith in the Bay Nui Mountains of the An Giang Province indicate the fauna of this region is in need of further study.Small, isolated mountains bordering the northern margin of Rach Gia Bay in southern Vietnam and offshore islands have yielded an increase in new species of geckos . The discovery of Cyrtodactylus paradoxus from Hon Thom Island and four new species of Cnemaspis Strauch, (Cnemaspis caudanivea from Hon Tre Island, C. aurantiacopes from Hon Dat Hill, C. tucdupensis from Tuc Dup, and Cnemaspis nuicamensis from Nui Cam Mountain; constitute the first wave of what is anticipated to be a growing number of new taxa from this region. Field surveys were conducted in the rocky cave systems of Tuc Dup Mountain in Tri Ton district, An Giang Province in southern Vietnam on 9
December 2005 and on Hon Son Island, Kien Hai District, Kien Giang Province on 24 March 2006. These resulted in the discovery of two isolated populations of Cyrtodactylus. Ngo Van Tri 2008. Zootaxa 1909: 37–51.
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