Cyrtodactylus shivalikensis, Bhardwaj & Purkayastha & Lalremsanga & Mirza, 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5665.2.3 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4645D99B-56E3-4DA1-8E6C-E49DBFAAFE47 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/282B87B6-D94E-AA36-45D6-FA1FFC1BFE09 |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Cyrtodactylus shivalikensis |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Cyrtodactylus shivalikensis sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:30F4BE96-E7BE-402B-9AAF-0F1EBA20DB88
Figs. 2–5 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 , Table 2
Holotype: adult male BNHS 3341 View Materials from rocky outcrops near Balda , Reasi District, Jammu and Kashmir, India (33.129611° N, 74.830222° E, elevation 1185m asl), collected by Virender K. Bhardwaj and Zeeshan A. Mirza, 8 May 2024. GoogleMaps
Paratypes (n=3): two adult males BNHS 3342-3343 View Materials and an adult female BNHS 3344 View Materials collected from the same locality and date by Atish Gawai, Kunal Purandare and Sunil Katal .
Diagnosis: A medium-sized Cyrtodactylus with SVL range 58–72.2 mm. Supralabials 9–11 and 8–10 IL, 40–43 MVSR in males, 30 in the sole female. Dorsal scales heterogeneous, granular scales intermixed with 14–16 rows of feebly keeled dorsal tubercles. Paravertebral tubercles 22–32. Precloacal pores 6 in males, absent in females. Femoral pores absent in males as well as females. Dorsum with three broad bands between the forelimb and hindlimb insertions.
The new species is here compared with members of the C. lawderanus group for non-overlapping characters that may be used for diagnosing the new species: PcP 6 in males (8–10 PcP in C. battalensis , 5 in C. chamba , 9–10 in C. dattanensis, ( Khan, 1980) , 4 in C. tibetanus and C. zhaoermii ); dorsal scales heterogeneous with keeled conical tubercles in 14–16 rows, 10 granular scales around each tubercle (versus homogeneous in C. chamba , 11–15 tubercle rows with flattened tubercles surrounded by 7–8 granular scales in C. lawderanus ), dorsum with three broad bands between the forelimb and hindlimb insertions (versus 5–6 in C. chamba , C. lawderanus , C. himalayanus ), HW/HL 0.60–0.68 (versus 0.67–0.71 in C. chamba , 0.71–0.76 in C. himalayanus ).
Etymology: The new species is named after the Shivalik Hills, which form the outer fringe of the Himalayas, from where the new species was collected.
Description of male holotype BNHS 3341 ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ): The holotype is well-preserved, with a curled tail ( Fig. 2a View FIGURE 2 ). The specimen displays a scar from an injury on its right shoulder ( Fig. 2b View FIGURE 2 ).
An adult male with a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 58.7 mm. The head constitutes approximately one-third of the SVL (HL/SVL ratio 0.31), is longer than wide (HW/HL ratio 0.60), and slightly depressed (HH/HW ratio 0.62), distinct from the neck. The loreal region is without inflation, and the interorbital area is flat, with an inconspicuous canthus rostralis ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ). The snout accounts for nearly one-third of the head length (SE/HL ratio 0.36) and is slightly less than twice the orbital diameter (OD/SE ratio 0.56). Scales on the forehead, snout, and loreal region are heterogeneous, flat, and juxtaposed, with larger scales along the canthus rostralis, largest, slightly raised near the eyes ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ). The interorbital region is covered with granular scales interspersed with slightly enlarged rounded tubercles. In contrast, the occipital and temporal regions have smaller granules mixed with scattered, larger rounded tubercles. The eye occupies about one-fifth of the head length (OD/HL ratio 0.20) and features a vertical pupil with crenellated margins. Supraciliaries are largest above the anterior to one-third of the orbit and decrease in size posteriorly. The ear opening is oval and obliquely aligned ( Fig. 3c View FIGURE 3 ), with the eye-to-ear distance exceeding the eye diameter (OD/EE ratio 0.84). The rostral scale is wider than deep, partially divided dorsally to form a shallow cleft, bordered posteriorly by a pair of large supranasals and two smaller internasals. The rostral contacts the first supralabial, supranasals, and an internasal. The nostrils are semi-circular, laterally oriented, and partly covered by a nasal pad, each in contact with the rostral, supranasals, supralabial, and two postnasals. Three to four scale rows separate the orbit from the supralabials ( Fig. 3b View FIGURE 3 ). The mental scale is triangular, broader than long, flanked by three pairs of postmentals (an additional enlarged scale on the right side). The inner pair is the longest and in broad contact behind the mental, bordered by the first infralabial, second postmental, and small gular scales ( Fig. 3b View FIGURE 3 ). Supralabials 11/11, bordered from SL I to SL VI by a row of elongated scales. Infralabials 10/10, with IL III to IL VIII bordered by 2–3 rows of enlarged, elongated scales. The narrowest interorbital width spans approximately 38 scale rows.
