Sphenomorphus tophus GRISMER, PAWANGKHANANT, NAIDUANGCHAN, GRISMER, DUGDALE, PIERCE, QUAH, SUWANNAPOOM & POYARKOV, 2026
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Sphenomorphus tophus?
Sphenomorphus tophus
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Khorat Plateau Forest Skink |
| Synonym | Sphenomorphus tophus GRISMER, PAWANGKHANANT, NAIDUANGCHAN, GRISMER, DUGDALE, PIERCE, QUAH, SUWANNAPOOM & POYARKOV 2026 |
| Distribution | Thailand (Phu Wiang Mountain, Tham Gwang, Khon Kaen Province) Type locality: Tham Gwang (16°38'15"N, 102°16'39"E), elevation 240 m asl.), Khon Kaen District, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. ZMMU Re-18274, Adult female (field label NAP-17135), collected on 27 July 2024 by M. Naiduangchan and P. Pawangkhanant. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. At this juncture, Sphenomorphus tophus sp. nov. is separated from all other species of the S. stellatus complex by having the unique combination of a maximum adult SVL of 75.4 mm; head, body, and supracaudal scales smooth; frontal scale not divided; prefrontals not in contact; parietals in contact posterior to interparietal; parietals not divided; six scales bordering the parietals; four nuchals; four supraoculars; two loreals; anterior loreal not divided; loreals in contact with supralabials; no postnasal groove; eight superciliaries; superciliary row not interrupted by fourth supraocular; lower eyelid scales large; seven supralabials; seven infralabials; three pairs of chinshields; one primary temporal scale; two secondary temporals; upper secondary temporal large; no subtemporals; 25 midbody scale rows; 63 paravertebrals; paravertebrals slightly wider than other dorsals; 68 ventrals; two enlarged precloacals; 13 scales around tail at level of tenth subcaudal; anterior subcaudals not divided; subcaudals enlarged; 20 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; 15 subdigital lamellae on fourth finger; no wide, dark, vertebral or lateral stripes or blotches; dark markings on top of head confined to scale edges; thin dark transverse subcaudal bars on original tail; no thin, dark, dorsal caudal bands; and labial margins faintly edged in black. Note that these characters are based on a single specimen. The acquisition of additional material may render some of these characters not truly diagnostic, and other Description of holotype. Adult female, SVL 75.4 mm; original tail 89.4 mm; head moderate, snout slightly pointed, rounded in dorsal and lateral profile, subtriangular, slightly distinct from neck; head scales large, smooth; HL 13.3 mm longer than wide, HW 10.7 mm; head somewhat depressed, HH 5.8 mm; rostral wider than high, in contact with first supralabials, and nasals laterally, frontonasal dorsally; frontonasal as wide as long, single, in contact with nasals and first loreals laterally, prefrontals and frontal posteriorly; prefrontals separated contacting loreals laterally posteriorly; and first superciliaries frontal posteriorly elongate, subtriangular, in point contact with first superciliary, contacting first and second supraoculars and frontoparietals posteriorly; four supraoculars, first triangular, second and third rectangular, fourth hemispherical; frontoparietals divided sagittally, each in lateral contact with second, third, and fourth supraoculars laterally, and parietals and interparietal posteriorly; interparietal somewhat triangular, eyespot present posteriorly; parietals in medial contact posterior to interparietal, contacting upper second supratemporal laterally and nuchals posteriorly; six scales bordering posterolateral margins of parietals; four nuchals in contact with parietals; 7 (R,L) supralabials, sixth and seventh largest and equal in size, fifth below center of eye; nostril in lower part of nasals; nasals large, in broad contact with first supralabials and point contact with second supralabials ventrally, first loreal posteriorly; two undivided loreals, first square and second more rectangular, contacting supralabials ventrally; second loreal in contact with second and third supralabials, preoculars posteriorly, first superciliary and frontonasal dorsally; two preoculars, lower much larger than upper; eight (R,L) superciliaries not interrupted by fourth supraocular; two presuboculars; lower eyelid bearing large scales; one postsupraocular in ventral contact with postsubocular and posterior contact with parietal; postsubocular contacting primary temporal posteroventrally, upper secondary temporal posteriorly, and parietal medially; three postsuboculars, first two contacting fifth and sixth supralabials; one postsupraocular; one primary temporal, two secondary temporals; two tertiary temporals; two postsupralabials; seven (R,L) infralabials, first smallest; mental large, hemispherical; postmental large, single; three pairs of large chinshields in broad contact with supralabials; second pair in point contact medially, third pair separated by three gulars; external ear opening large, vertically elongate, vertical diameter 2.1 mm, lacking anterior lobules; tympanum deeply recessed. Body scales smooth, cycloid, imbricate; dorsals larger than ventrals and flank scales; paravertebrals slightly larger than adjacent dorsals; 25 longitudinal scale rows around midbody; 63 slightly enlarged paravertebral scale rows not interrupted by smaller scales; 68 ventrals; two enlarged, medial, precloacals; subcaudals similar in size to dorsal caudals, larger than lateral caudals; limbs robust in stature, in contact when adpressed; palmar and plantar scales low, rounded, smooth; single row of supradigitals; 15 (R, L) smooth, subdigital lamellae on fourth finger; 20 (L, R) smooth, subdigital lamellae on fourth toe. (Grismer et al. 2026) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about about 2.32 pages) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The specific epithet ‘tophus’ is a Latin noun given in apposition, meaning “sandstone,” “porous rock”. The name is given in reference to the natural history of the new species, in that it is the only member of the S. stellatus group known to date that is strictly associated with sandstone habitats. |
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