Diploderma bowoense WANG, GAO, WU, SILER & CHE, 2021
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Diploderma bowoense?
Diploderma bowoense
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Bowo Mountain Dragon Chinese: 博窝龙蜥 (Pinyin: Bo Wo Long Xi) |
| Synonym | Diploderma bowoense WANG, GAO, WU, SILER & CHE in WANG et al. 2021: 14 Japalura flaviceps — ZHAO & YANG 1997: 165 Japalura flaviceps — ZHAO et al. 1999: 111 (part) Japalura flaviceps — ZHAO 2003: 84 |
| Distribution | China (Sichuan: Muli County) Type locality: Bowo Village, Muli Tibetan Autonomous County, Sichuan Province, China (101.1569˚ E, 28.8098˚ N, elevation 2328m, WGS 84) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: KIZ 044700, adult male, collected by Kai Wang, Zhuoyu Lu, Zhongyang Cireng, and Xiankun Huang on 25 June 2019. Paratypes: KIZ 044701, adult male; KIZ 044703, 044756, adult females; All share the same collection information as the holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: The new species can be diagnosed based on a combination of the following morphological characters: 1) body size small, SVL 45.7–53.7 mm in males, 52.6–54.2 mm in females; 2) tail length moderate, TAL 189.1–201.9% SVL in males, 177.3–178.7% in females; 3) HW 65.1–70.5% HL; 4) HLL 72.6–78.6% SVL; 5) nuchal and dorsal crests moderately developed on weak skin folds in males; 6) distinct transverse gular fold present; 7) tympanum concealed; 8) MD 40–44; 9) F4S 15–17; 10) T4S 19–21; 11) PTS 3 or 4; 12) PTY 3–7; 13) PRS 3–6; 14) dorsolateral stripes strongly jagged, Cream Color [Color 12] in males, Sulphur Yellow [Color 80] and faint in females; 15) gular spots present in both sexes, smaller in females, Light Chrome Orange [Color 76] in live males, Dark Spectrum Yellow [Color 78] in live females, absent after preservation; 16) inner lips, oral cavity, and tongue all Light Flesh Color [Color 250]; and 17) distinct vermiculate stripes present on ventral surface of the head (Wang et al. 2021). |
| Comment | Similar species: D. angustelinea Conservation: Although the habitats at the type locality are well protected thanks to the local Tibetan community, the remaining habitat of the species along the main Valley of Yalong River are still threatened by the ongoing development of a nearby hydropower station. We recommend Data Deficient (DD) for the IUCN status of D. bowoense and call for ecological and population studies of the new species in the future. Publication date: The online publication time for the manuscript that describe the species (December 2020) is earlier than the publication time of the entire issue of the journal (January 2021), which is why the taxonomic authority is 2020 instead of 2021. |
| Etymology | The Latin species epithet, bowoense, is derived from the Tibetan name of the type locality of the new species. We name the new species using the Tibetan name for the type locality in honoring the positive conservation influence of Tibetan culture on the habitats and the inhabiting wildlife at the type locality. |
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