The trunk is slightly less than half the SVL (TRL/SVL ratio 0.47) and exhibits ventrolateral folds. Dorsal scales are heterogeneous, comprising small, rounded granules intermixed with tubercles that are not arranged in a defined manner; these tubercles and are enlarged, bluntly conical are feebly keeled. Tubercles extend from the interorbital region to the proximal one-fourth of the tail, being smaller on the head and nape. Tubercles on the head and nape are surrounded by 7–9 smaller granules; those on the body by 10. On the anterior portion of the tail, larger, elongated, and weakly pointed tubercles are present, more circular near the base. There are about 15 longitudinal rows of tubercles at the mid-body, and 27 tubercles in the paravertebral row from the occiput to the mid-sacrum. Larger, elongated and weakly pointed tubercles are arranged in six rows on the anterior part of the tail, which gradually reduce towards the posterior end. Ventral scales are smooth, larger, and imbricate around the mid-axis, transitioning to smaller, subimbricate scales toward the periphery. The mid-body ventral region contains 40 scale rows. Gular scales are granular, except for 2–3 rows of larger, elongated scales adjacent to the postmentals and infralabials. The precloacal region includes six continuous precloacal pores arranged at an obtuse angle, with four rows of enlarged scales separating the pore-bearing row from the vent. No femoral pores or precloacal grooves are present. A prominent hemipenial bulge is visible. Limbs are slender, with relatively short forearms (FL/SVL ratio 0.15) and crus (CL/SVL ratio 0.17). Digits are short and strongly angled at joints, equipped with robust recurved claws. Subdigital lamellae are widened beneath the basal phalanx, with counts as follows: 13(3)-14(4)-18(5)-17(5)-14(4) (right manus) and 14(3)-15(5)-19(7)-21(8)-21(7) (right pes). Interdigital webbing is absent. The relative lengths of the digits are as follows (measurements in mm in parentheses): I (3) <II (3.7) <V(3.8) <III (4.4) <IV (4.6) on the right manus, and I (2.3) <II (4.1) <III (5) <IV (5.2) <V (5.9) on the right pes. The scales on the palm of the manus and the sole of the pes are smooth, rounded, and smaller compared to those on the ventral surface of the forelimb and hindlimb. The forelimb scales are heterogeneous; enlarged tubercles present, upper arm and anterior forearm are covered with weakly pointed, smooth subimbricate scales, while the other regions contain granular scales. The ventral surface of the forelimb is covered with smaller granular scales. The hindlimb scales are also heterogeneous, with enlarged tubercles present. These tubercles are denser on the shank than on the thigh, intermixed with smaller granular scales. The ventral surface of the hindlimbs is covered with smooth, imbricate scales.
The tail is original, rounded, and tapering, with no distinct median furrow. The dorsal scales at the tail’s base are granular, intermixed with larger tubercles. These scales gradually flatten and become subimbricate posteriorly, with elongate, weakly pointed tubercles present up to about one-fourth of the tail's length. The ventral scales are larger than the dorsal, imbricate, and have a median row with irregularly enlarged subcaudal scales along the midline, largest in the anterior half. Two sub-conical postcloacal spurs are present.
Colouration in preservative ( Figs. 2a & 2b View FIGURE 2 ): Background in a shade of peach with a tinge of brown. The animal bears brown blotches on the head, a broad post-ocular stripe that runs along the supra-tympanic region and unites at the neck, forming a loop. The dorsum bears four broad brown bands that are edged with black, and the interspaces have brown blotches placed irregularly in a transverse plane. The first band is at the intersection of the forelimbs, and the last one is at the intersection of the hindlimbs. These bands gradually reduce in their widths and cover the entire tail up to the tip (10 bands). The legs bear brown blotches that do not form distinct patterns. The venter is off-white to cream-coloured, lacking markings. The ventral aspect of the tail bears diffuse brown markings.
C olouration in life ( Fig. 5a View FIGURE 5 ): The markings, as described in the preserved state, are more prominent and vivid. The background colour is a shade of lilac with a brown tinge. The posterior border of the broad band on the forelimb intersection is bright yellow, as are some of the dorsal tubercles. The supraciliaries are distinctly yellow. The background colour on the tail is a shade of tan.
Variation: The male paratype agrees with the holotype in most respects, and mensural and meristic differences are presented in Table 2. The female paratype bears a greater number of broken bands on the trunk than the holotype.
Natural History and Distribution: The type specimens were found actively moving on rocky cliffs in and around Balda on the west bank of the Chenab River. The species was found in sympatry with Cyrtopodion mansarulus (Duda & Sahi) and Eublepharis cf. afghanicus Börner (Mirza 2024). Currently, the species is known only from the type locality. However, a similar biotope spans the neighbouring districts of Jammu & Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, suggesting that the species may be found there too ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 ). The new species’ habitat is degraded and lies outside a protected area. The rocky habitat that the species inhabits was cleared for road widening and construction in several areas around the type locality.
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