Southbound - the southernmost record of Tylototriton (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae) from the Central Highlands of Vietnam represents a new species.

A new species of the genus Tylototriton is described from Ngoc Linh Mountain, Kon Tum Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam based on integrative taxonomy, namely by combining molecular and morphological evidence. Tylototritonngoclinhensissp. nov. differs from all other congeners based on morphological data, allopatric distribution, and molecular divergence. In terms of genetic divergence, Tylototritonngoclinhensissp. nov. distinctly differs from the sister species T.panhai (6.77%) and from T.ngarsuensis (12.36%) based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene. Tylototritonngoclinhensissp. nov. is a moderate sized and robust salamander species with large cephalic edges, parotoids, and vertebral ridge orange in coloration. The new taxon differs from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: size medium (SVL 60.8-66.5 mm, TL 57.6-61.8 mm in males, and SVL 72.5-75.6 mm, TL 62.9-67.9 mm in females); head longer than wide; parotoids very prominent and enlarged, projecting backwards; tail length shorter than snout-vent length; vertebral ridge large, high and glandular in appearance; 14 large and distinct dorsolateral glandular warts; gular fold present; tips of fore and hind limbs overlapping when adpressed along the body; tips of fingers reaching between eye and nostril when foreleg is laid forward; dorsal surface and lateral sides of the head, upper and lower lips, dorsolateral glandular warts, vertebral ridge, the peripheral area of the cloaca and the ventral edge of the tail orange in coloration; the presence of a distinct black line extending from the posterior end of the eye towards the shoulder. Tylototritonngoclinhensissp. nov. is restricted to evergreen montane forests near water bodies on Ngoc Linh Mountain. We suggest that the new species should be classified as Endangered (EN) in the IUCN Red List. This new important discovery represents the eighth Tylototriton taxon described from Vietnam, and at the same time constitutes the southernmost distributional record for the whole genus in Asia.

A new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Ninh Thuan Province, southern Vietnam.

A new species of the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group is described from Ninh Thuan Province, southern Vietnam based on molecular divergence and morphological differences. Cyrtodactylus orlovi sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese bent-toed geckos by having the unique combination of the following characters: size medium (SVL 61.077.7 mm); dorsal tubercles in 1620 irregular rows; 3639 ventral scale rows; precloacal pores absent in females, 5 or 6 in males, in a continuous row; femoral pores absent; 38 enlarged femoral scales; postcloacal spurs 1 or 2; lamellae under toe IV 1619; a continuous neckband; a highly irregular transverse banded dorsal pattern; the absence of transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species was revealed to be the sister taxon to a clade consisting of Cyrtodactylus cattienensis and the most recently described species from Vietnam, C. chungi, with 12.112.4% and 11.7 % pairwise genetic divergence from the two species, respectively, based on a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene.

A new species of Dixonius (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Phu Quy Island, Vietnam.

We describe a new species of Dixonius on the basis of five specimens from Phu Quy Island, Binh Thuan Province, in southern Vietnam. The new species can be distinguished from congeners based on molecular and morphological differences. Diagnostic features are: small size (SVL up to 44 mm); 7 or 8 supralabials; 11 or 12 rows of keeled tubercles on dorsum; 21-23 ventral scale rows; 5 or 6 precloacal pores in males; a canthal stripe running from rostrum through the eye and terminating behind the head; second pair of postmentals about one third to one half size of first pair; ground color of dorsum brown, with one or two rows of light yellow or orange spots in one or two rows along flanks, and irregular bands or a reticulated network of dark marks on dorsum. This is the fifth species of Dixonius known to occur in Vietnam.

A third new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam.

We describe the third new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus from Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam based on a type series consisting of eleven specimens. Cyrtodactylus thuongae sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese Bent-toed Geckos by a combination of the following morphological characters: size medium, with a maximum SVL of 77.6 mm; dorsal pattern consisting of blotches between limbs and on occiput and a sometimes medially opened nuchal loop; dorsal tubercles in 16-18 irregular rows; ventrals in 29-44 longitudinal rows at midbody; lateral skin folds present, lacking tubercles; femoral pore series separated from precloacal pore series in males, 0-3 on each side; precloacal pores in males absent or only one; enlarged femoral scales and precloacal scales present, separated by a series of 15-16 smaller scales; postcloacal spurs two or three; subcaudal scales slightly enlarged. This is the 32nd described Cyrtodactylus species from Vietnam.

A new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Khanh Hoa Province, southern Vietnam.

We describe a new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus from southern Vietnam, based on morphological and molecular datasets. Cyrtodactylus cucdongensis sp. nov. is described on the basis of seven specimens collected from Cuc Dong Cape, Khanh Hoa Province. The new species can be distinguished from the remaining bent-toed geckos by a combination of the following characters: maximum SVL 65.9 mm; 16-19 dorsal tubercle rows; 41-44 ventral scales at midbody; 5 or 6 precloacal pores in males, 4-6 pitted precloacal scales in females; no femoral pores; 6-13 enlarged precloacal scales; 5-9 enlarged femoral scales; no transversally enlarged subcaudals; dorsal pattern consisting of irregular dark bands. This is the 33rd species of Cyrtodactylus known from Vietnam.

A new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Phu Yen Province, southern Vietnam.

We describe a new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus based on five adult specimens from Dai Lanh Cape, Tuy Hoa District, Phu Yen Province, southern Vietnam. Cyrtodactylus kingsadai sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese bent-toed geckos by a combination of the following characters: maximum SVL of 94 mm; dorsal pattern consisting of a dark nuchal loop, continuous or partly interrupted neck band and four in part irregular transverse body bands between limbs; internasal single; dorsal tubercles in 17-23 irregular transverse rows; ventrals in 39-46 longitudinal rows at midbody; lateral skin folds present, without interspersed tubercles; precloacal pores 7-9 plus in total 3-7 femoral pores in males (1-4 femoral pores on each side) with precloacal and femoral pore series separated from each other by 7-9 poreless scales; enlarged femoral scales and precloacal scales present; postcloacal spurs three; subcaudal scales transversely enlarged. This is the 29th species of Cyrtodactylus known from Vietnam.