Dixonius chotjuckdikuli DONBUNDIT, SUMONTHA, SUTHANTHANGJAI, SUTHANTHANGJAI & PAUWELS, 2024
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Dixonius chotjuckdikuli
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | Thai: จิ้งจกดินเขาอีบิด (Djing-djok din Khao Ebid) E: Khao Ebid leaf-toed gecko F: Dixonius de Khao Ebid |
| Synonym | Dixonius chotjuckdikuli DONBUNDIT, SUMONTHA, SUTHANTHANGJAI, SUTHANTHANGJAI & PAUWELS 2024: 533 |
| Distribution | Thailand (Phetchaburi) Type locality: Khao Ebid (Mount Ibit; 13°20’08.5”N 99°45’17.3”E), Khao Yoi District, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. CuMZ-R-2619 (field no. MS 646); adult male, collected by Natthaphat Chotjuckdikul, Nattasuda Donbundit, Montri Sumontha, Winai Suthanthangjai, and Sudjidtra Wattanakij on 12 November 2023. Paratypes. CuMZ-R-2614 (field no. MS 641) and CuMZ-R-2615 (field no. MS 642), adult males; CuMZ-R- 2616 (field no. MS 643), adult female, CuMZ-R-2617 (field no. MS 644), adult female; and CuMZ-R-2618 (field no. MS 645), subadult female. All five paratypes collected on 6 october 2023 by the same collectors and at the same locality as the holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. Dixonius chotjuckdikuli sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other congeneric species by the combination of its maximal known SVL of 45.6 mm; 18 (rarely 16) longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 31 to 34 paravertebral scales; 18 (rarely 16) longitudinal rows of ventrals across the abdomen; 20 to 22 interciliary scales; five or six precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; a marked canthal stripe extending beyond the shoulder; and a blotched dorsal pattern in males, females and juveniles. Description of holotype. Adult male (Figures 1–3). SVL 43.3 mm. Head relatively long (HL/SVL ratio 0.30), wide (HW/HL ratio 0.66), not markedly depressed (HD/HL ratio 0.44), distinct from neck. Lores and interorbital region weakly inflated. Canthus rostralis relatively prominent. Snout moderately short (Snorb/HL ratio 0.36), rounded, longer than orbit diameter (orbD/Snorb ratio 0.66). Scales on snout and forehead small, hexagonal to rounded, flattened, with smooth or slightly rugose surface. Scales on snout slightly larger than those on occipital region. Eye of moderate size (orbD/HL ratio 0.24). Pupil vertical with crenelated margins. Supraciliaries short, without spines. Ear opening oval, small (EarL/HL ratio 0.04); orbit to ear distance greater than orbit diameter. Rostral about twice wider than high, dorsally incompletely divided by a median cleft. two enlarged supranasals in broad contact. Rostral in contact with supralabial I on each side, nostrils and both supranasals. Nostrils round, each surrounded by supranasal, rostral, supralabial I and two postnasals. Mental triangular, about as long as deep. two pairs of enlarged postmentals, anteriormost approximately five times larger than posterior. Each anterior postmental bordered anteriorly by mental, medially by the other anterior postmental, anterolaterally by infralabial I, posterolaterally by the second postmental; the pair of postmentals collectively bordered posteromedially by a row of five throat scales. Supralabials to mid-orbital position 6/7; enlarged supralabials to angle of jaws 8/8. Infralabials 6/6. Interorbital scales 8. Body slender, elongate (trunkL/SVL ratio 0.43), without ventrolateral folds. Dorsal scales small, irregular, flattened to conical, distributed among large, strongly keeled tubercles arranged in 18 regular longitudinal rows at midbody. Lower flanks covered with irregular, smooth to slightly conical scales. Gular region with relatively homogeneous, granular scales. Ventral scales smooth, imbricate, their free margin rounded. Ventrals increasing in size from throat to chest to abdomen. Midbody scale rows across venter to lowest rows of tubercles 18. Six precloacal pores in a continuous series. Pore-bearing scales not enlarged relative to adjacent scale rows. No femoral pores or enlarged femoral scales. Fore- and hind limbs short, slender (FAL/SVL ratio 0.14; tibL/SVL ratio 0.15). Digits slender, dilated distally, all bearing robust, slightly recurved claws. Basal subdigital lamellae narrow, without scansorial surfaces (6-9-11- 10-9 right manus; 6-8-13-17-12 right pes); setae-bearing lamellae restricted to enlarged, distal, ‘‘leaf-like’’ scansors. Scales on palm and sole small, smooth, rounded to oval. Interdigital webbing absent. Relative length of digits: IV=III>II>V>I (manus), IV>V>III>II>I (pes). tail length 59.7 mm; tail original. Supracaudals markedly keeled in the anterior portion of the tail. Subcaudals 52, enlarged into transverse plates. Coloration in life. Dorsal surface of head light brown with small and irregular black blotches. Supraciliaries and numerous scales on dorsal surface of the head golden yellow. Supraorbital area bluish. the supralabials and infralabials are off-white, and do not show black vertical bars. on each side of the head a black canthal stripe runs from the nostril through the eye and the ear and is prolonged by a wavy stripe on the upper flanks which extends posteriorly till above the cloaca. Dorsum light brown with black blotches. the four paravertebral rows of tubercles are well separated and darker than the areas separating them, forming four contrasting mediodorsal dark lines. Irregularly disposed golden yellow tubercles lie on this stripe as well on the black areas of the dorsum. Dorsal surfaces of members light brown with scattered small black spots and golden yellow tubercles. tail golden yellow. throat, lower flanks, venter and underside of limbs white. In preservative the colors strongly fade and become less contrasted; the golden yellow color disappears and becomes light grey (Figures 2 and 3). Additional details (794 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after the Thai petroleum engineer, keen naturalist and birdwatcher Natthaphat Chotjuckdikul, a companion in herpetological expeditions, who co-discovered the species described here. |
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