Cnemaspis azhagu KHANDEKAR, THACKERAY & AGARWAL, 2022
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Cnemaspis azhagu?
Cnemaspis azhagu
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Cnemaspis azhagu KHANDEKAR, THACKERAY & AGARWAL 2022 |
| Distribution | India (Tamil Nadu) Type locality: Thirukurungudi forest range (8.4069°N, 77.5485°E; ca. 200 m asl.), Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu state, India |
| Reproduction | Oviparous; 2-3 eggs per clutch (Khandekar et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: NRC-AA-1170 (AK-R 678), adult male, collected by Akshay Khandekar and team on 06 May 2021. Paratypes: NRC-AA-1171 (AK-R 670), NRC-AA-1172 (AK-R 671), NRC-AA-1174 (AK-R 673), BNHS 2818 (AK-R 674), BNHS 2819 (AK-R 675), BNHS 2820 (AK-R 676), adult males; BNHS 2821 (AK-R 677), adult female; NRC-AA-1173 (AK-R 672), subadult female. same collectors as holotype except collected on 07 May 2021. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A small-sized Cnemaspis, snout to vent length less than 38 mm (n=9). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; smooth granular scales intermixed with a fairly regularly arranged row of enlarged, weakly keeled, conical tubercles on either side of flank; granular scales gradually increasing in size towards each flank, largest on mid-flank; spine-like scales absent on the flank; two (rarely three, n=1/9) rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody, enlarged tubercles in paravertebral region absent (rarely a few present, n=2/9); ventral scales subcircular, smooth, subimbricate, and subequal from chest to vent, 34–44 scales across belly at mid-body, 151–171 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, some divided and others entire; 13–16 lamellae under digit I of manus and 12–14 lamellae under digit I of pes, 20–25 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 24– 27 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males (n=7/9) with a continuous series of 6–8 precloacal pores (n= 5/7), rarely divided medially by a single poreless scale (n=2/7), femoral pores absent; tail with enlarged, weakly keeled, pointed, and weakly conical tubercles forming four whorls only on anterior third; followed by a row of three paravertebral tubercles on either side; rest of tail without enlarged tubercles; a median row of subcaudals smooth, regularly arranged with condition of two slightly larger scales alternating with a large divided scale. Males with ochre head and grey body, females more uniform brown; single central black ocellus on occiput flanked by lighter markings, collar formed by thick black spots/ streak flanked posteriorly by white band just anterior to forelimb insertions; tail without strong markings; iris red with light orange ring surrounding pupil. (KHANDEKAR et al. 2022) |
| Comment | Behavior: Individuals were observed active during the daytime (morning to afternoon, 0930–1300 hrs). |
| Etymology | The specific epithet, azhagu (a-lha-gu, also sometimes transliterated as alaku), is the Tamil word for beauty (அழகு) and is used as a noun in apposition for this beautiful new species. |
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