ABSTRACT
Herein we describe a new species of Cyrtodactylus from Lunglei District in the state of Mizoram, India. Based on morphology and ND2 gene sequences, the species was found to be a member of the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group. The species can be identified by its moderate size (adult SVL 64.975.1 mm) with rounded, bluntly conical and feebly keeled dorsal tubercles in 2428 longitudinal rows; 3240 paravertebral tubercles between the level of the axilla and the level of the groin; 3743 mid-ventral scale rows; 35 precloacal pores in males and 57 pitted precloacal scales in females; 1618 subdigital lamellae under IV toe; no single row of transversely enlarged subcaudal scales; dorsal markings are dark brown, irregular and distinct; tail with alternating dark and light bands.
Subject(s)
Lizards , Animal Distribution , Animal Structures/anatomy & histology , Animals , Ecosystem , Female , India , Lizards/anatomy & histology , Lizards/genetics , Male , TailABSTRACT
Based on morphology and ND2 gene sequences, four new species of Cyrtodactylus, two each from the Indian states of Meghalaya and Mizoram are described herein. The new species are a part of the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group. The species from Meghalaya represent the lowland clade whereas the species from Mizoram represent the highland clade within the south of Brahmaputra clade of Indo-Burmese Cyrtodactylus. The two distinct populations from Meghalaya are sister to one another, differing from each by an uncorrected p-distance 0.065 and collectively are sister to Cyrtodactylus septentrionalis. The species from Mizoram differ from each other by an uncorrected p-distance of 0.0850.121 and collectively are sister to Cyrtodactylus montanus.
