Cnemaspis kotagamai KARUNARATHNA, DE SILVA, BOTEJUE, SURASINGHE, WICKRAMASINGHE, UKUWELA & BAUER, 2019
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Cnemaspis kotagamai
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Kotagama’s Day Gecko Sinhala: Kotagamage Diva-seri Hoona Tamil: Kotagamavin Pahalpalli |
| Synonym | Cnemaspis kotagamai KARUNARATHNA, DE SILVA, BOTEJUE, SURASINGHE, WICKRAMASINGHE, UKUWELA & BAUER in KARUNARATHNA et al. 2019: 330 |
| Distribution | Sri Lanka (Sabaragamu Province) Type locality: granite cave Bambaragala, Pallebedda, Ratnapura District, Sabaragamu Province, Sri Lanka (6.512978°N, 80.750306°E, WGS1984; elevation 127 m |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: NMSL 2019.15.01, adult male, 29.8 mm SVL (Fig. 3), collected; around 1100 hrs) on 18 January 2019 by Suranjan Karunarathna and Anslem de Silva. Paratypes: NMSL 2019.15.02, adult male, 31.1 mm SVL, and NMSL 2019.15.03, adult female, 32.6 mm SVL, collected from a granite cave in Bambaragala, Pallebedda, Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Prov- ince, Sri Lanka (6.517261°N, 80.752692°E, WGS1984; elevation 132 m; around 1200 hrs) on 18 January 2019 by Suranjan Karunarathna and Anslem de Silva. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Cnemaspis kotagamai sp. nov. may be readily distinguished from its Sri Lankan congeners by a combination of the following morphological and meristic characteristics as well as color patterns: maximum SVL 32.6 mm; dorsum with heterogeneous, smooth intermixed with weakly keeled granular scales; 2/2 supranasals, one internasal, 2/2 postnasals; 3–4 enlarged postmentals; postmentals bounded by 5–6 chin scales; chin, gular, pectoral, and abdominal scales smooth, subimbricate; 21–22 belly scales across midbody; 6–7 well-developed tubercles on posterior flank; 114–119 paravertebral granules linearly arranged; one precloacal pore, 4–5 femoral pores in males, separated by 11–13 unpored proximal femoral scales, 2–6 unpored distal femoral scales; 131–137 ventral scales; 79–84 midbody scales; subcaudals smooth, median row comprising an irregular series of diamond-shaped, small scales; 7–8 supralabials; 7–8 infralabials; 13–15 total lamellae on 4th digit of manus, and 17–18 total lamellae on 4th digit of pes. Comparisons with other Sri Lankan species. Among species of the C. kandiana clade sensu Agarwal et al. (2017), Cnemaspis kotagamai sp. nov. differs by having heterogeneous (versus homogeneous) dorsal scales from C. amith Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007, C. gotaimbarai Karunarathna et al. 2019b, C. kumarasinghei Wickramasinghe and Munindradasa 2007, C. latha Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007, and C. nandimithrai Karunarathna et al. 2019b; it can also be diagnosed from C. butewai Karunarathna et al. 2019b, C. kandiana (Kelaart, 1852), C. kivulegedarai Karunarathna et al. 2019b, C. menikay Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007, C. pava Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007, C. pulchra Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007, C. retigalensis Wickramasinghe and Munindradasa 2007, C. samanalensis Wickramasinghe and Munindradasa 2007, C. silvula ManamendraArachchi et al. 2007, C. tropidogaster (Boulenger, 1885), and C. upendrai Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007 by having smooth (versus keeled) pectoral scales. The new species differs from C. kallima Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007 by having more midbody scales (79–84 versus 67–74), presence of more paravertebral granules (114– 119 versus 99–107), by having fewer precloacal pores (1 versus 3–4), and having fewer tubercles on the posterior flank (6–7 versus 12–15). It differs from C. ingerorum Batuwita et al. 2019 by having more ventral scales (131–137 versus 88–95) and more paravertebral granules (114–119 versus 93–101). Among species of the C. podihuna clade sensu Agarwal et al. (2017), Cnemaspis kotagamai sp. nov. differs by the absence of clearly enlarged, hexagonal or subhexagonal subcaudal scales from the following species: C. alwisi Wickramasinghe and Munindradasa 2007, C. anslemi Karunarathna and Ukuwela 2019, C. gemunu Bauer et al. 2007, C. godagedarai de Silva et al. 2019, C. hitihami Karunarathna et al. 2019b, C. kandambyi Batuwita and Udugampala 2017, C. kohukumburai Karunarathna et al. 2019b, C. molligodai Wickramasinghe and Munindradasa 2007, C. nilgala Karunarathna et al. 2019, C. phillipsi Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007, C. podihuna Deraniyagala, 1944, C. punctata Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2007, C. rajakarunai Wickramasinghe et al. 2016, C. rammalensis Vidanapathirana et al. 2014, and C. scalpensis (Ferguson 1877). |
| Comment | Sympatry: Gehyra mutilata, Hemidactylus depressus, H. frenatus, and H. parvimaculatus. Similar species: C. ingerorum, C. kallima |
| Etymology | The specific epithet is an eponym Latinized (kotagamai) in the masculine genitive singular, honoring prominent Sri Lankan scientist (ornithologist), Sarath Wimalabandara Kotagama (Emeritus Professor of the University of Colombo) for his valuable contributions towards biodiversity conservation and management in Sri Lanka. |
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