DNA barcoding reveals distinct population of (Squamata: Anguidae) in Mizoram, Northeast India.

The DNA barcode data of Asian Glass Lizard, , is limited in the global database, especially from India. The present study aimed to generate a barcode sequence of morphologically identified from the Mizoram state in northeast India and compared with other Anguidae species. The studied species showed monophyletic clustering in the Bayesian analysis (BA) phylogeny with strong posterior probability support and also discriminated sufficient Kimura 2 parameter genetic distances. The barcode data of revealed high intra-species genetic variability and formed two clusters in BA phylogeny. The Templeton, Crandall, and Sing network also depicted four different haplotypes within the barcode sequences of . The DNA sequences generated from northeast India showed 6.5-6.6% and 7.3% genetic distances with the sequences generated from Yunnan Province and Tibetan Plateau, respectively. Considering the high genetic distances, multiple clustering, and distinct haplotypes, the present study assumed the presence of possible cryptic diversity of in the Indochina sub-region and a distinct population in northeast India. We recommended the generation of more DNA information from different localities to elucidate the actual diversity of within the known range distribution.