A new insular species of Rock Gecko (Cnemaspis Boulenger) from Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia

Grismer LL 1 , Wood PL 2 , Quah ES 3 , Anuar S 4 , Ngadi E 5 , Ahmad N 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Biology La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California, 92515 USA.; Email: lgrismer@lasierra.edu
  • 2 Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 150 East Bulldog Boulevard, Provo, Utah 84602 USA.; Email: perryleewoodjr@gmail.com
  • 3 School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Penang, Malaysia.; Email: evanquah@yahoo.com
  • 4 School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Penang, Malaysia. Center for Marine and Coastal Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.; Email: shahrulanuar@gmail.com
  • 5 Faculty of Science and Technology,, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.; Email: ehwanngadi@yahoo.com
  • 6 Institute for Environment and Development, (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.; Email: ehwanngadi@yahoo.com
Zootaxa, 2015 Jul 10;3985(2):203-218.
PMID: 26250030 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3985.2.2

Abstract

A new, diminutive species of Rock Gecko Cnemaspis mahsuriae sp. nov. of the affinis group, is described from Gunung Raya on Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia and is differentiated from all other species in the affinis group by having a unique combination of characters including a maximum SVL of 36.6 mm; keeled subtibials and ventrals; 21-24 paravertebral tubercles; no tubercles in the lateral caudal furrows; caudal tubercles not encircling tail; no precloacal pores; 23-26 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; no white ocelli in the shoulder region; no yellow postscapular band; and faint yellow bars on the flanks. Cnemaspis mahsuriae sp. nov. is a forest-dwelling species living in close sympatry or paraptry with the insular endemic C. roticanai Grismer & Chan. The Langkawi Archipelago harbors a unique mix of Malaysian and Indochinese taxa and the frequency of new discoveries from this group of islands is increasing.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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