Cnemaspis kalakadensis KHANDEKAR, THACKERAY, & AGARWAL, 2022
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Cnemaspis kalakadensis
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Cnemaspis kalakadensis KHANDEKAR, THACKERAY, & AGARWAL 2022 |
| Distribution | India (Tamil Nadu) Type locality: Near Sengaltheri forest guesthouse, Kalakad forest range (8.5340°N, 77.4502°E; ca. 960 m asl.), Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu state, India |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: NRC-AA-1180 (AK-R 648), adult male, collected by Akshay Khandekar, and team on 30 April 2021. Paratypes: NRC-AA-1182 (AK-R 644), BNHS 2826 (AK-R 646), adult males; NRC-AA-1181 (AK-R 643), NRC-AA-1183 (AK-R 645), BNHS 2827 (AK-R 647), BNHS 2828 (AK-R 654), adult females; collectors and date same as holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A small-sized Cnemaspis, snout to vent length less than 33 mm (n=7). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; smooth, subcircular, weakly conical granular scales intermixed with irregularly arranged rows of enlarged, smooth, laterally compressed, spine-like scales on flanks; four or five rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody, enlarged scales or tubercles absent in paravertebral region; ventral scales subcircular, smooth, subimbricate, subequal from chest to vent; 28–34 scales across belly at mid-body, 122–134 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, unpaired, unnotched; basal scansors distinctly enlarged, plate like; 11 or 12 lamellae under digit I of manus and pes, 16–19 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 19–22 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males (n=3/7) with a series of 12–14 femoral pores on each thigh separated medially by 10 or 11 poreless scales; tail dorsum with enlarged, smooth, flattened scales only in the paravertebral rows, not forming whorls; 16–18 scales in paravertebral rows on either side, only 2–4 enlarged scales in the lateral row on either side; median row of subcaudals smooth, roughly subcircular, and distinctly enlarged. Dorsum grey-brown with indistinct dark bands; single longitudinally placed hourglass shaped black marking anterior to forelimb insertions; tail with ~12 alternating dark and pale bands; underside of body, limbs and tail in males pale yellow with precloacal and femoral region off-white, gular region bright yellow; ventral surfaces in females off-white to cream. (KHANDEKAR et al. 2022) |
| Comment | Natural history: Individuals were seen active during the daytime (1030–1600 hrs) on tree trunks (2–5 m above the ground) inside wet evergreen forest patches. Cnemaspis kalakadensis appears to be a tree specialist as they were only observed on tree trunks, some individuals were seen effortlessly climbing above approximately 4 m on trees when disturbed. They were observed to be fairly common (n = >15) at all three collection sites indicating good abundance. The new species were recorded in good numbers only at places with high canopy cover and were seen only during the daytime. (KHANDEKAR et al. 2022) |
| Etymology | The specific epithet is a toponym for the Kalakad forest range of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, the type and currently only known locality for this species. |
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