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Tuesday, February 4th, 2025
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| 8:04a | [Herpetology • 2025] Leptophis mystacinus • A New Species of Parrot Snake, Leptophis (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Brazilian Cerrado
Abstract We describe a new species of Leptophis (parrot snake) from the Cerrado ecoregion of Brazil. The new species, L. mystacinus sp. nov., differs from all other congeners in the following unique character combination: two Spectrum Green (129) to Light Parrot Green (133) dorsolateral stripes separated by a Buff (5) vertebral stripe, usually continuous onto the tail; loreal scale absent; postocular stripe Jet Black (300), wide and long (up 11 scales long onto nuchal region); maxillary teeth 21–25; ventrals 158–173; subcaudals 141–164; black spots on head absent; supracephalic plates of head not edged with black pigment; adult color pattern lacking dark oblique bands; keels absent on first dorsal scale rows; hemipenis unilobed, noncapitate, with undivided sulcus spermaticus, and first row of hemipenial body with four spines. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S mtDNA sequences indicate the new species is the sister taxon of L. dibernardoi, a species occurring in the neighboring Caatinga ecoregion.
Leptophis mystacinus sp. nov. Diagnosis: Leptophis mystacinus sp. nov. can be distinguished from all currently recognized congeners by a unique combination of the following characters: two Spectrum Green (129) to Light Parrot Green (133) (Sky Blue (167) in preservative) dorsolateral stripes (2–4 scales wide, at least anteriorly) separated by a Buff (5) (Light Sky Blue (191) in preservative) vertebral stripe (1–1.5 scales wide), usually continuous onto the tail (occasionally indistinct on posterior third of tail); dorsal scale rows below the lateral stripes usually Dark Spectrum Yellow (78) (Sky Blue (167) in preservative); loreal scale absent; postocular stripe Jet Black (300), wide (extending to lower postocular, lower half to two-thirds of anterior temporal, one-third to lower half of lower posterior temporal, upper edges of last three supralabials) and long (up 11 scales long onto nuchal region); anterior to orbit, stripe reduced to black margin of supralabials 1–3 or 1–4, posterior lower edge and anterior upper edge of nasal and upper edge of rostral scale. Ventral surfaces of head, trunk, and tail white to Smoky White (261). Maxillary teeth 21–25; ventrals 158–166 in males, 158–173 in females; subcaudals 153–164 in males, 141–158 in females. Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Greek mystax (transliteration of μύσταξ), meaning ‘upper lip’ or ‘mustache’, and the Latin suffix -inus, denoting ‘likeness’ or ‘belonging to’. The black pigmentation covering the rostral scale of Leptophis mystacinus is distinct in most individuals, giving the appearance of a mustache.
Nelson R. Albuquerque, Roullien H. Martins, Priscila S. Carvalho, Donald B. Shepard and Diego J. Santana. 2025. A New Species of Parrot Snake, Leptophis (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Brazilian Cerrado. PeerJ. 13:e18528. DOI: doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18528 x.com/DiegoJSantana/status/1885068476785602850  | ||||||||
| 10:20a | [Herpetology • 2025] Hemidactylus amarasinghei • A New tuberculate House gecko Species (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Hemidactylus) from the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India
Abstract A new species of Hemidactylus is described from the high elevations of rocky landscapes at Chalkewadi Plateau in the northern Western Ghats of India. Based on phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial ND2 gene, the new species is a member of the H. murrayi clade within the H. brookii group. Morphological analysis also revealed diagnostic characters distinguishing it from its sister species, H. varadgirii. The species is medium-sized (SVL up to 54.3 mm), with 10–11 supralabials, 9–10 infralabials, canthal region with 18–21 scales on both sides, supraciliaries separated by 21–22 scales at mid-orbit, dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous, having 15–16 rows of tubercles across the midbody, 28–31 paravertebral tubercles between pelvic and pectoral limb insertions, midsagittal ventral scales 135–147, and 30–31 scales across the belly between the lowest rows of dorsal scales at midbody. Males have 7–9 femoral pores on each side, with six or seven poreless scales in between, and there are 7–8 lamellae beneath toe IV. Reptilia, Hemidactylus brookii, taxonomy, ND2 gene, house gecko, reptiles, northern Western Ghats, systematics  Hemidactylus amarasinghei Amarasinghe's house gecko Amit SAYYED, Ruhal KHOT and Jajaditya PURKAYASTHA. 2025. A New tuberculate House gecko Species (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Hemidactylus) from the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Zootaxa. 5583(2); 293-308. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5583.2.4 | ||||||||
| 10:25a | [Herpetology • 2025] Oedura atra • A New Species of Velvet Gecko (Reptilia: Diplodactylidae: Oedura) from basalt habitat of inland north Queensland, Australia
Abstract Many Oedura geckos are saxicoline, and a number of these species are restricted to outcropping of a particular rock type. Most commonly this is sandstone, but some species primarily occur on other rock types, such as granite or limestone. There are few areas of extensive basalt outcropping in Australia, and these are typically of young age. Here I describe a new species of Oedura discovered in the Sturgeon Basalt outcropping of inland north-east Queensland, an extensive outcropping of deep age. Oedura atra sp. nov. is readily distinguished from congeners by its relatively dark colouration, with pattern restricted to narrow, pale bands, and other morphological features such as a short, broad tail, and a relatively wide head. It is genetically divergent from, but allied to, several Oedura species in inland north Queensland, with the ND4 mtDNA phylogeny suggesting closest relationship to O. argentea Hoskin, Zozaya & Vanderduys, 2018. Oedura atra sp. nov. appears to be restricted to basalt rocks and is only known from a localised area. However, it is likely to be more widely distributed along the extensive basalt outcropping in this region. Oedura atra sp. nov. best fits a conservation status of Data Deficient, pending further surveys and assessment of potential threats. Reptilia, colour pattern, Oedura argentea, Oedura atra sp. nov., saxicoline, Sturgeon Basalt
Oedura atra sp. nov. Basalt Velvet Gecko Diagnosis. Oedura atra sp. nov. is a medium-sized Oedura with a body pattern of narrow, pale bands on a dark background; a tail that is relatively short (original TL/SVL 0.55–0.58; regrown TL/SVL 0.46–0.47) and wide (original TW/TL 0.24–0.30; regrown TW/TL 0.34–0.35); a relatively wide head (HW/SVL 0.20–0.21); a pale nuchal band that is narrowly continuous with the pale line along the mouth to the snout; a single cloacal spur on each side; a dark brown/copper iris; and a rostral scale only partially divided by a medial vertical groove. Etymology. From the Latin adjective atra, meaning black or dark, in reference to the dark colouration of this species. The name is used here as an adjective.
