Karunarathna Suranjan, Bauer Aaron M, De Silva Anslem, Surasinghe Thilina, Somaratna Lankani, Madawala Majintha, Gabadage Dinesh, Botejue Madhava, Henkanaththegedara Sujan, Ukuwela Kanishka D B
Nature Explorations and Education Team, No: B-1 / G-6, De Soysapura Flats, Moratuwa 10400, Sri Lanka.
Zootaxa. 2019 Jan 17;4545(3):389-407. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4545.3.4.
A new species of Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 is described from Nilgala Savannah Forest in Sri Lanka. The new species is diagnosed from all other congeners by the following suite of characters: small body size (SVL< 33 mm), dorsal scales on trunk homogeneous, one pair of post mentals separated by a single small chin scale, ventral scales on trunk smooth, subimbricate, 17-19 scales across the belly. Subdigitals scansors smooth, entire, unnotched; lamellae under digit IV of pes 17 -18. Males with femoral pores on each thigh but lacking precloacal pores. Median row of subcaudals smooth, subimbricate, enlarged and in an irregular series of subhexagonal scales. This new species had been previously confused with Cnemaspis alwisi Wickramasinghe Munidradasa, 2007. The new species differs from Cnemaspis alwisi by having 122-129 ventral scales (versus 146-152), 7-8 supralabials (versus 8-10), and relatively shorter SVL ranging between 31.5-32.9 mm (versus 37.8-39.9 mm). Further, the new species is genetically divergent from Cnemaspis alwisi, the species that it closely resembles by 13.5% and 7.8% from its sister species in the ND2 gene. The present discovery highlights the need for dedicated herpetofaunal explorations in Sri Lanka, especially the intermediate bioclimatic zone and associated cave systems and rock outcrops.
1887年描述的一种新的锯尾蜥属（Cnemaspis Strauch）物种来自斯里兰卡的尼尔加拉热带草原森林。该新物种通过以下一系列特征与所有其他同属物种相区分：体型小（体长小于33毫米），躯干背部鳞片均匀一致，一对颏后片被一枚小的颏下鳞片隔开，躯干腹面鳞片平滑、覆瓦状排列，腹部有17至19排鳞片。指下瓣平滑、完整、无缺刻；第四趾下瓣17至18枚。雄性每条大腿上有股孔，但无泄殖腔前孔。尾下正中一排鳞片平滑、覆瓦状排列，增大且呈不规则的亚六边形系列。该新物种此前曾与2007年的阿尔维斯锯尾蜥（Cnemaspis alwisi Wickramasinghe Munidradasa）混淆。新物种与阿尔维斯锯尾蜥的区别在于有122至129枚腹面鳞片（相比之下为146至152枚）、7至8枚上唇鳞（相比之下为8至10枚），且相对较短的体长在31.5至32.9毫米之间（相比之下为37.8至39.9毫米）。此外，新物种在基因上与阿尔维斯锯尾蜥不同，它与阿尔维斯锯尾蜥极为相似，在ND2基因上与其姐妹物种的差异分别为13.5%和7.8%。本发现凸显了在斯里兰卡进行专门的爬行动物区系探索的必要性，特别是在中间生物气候带以及相关的洞穴系统和岩石露头地区。
