Uroplatus fotsivava RATSOAVINA, GEHRING, SCHERZ, VIEITES, GLAW & VENCES, 2017
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Uroplatus fotsivava
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Uroplatus fotsivava RATSOAVINA, GEHRING, SCHERZ, VIEITES, GLAW & VENCES 2017 Uroplatus sp. F (1) — RAXWORTHY et al. 2008 Uroplatus sp. 1 — RATSOAVINA et al. 2011 Uroplatus ebenaui [Ca1] — RATSOAVINA et al. 2012 Uroplatus ebenaui [Ca1] — RATSOAVINA et al. 2013 Uroplatus ebenaui [Ca1] — RATSOAVINA et al. 2015 |
| Distribution | Madagascar (Antsiranana Province: Ambodimanga mountain) Type locality: Analabe forest on the Ambodimanga mountain near Antambato village, Antsiranana Province, northern Madagascar, 14.5048°S, 48.8760°E, 1361 m above sea level |
| Reproduction | oviparous (manual imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: ZSM 1830/2010 (field number ZCMV 12279), adult male, collected on the night of 6 June 2010, by M. Vences, D. R.Vieites, R. D. Randrianiaina, F. M. Ratsoavina, F. Randrianasolo, S. Rasamison, A. Rakotoarison, E. Rajeriarison and T. Rajoafiarison. Paratypes. ZSM 1831/2010 (ZCMV 12280) and ZSM 639/2014 (DRV 6067), two adult males, and ZSM 1829/2010 (ZCMV 1227), an adult female, all with the same collecting data as the holotype; ZSM 646/2014 (DRV 6326), adult male, collected at Ambodikakazo, 14.2098°S, 48.8981°E, 1411 m above sea level, on the night of 16 June 2010 by F. M. Ratsoavina and F. Randrianasolo; ZSM 648/2014 (DRV 6263), adult female, collected at Vinanitelo forest, Ambinanitelo, 14.2098°S, 48.9702°E, 1280 m above sea level, on the night of 22 June 2010 by D.R. Vieites, M. Vences, R. D. Randrianiaina, S. Rasamison, A. Rakotoarison, E. Rajeriarison and T. Rajoafiarison; ZSM 647/2014 (DRV 6409), adult female, collected close to the village of Bemanevika, 14.3600°S, 48.5903°E, 1538 m above sea level, on the night of 28 June 2010 by M. Vences, D.R. Vieites, R. D. Randrianiaina, F. M. Ratsoavina, F. Randrianasolo, S. Rasamison, A. Rakotoarison, E. Rajeriarison and T. Rajoafiarison; ZSM 645/2014 (DRV 6324), adult female, collected at the Ambodikakazo campsite, 14.2098°S, 48.8981°E, 1473 m above sea level, on the night of 17 June 2010 by F. M. Ratsoavina and F. Randrianasolo; ZSM 51/2016 – 55/2016 (MSZC 57, 81, 104, 113, 141) and UADBA uncatalogued (MSZC 67 and 118), three males and four females from Ampotsidy, 15 km north of Bealanana, (14.412–14.422°S, 48.712–48.722°E), 1293–1489 m above sea level, collected at night between the 18th December 2015 and 4th January 2016 by by M. D. Scherz, J. Borrell, L. Ball, T. Starnes, E. Razafimandimby, D. H. Nomenjanahary and J. Rabearivony. |
| Diagnosis | Uroplatus fotsivava sp. nov. is included in the Uroplatus ebenaui group of small-sized leaf-tailed geckos due to its triangular head with supraocular spines, laterally compressed body, and short tail. It differs from all members of the U. fimbriatus group (U. fimbriatus, U. giganteus, U. henkeli, U. sikorae and U. sameiti) and U. lineatus by its much smaller size (adult SVL 49.5–70.7 mm versus at least 85 mm), lack of lateral dermal fringing on any part of the body, and lateral compression of the body (versus depressed body shape with lateral dermal fringes), and a relatively much shorter tail. The evident triangular head, rather smooth skin and short tail distinguish U. fotsivava from U. alluaudi, U. guentheri, U. malahelo and U. pietschmanni. Within the U. ebenaui group, the new species differs from U. finiavana, U. malama and U. phantasticus by a shorter tail (adult TAL/SVL 0.15–0.32 vs. 0.42 in U. finiavana, 0.72 in U. malama, 0.62–0.76 in U. phantasticus) and by a narrower tail (TAW/SVL 0.07–0.10 vs. 0.14–0.16 in U. finiavana, 0.24 in U. malama, 0.16–0.20 in U. phantasticus). It is further distinguished from U. ebenaui, U. malama and U. phantasticus by its unpigmented oral mucosa (versus at least partly blackish pigmented oral mucosa). Uroplatus fotsivava shares an unpigmented oral mucosa with its sister species U. fiera, and has overlaps in values of relative tail length and tail width with this species. However, the ratio TAW/TAL distinguishes almost all specimens of the two lineages (0.17–0.31 in U. fotsivava vs. 0.19–0.21 in U. fiera; except for MSZC 0118, all specimens of U. fotsivava have values of 0.23 or larger). Furthermore, U. fotsivava in comparison to U. fiera has a higher number of supralabials and associated scales (28–31 versus 27–28; U-test, P = 0.005) and a tendency of fewer lamellae under the third toe (5–8 versus 7–8; U-test, P = 0.065). |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The specific epithet fotsivava is a composite of the Malagasy words for white (fotsy) and mouth (vava). The name refers to the unpigmented oral mucosa of the species, as it was the first character we used to distinguish this new species to the other forms occurring in the Tsaratanana massif. The name is an invariable noun in apposition. |
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