Conrad J. HOSKIN. 2025. A New Species of Velvet Gecko (Diplodactylidae: Oedura) from basalt habitat of inland north Queensland, Australia. Zootaxa. 5583(3); 549-559. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5583.3.7 | ||||||||
| 10:42a | [Mammalogy • 2023] Rattus halmaheraensis, R. obiensis, etc. • Review of Moluccan Rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) with Description of Four New Species
Abstract Four new species of Rattus are described from the Moluccan islands (Maluku) of Indonesia: Rattus taliabuensis and R. feileri, both from the island of Taliabu, and R. halmaheraensis and R. obiensis from the islands of Halmahera and Obi, respectively. These descriptions are presented as part of a taxonomic review of Moluccan Rattus based on all known specimens in museum collections worldwide. Morphological characters, molecular systematics, and geographical distributions are documented for each of these species. Using both morpho-anatomical and morphometric approaches, we found that the Maluku Islands support Rattus taxa with spiny fur and two distinct morphotypes (1) species with a long tail and short rostrum (R. morotaiensis, R. halmaheraensis, R. obiensis, R. feileri) and (2) species with a short tail and long rostrum (R. taliabuensis, R. feliceus, R. ceramicus, R. elaphinus). Most of the new Moluccan species belong to a clade that includes members of the R. xanthurus species group from Sulawesi and the Australo-Papuan Rattus lineages. Their phylogenetic relationships highlight the role of Wallacea as an important area for diversification of Rattus into the Australo-Papuan region. Finally, the morphologically distinctive taxon Nesoromys ceramicus from Seram was found to be sister species to R. feliceus, and we relegate Nesoromys into the synonymy of the genus Rattus. The close affinities between R. ceramicus and R. feliceus may be an example of in situ island speciation, which has not been observed for small mammals on other Maluku Islands. Keywords: biodiversity, biogeography, Maluku, molecular systematics, morphology, Murinae, Rattini, Wallacea
Pierre-Henri Fabre; Roberto Portela Miguez; Mary Ellen Holden; Yuli S. Fitriana; Gono Semiadi; Guy G. Musser and Kristofer M. Helgen. 2023. Review of Moluccan Rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) with Description of Four New Species. Records of the Australian Museum. 75(5): 673–718. DOI: doi.org/10.3853/j.2201-4349.75.2023.1783 x.com/ArloHinckley/status/1735385182361026951 Abstrak [Bahasa Indonesia]. Empat spesies baru Rattus dideskripsi dari Kepulauan Maluku, yaitu Rattus taliabuensis dan R. feileri dari Pulau Taliabu, R. halmaheraensis dan R. obiensis masing-masing dari Pulau Halmahera dan Pulau Obi. Deskripsi spesies baru tersebut merupakan bagian dari reviu taksonomi Rattus dari Maluku berdasarkan semua spesimen yang ada di seluruh koleksi museum dunia. Selain spesies baru, juga didokumentasikan karakter morfologi, sistematika molekuler dan persebaran geografis Rattus dari Maluku. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan morfo-anatomi dan morfometri, kami menemukan bahwa Maluku memiliki taksa Rattus dengan rambut duri dan dua morfotipe yang berbeda yaitu (1) berekor panjang dan moncong pendek (R. morotaiensis, R. halmaheraensis, R. obiensis, R. feileri) atau (2) berekor pendek dan moncong panjang (R. taliabuensis, R. feliceus, R. ceramicus, R. elaphinus). Semua spesies baru dari Maluku termasuk dalam satu kelompok anggota R. xanthurus-group dari garis keturunan Rattus Sulawesi dan Australo-Papua. Hubungan kekerabatan mereka menunjukkan peran Wallacea sebagai jalur kolonisasi Rattus menuju ke kawasan Australo-Papua. Terakhir, Nesoromys ceramicus dari Seram yang secara morfologis berbeda, diketahui merupakan sister spesies dari R. feliceus. Oleh karena itu, kami mengusulkan agar genus Nesoromys ditempatkan di dalam genus Rattus. Kedekatan antara R. ceramicus dan R. feliceus kemungkinan merupakan contoh dari spesiasi pulau in situ, yang belum pernah diamati pada mamalia kecil di pulau-pulau lain di Maluku |
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