Cnemaspis mundanthuraiensis KHANDEKAR, THACKERAY, & AGARWAL, 2022
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Cnemaspis mundanthuraiensis?
Cnemaspis mundanthuraiensis
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Cnemaspis mundanthuraiensis KHANDEKAR, THACKERAY, & AGARWAL 2022 |
| Distribution | India (Tamil Nadu) Type locality: Mundanthurai forest range (8.6980°N, 77.3561°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-1175 (AK-R 451), adult male, collected by Akshay Khandekar and team on 21 April 2021. Paratypes: NRC-AA-1176 (AK-R 443), NRC-AA-1177 (AK-R 445), NRC-AA-1178 (AK-R 446), BNHS 2822 (AK-R 448), BNHS 2824 (AK-R 450), and BNHS 2825 (AK-R 452), adult males; BNHS 2823 (AK-R 449), adult female; NRC-AA-1179 (AK-R 447), subadult female; same collectors as holotype except collected on 22 April 2021. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A small-sized Cnemaspis, snout to vent length less than 33 mm (n=9). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled, weakly conical, granular scales intermixed with irregularly arranged rows of enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles which are gradually increasing in size towards flank; last two rows of enlarged tubercles on flank largest, spine-like; 6–8 rows of dorsal tubercles at mid-body, tubercles in paravertebral region irregular; ventral scales subcircular, smooth, subequal from chest to vent, 30–34 scales across belly at mid-body, 115–128 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, unpaired, unnotched; 10 or 11 lamellae under digit I of manus and 9–12 lamellae under digit I of pes, 14–18 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 18–22 lamellae under digit IV of pes; males (n=7/9) with 3–5 femoral pores on each thigh separated by 9–11 poreless scales from two precloacal pores, precloacal pores separated medially by 2–4 poreless scales (n=4/7), precloacal pores sometimes absent entirely and femoral pores on each thigh separated by 23–25 poreless scales (n=3/7); tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, pointed, and spine-like tubercles forming whorls; six tubercles on first six whorl, five tubercles on seventh, and four on eighth whorl; rest of the tail with tubercles present only on the paravertebral rows; median row of subcaudals smooth, roughly pentagonal, and distinctly enlarged. Dorsum pale brown with numerous light blotches and red patches (more prominent in males); single small central black ocellus on occiput and larger one anterior to forelimb insertions; original tail with 8–10 alternating black and light grey bands; ventral surfaces off-white, dark streaks on posterior margin of throat and sternal region (males with underside of hindlimbs and margin of belly suffused with yellow). (KHANDEKAR et al. 2022) |
| Comment | Natural history: Cnemaspis mundanthuraiensis seems to be diurnal, rupicolous, and locally abundant. At all three collection sites, many individuals (n = >25) were observed active during the daytime (0900–1230 hrs) on rocks below 2 m height in moist deciduous forest patches. Individuals of the new species were observed inactive during the night, resting on rocks openly less than 1 meter from where holotype and two paratypes were collected. (KHANDEKAR et al. 2022) |
| Etymology | The specific epithet is a toponym for the Mundanthurai forest range of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, the type and currently only known locality for this species. |
| References |
|
| External links |