Takydromus albomaculosus WANG, GONG, LIU & WANG, 2017
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Takydromus albomaculosus
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| Higher Taxa | Lacertidae, Lacertinae, Sauria, Lacertoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | Chinese: 天井山草蜥 |
| Synonym | Takydromus albomaculosus WANG, GONG, LIU & WANG 2017 |
| Distribution | China (Guangdong) Type locality: Tianjingshan Forestry Station (24.69°N, 113.03°E; 699 m elevation (datum = WGS84; see Fig. 1), Ruyuan County, Guangdong Province, China. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: SYS r001624, adult male, collected on 1 May 2009 by Shi-Ping Gong. Paratype. SYS r001292, adult female, from the Zhongdong Village (24.69° N, 112.98°E; 618 m a.s.l., datum = WGS84), Ruyuan County, Guangdong Province, China, collected on 31 July 2015 by Ying-Yong Wang. |
| Diagnosis | Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus Takydromus by a combination of the following characteristics: (1) body size large, SVL 70.9 mm in female, 65.5 mm in male; (2) hindlimb relatively long in male, HLL 55% of SVL, 1.11 times as long as ALL; (3) subdigital lamellae 23–24 under the fourth finger, 29–30 under fourth toe; (4) chin-shields four on each side; (5) femoral pores, three or four on each side; (6) supraoculars three, rarely four, the posterior loreal either in contact with the anteriormost supraocular or not; (7) supraciliary granules present; (8) presence of six ventral scale rows, strongly keeled in male, smooth but outermost row keeled in female; (9) enlarged and keeled lateral scales in a row above ventrals, but shorter than ventrals; (10) presence of a pair of white longitudinal dorsolateral stripes and a pair of white longitudinal ventrolateral stripes; (11) dorsal surface brown, ventral surface green, flank dark brown or brown black with several particular white round spots. Comparisons. In this study we only compare the new species with the other 21 recognized species, excluding T. haughtonianus, which is currently an uncertain species and poorly known (Arnold 1997; Jordan 1870). Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. can be distinguished from the recognized 21 congeners by the following characteristics: (1) the presence of several particular white round spots on the flanks vs. flanks with white ocellus bordered by black edges in T. sexlineatus (Fig. 4: Bm, Bf), same white spots absent in the remaining 20 species; (2) the presence of a pair of distinct longitudinal dorsolateral stripes white in adult male and female vs. absent or dorsolateral stripes blurred, pale brown only present in old individuals in T. amurensis, T. wolteri, T. intermedius (Fig. 4: Em, Ef), T. kuehnei (Fig. 4: Fm, Ff), T. sikkimensis, T. dorsalis, T. smaragdinus, T. sauteri, T. toyamai, T. formosanus, T. hsuehshanensis, T. tachydromoides and T. hani; yellowish, only present in adult males in T. septentrionalis (Fig. 4: C); yellowish white, only present in old individuals in T. sylvaticus (Fig. 4: D); white in mature males, pale brown in females T. luyeanus and T. viridipunctatus; (3) three supraoculars, rarely four, the posterior loreal in contact with the anteriormost supraocular or not vs. always having four supraoculars on each side, the posterior loreal in contact with the anteriormost supraocular in T. amurensis, T. wolteri, T. septentrionalis, T. sylvaticus, T. intermedius, T. kuehnei, T. dorsalis, T. smaragdinus, T. sauteri, T. stejnegeri, T. toyamai, T. formosanus, T. hsuehshanensis, T. tachydromoides, T. luyeanus, T. viridipunctatus and T. hani; usually four, occasionally three in T. septentrionalis; (4) the presence of 3–4 pairs of femoral pores vs. only one pair in T. septentrionalis, T. wolteri, T. khasiensis, T. smaragdinus, T. sauteri, T. stejnegeri, T. toyamai, 1–2 pairs in T. sexlineatus, 2 pairs in T. formosanus, T. hsuehshanensis, T. tachydromoides, T. luyeanus, T. viridipunctatus; 6–8 pairs in T. hani; (5) the presence of 6 ventral scale rows vs. 8 ventral scale rows in