v6i1.122

ISSN: 1800-427X (print)
eISSN: 1800-427X (online)
DOI:10.47605/tapro.v6i1.122

Submitted date: 10 September 2013
Accepted date: 1 May 2014
Published date: 29 June 2014
Pp. 12–20, Pls. 3–7.

A NEW CRYPTIC SPECIES OF GECKO OF THE GENUS Hemidactylus Oken, 1817 (REPTILIA: GEKKONIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN INDIA

Zeeshan A. Mirza & Rajesh V. Sanap
*Corresponding author. E-mail: zeeshanm@ncbs.res.in

Abstract
A new species of gecko superficially resembling Hemidactylus maculatus is described from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Hemidactylus acanthopholis sp. nov. is a large sized Hemidactylus, SVL at least 91.7mm. Dorsal scalation on trunk granular, intermixed with enlarged, fairly regularly arranged longitudinal rows of 18–20 trihedral, moderately keeled, striated tubercles of equal size on dorso-lateral aspect, 2–3 rows of tubercles on mid-dorsal smaller in size, approximately two dorsal granular scales wide. Two large rounded and one small internasal between nasals. Two pairs of postmentals, anterior pair is twice as long and wide as the posterior pair. Scales on ventral trunk arranged in 35–40 rows. Lamellae divided, 9, 11, 10, 10, 10 on manus, and 10, 12, 12, 12, 12 on pes respectively on digits I–V. Caudal pholidosis on dorsal aspect, consist of small, striated scales intermixed with large rounded un-keeled tubercles, scales sub-equal throughout and a series of large eight enlarged, moderately keeled and weakly striated and flattened tubercles in a whorl on each caudal segment. Femoral pores, 19–21 on each side separated medially by 13–14 pore-less scales.

Key words : biogeography, Hemidactylus maculatus, species-complex, taxonomy, Western Ghats

Section Editor: Stephen Mahony