Sphenomorphus tonkinensis NGUYEN, SCHMITZ, NGUYEN, ORLOV, BÖHME & ZIEGLER, 2011
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Sphenomorphus tonkinensis
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Tonkin Forest Skink G: Tonkin-Bodenskink |
| Synonym | Sphenomorphus tonkinensis NGUYEN, SCHMITZ, NGUYEN, ORLOV, BÖHME & ZIEGLER 2011 Sphenomorphus rufocaudatus — SCHMITZ & ZIEGLER 2003 (not DAREVSKY & NGUYEN 1983) Sphenomorphus tonkinensis — BÖHME 2014: 156 |
| Distribution | Vietnam Type locality: within Cat Ba National Park, Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong, (20°47.610’N, 106°59.462’E), elevation 100 m. |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: IEBR A.0730, adult male, collected on 19 May 2007 by T. Q. Nguyen, R. Stenke, and T. Ziegler. Paratypes.—ZFMK 61734, adult male, collected in April 1995 by P. Heimes from Wuzhishan, Hainan Island, China, 700 m a.s.l. (previously reported as Sphenomorphus rufocaudatus by Schmitz and Ziegler, 2003); ZFMK 82864, subadult, collected by G. Vogel from Tam Dao Mt., Vinh Phuc Province (unknown collection date); five specimens from Ba Mun Island (21u04.3679N, 107u35.6339E) and one specimen (VNMN 949) from Cai Lim Island (21u06.5009N, 107u34.7009E) within Bai Tu Long National Park, Quang Ninh Province, in the Gulf of Tonkin: VNMN 205, adult male, collected on 20 September 2008 by T. T. Nguyen and S. Ryabov; IEBR A.0912 and MHNG 2713.33, adult males, collected on 16 May 2009 by T. Ziegler and T. Q. Nguyen; VNMN 934, 935, 949, adult females, collected by T. T. Nguyen from 21–23 September 2009. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Size small (SVL 35.8–48.8 mm); prefrontals in contact with each other mesially; supraoculars four; a pair of nuchals present or absent; lower eyelid moveable, scaly; supralabials seven; primary temporals two; external ear present, without lobules, tympanum slightly sunk; midbody scales in 32–34 rows; dorsal scales smooth, paravertebral scales 65–72, not widened; limbs well developed, pentadactyl; scales on dorsal surface of base of digit IV in three rows; 15–19 smooth lamellae under fourth toe; free margins of upper and lower eyelids edged in white; dorsum and tail base bronze brown with a discontinuous dark vertebral stripe; upper lateral zone with black stripe, interrupted by small light spots from behind the neck. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The specific epithet tonkinensis refers to the former name of North Vietnam, Tonkin, and also refers to the Gulf of Tonkin (Vinh Bac Bo), which houses the type locality. |
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