T. septentrionalis, T. wolteri, T. amurensis, T. sexlineatus, T. khasiensis, T. formosanus, T. hsuehshanensis, T. tachydromoides, T. stejnegeri, T. toyamai, and T. hani; 12 rows in T. sikkimensis; (6) the presence of four pairs of chin-shields vs. 3 pairs in T. septentrionalis, T. sexlineatus, T. khasiensis, T. sikkimensis, T. formosanus, T. smaragdinus, T. toyamai, T. hsuehshanensis, T. luyeanus, and T. viridipunctatus; (7) dorsal surface of head and body brown vs. green in T. dorsalis, T. sauteri, T. smaragdinus, T. toyamai, T. sylvaticus and T. hani. In addition, T. albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from T. madaensis, described in Vietnam, by having two loreals on each side (vs. three), subdigital lamellae under toe IV 29–30 (vs. 17), ventral surface pale blue in 75% ethanol (vs. ventral surface of head and body grey, subcaudals light color). Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. further differs from seven known species occurring on the Chinese mainland in the following characteristics: (1) body size relatively large, SVL 65.5 mm and 70.5 mm for two specimens vs. small, SVL not exceeding 60 mm in T. sylvaticus, T. intermedius and T. kuehnei; (2) longitudinal ventral scale number 23–26 vs. 26–29 in T. sylvaticus, 21–24 in T. intermedius, 27–29 in T. kuehnei; (3) longitudinal dorsal body scales (LDSN) 52–53 vs. 34–35 in T. sexlineatus, 37–46 in T. septentrionalis, 46 in two specimens of T. amurensis, 36–46 in T. intermedius, 42–47 in T. kuehnei 67–81 in T. sylvaticus; (4) scales in a transverse row at mid-body (MBSR) 42–43 vs. 34–42 in T. septentrionalis, 33–38 in T. amurensis, 45–47 in T. sylvaticus; (5) relatively more subdigital lamellae, SDLF-IV 23–24, SDLT-IV 29–30 vs. SDLF-IV 20–21, SDLTIV 26–27 in T. intermedius, SDLF-IV 18–20, SDLT-IV 23–24 in T. kuehnei, SDLF-IV 18–19, SDLT-IV 24–25 in T. amurensis, SDLF-IV 18–19, SDLT-IV 24–25 in T. wolteri; (6) ventral surface green vs. pale grey, or pale brown in males, pale green in females in T. septentrionalis, white, slightly stained pale green in T. sexlineatus, pale beige to white in T. kuehnei, grey white in T. amurensis, white in T. wolteri. In addition, T. albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from T. septentrionalis (in parenthesis) in having lateral surfaces brown black or dark brown (vs. green in adult individuals), most of the subdigital lamellae entire (vs. almost all divided). Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from T. sexlineatus in the presence of supraciliary granules between supraoculars and supraciliaries (vs. absent). Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from T. sylvaticus in the presence of one row of enlarged and keeled scales above the ventrals (vs. absent); and longitudinal ventrolateral stripes extended posteriorly to the anterior flanks (vs. to groins of thighs). Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from T. kuehnei in having a single postnasal (vs. two). Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from T. amurensis in having relatively long hindlimbs in the male, HLL 55% of SVL (vs. 43%), fourth toe beyond the collar when hindlimb adpressed along the side of the body in male (vs. reaching the anterior belly), trunk of body relatively short in male, ALL 49% of SVL (vs. 59%), ventrals strongly keeled in male (vs. intermediate four rows smooth, outer two rows weakly keeled), temporal scales granular, slightly keeled (vs. flat, smooth). Takydromus albomaculosus sp. nov. differs from T. wolteri in having relatively long hindlimbs in the male, HLL 55% of SVL (vs. 43%), fourth toe beyond the collar when hindlimb adpressed along the side of the body in male (vs. reaching the anterior belly), temporal scales slightly keeled (vs. smooth), most of the subdigital lamellae entire (vs. almost all divided). |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The specific name “albomaculosus” refers to the “white round spots” on the flanks of body, which are the diagnostic features of this new species. |
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