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A new species of insular pitviper of the genus Cryptelytrops (Squamata: Viperidae) from southern Vietnam
Abstract
We describe a new species of pitviper Cryptelytrops honsonensis sp. nov. from Hon Son Island in Rach Gia Bay, Kien Giang Province of southern Vietnam based on it having unique aspects of scalation, body proportions, and color pattern. It is similar to C. venustus in morphology and color pattern and the putative close relationship between these species would corroborate a biogeographical link across southern Indochina seen in a number of other taxa. The presence of this newly discovered insular endemic in Rach Gia Bay and other insular endemics of Rach Gia Bay addressed herein, underscores the understudied nature of these islands and the need for their continued conservation.
... This latter species belongs to the complex of species of Trimeresurus kanburiensis Smith, 1943, which currently includes four species from Southeast Asia, namely: T. ciliaris Idiiatullina, Pawangkhanant, Tawan, Worranuch, Dechochai, Suwannapoom, Nguyen, Chanhome & Poyarkov, 2023, T. kanburiensis, T. kuiburi Sumontha, Suntrarachun, Pauwels, Pawangkhanant, Chomngam, Iamwiriyakul & Chanhome, 2021, and T. venustus Vogel, 1991. Based on molecular phylogenies, the recent papers by Mirza et al. (2023) and Idiiatullina et al. (2023) demonstrated that the complex of T. kanburiensis forms a distinct clade in the subgenus Trimeresurus together with the complex of Trimeresurus macrops, which currently includes four species, namely: T. cardamomensis (Malhotra, Thorpe, Mrinalini & Stuart, 2011), T. honsonensis (Grismer, Ngo & Grismer, 2008), T. macrops Kramer, 1977 and T. rubeus (Malhotra, Thorpe, Mrinalini & Stuart, 2011). The systematic status of this clade will be discussed elsewhere in the frame of a revision of the whole complex of Trimeresurus s. lat., namely in including other subgenera recognized by Mirza et al. (2023) and Idiiatullina et al. (2023). ...
... Among the other species of the subgenus Trimeresurus, the new species can be readily distinguished from T. albolabris Gray, 1842, T. andersonii Theobald, 1868, T. cantori (Blyth, 1846, T. cardamomensis (Malhotra, Thorpe, Mrinalini & Stuart, 2011), T. caudornatus Chen, Ding, Vogel & Shi, 2020, T. davidi Chandramouli, Campbell & Vogel, 2020, T. erythrurus (Cantor, 1839, T. fasciatus (Boulenger, 1896), T. guoi Chen, Shi, Vogel & Ding, 2021, T. honsonensis (Grismer, Ngo & Grismer, 2008), T. insularis Kramer, 1977, T. labialis (Fitzinger in Steindachner, 1867), T. macrops Kramer, 1977, T. mutabilis Stoliczka, 1870, T. purpureomaculatus (Gray, 1832, T. rubeus (Malhotra, Thorpe, Mrinalini & Stuart, 2011), T. salazar Mirza, Bhosale, Phansalkar, Sawant, Gowande &Patel, 2020, andT. septentrionalis Kramer, 1977 by dorsal colouration and pattern (reddish-brown or purple dorsal blotches on olive-green or bottle-green background in the new species vs uniform green or green colouration with no pattern or pattern consisting of small brownish spots or speckles in other species, or straw-yellow background with irregular, dark-brown transverse body bands in T. honsonensis). ...
... septentrionalis Kramer, 1977 by dorsal colouration and pattern (reddish-brown or purple dorsal blotches on olive-green or bottle-green background in the new species vs uniform green or green colouration with no pattern or pattern consisting of small brownish spots or speckles in other species, or straw-yellow background with irregular, dark-brown transverse body bands in T. honsonensis). Moreover, by having 21 MSR, the new species can be further separated from T. cantori (27,29 or 31 MSR), T. erythrurus (23 rarely 21, 25 MSR), and T. purpureomaculatus (25 rarely 27, 29 MSR) (see Gumprecht et al. 2004;Grismer et al. 2008;Malhotra et al. 2011;Chandramouli et al. 2020;Chen et al. 2020Chen et al. , 2021Mirza et al. 2020; our data). ...
We describe a new species of karst-dwelling pitviper from Chumphon Province of Peninsular Thailand, in the Isthmus of Kra, based on morphological and molecular data (2427 bp from cyt b, ND4 and 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA genes). Morphologically, Trimeresurus kraensis sp. nov. is distinguished from other congeners by the following combination of morphological characters: a dark/bottle-green dorsum with reddish-brown or purple crossbands; pale green venter lacking dark dots; stripes present on the lateral sides of the ventrals; internasals generally in contact; one large supraocular scale on each side of the head; iris pale copper; tail brown with dark purplish-brown crossbars; dorsal scales in 21–21–15 rows; ventral scales 167 in a single male, 169–171 in females; subcaudal scales 62 in a single male, 52–54 in females, all paired. White vertebral spots present in males, located on approximately every two or four dorsal scales; dark brown spots forming discontinuous pattern present on 1–3 lateral dorsal scale rows; males with reddish-brown postocular stripe with jagged edges. The new species differs from the morphologically similar species Trimeresurus venustus s. str. by a notable divergence in cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA gene sequences (p = 5.9%).
... Among these species, Trimeresurus kuiburi sp. nov. is readily distinguished from the widespread Trimeresurus albolabris, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands endemic T. andersonii, the Nicobar Archipelago endemics T. cantori, T. davidi, T. labialis and T. mutabilis, the Cardamom Mounts endemic T. cardamomensis, the Chinese T. caudornatus, the Indo-Burmese T. erythrurus, the Indonesian Tanahdjampea Island endemic T. fasciatus, the widespread T. guoi, the Vietnamese Hon Son Island endemic T. honsonensis, the Indonesian T. insularis, the Southeast Asian T. macrops, the southern Vietnamese-Cambodian T. rubeus, the Indian T. salazar and the Himalayan T. septentrionalis by its dorsal pattern made of purple-red bands on a green background (David & Vogel 2000;David et al. 2003;Grismer et al. 2008;Malhotra et al. 2011;Vogel et al. 2014;Chandramouli et al. 2020;Chen et al. 2020 a-b;Mirza et al. 2020). Its 19 MSR further separate it from Trimeresurus andersonii (21 MSR), T. cantori (27,29 Compared to all members of the Cryptelytrops group, Trimeresurus kuiburi sp. ...
... nov. Khao Sam Roi Yot massif can be regarded as a habitat-island, and our present discovery of a micro-endemic species reinforces the already high proportion of island and habitat-island endemics in the Cryptelytrops group, as noted by Grismer et al. (2008). The largest part of the distribution of Trimeresurus kuiburi sp. ...
... nov., are patchily distributed in various isolated massifs in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, including a population in Perlis State Park (referred to as Cryptelytrops cf. venustus by Chan et al. 2011) and an insular population on Pulau Langkawi (Grismer et al. 2006(Grismer et al. , 2008Visser 2015: Fig. 609;Quah & Shahrul 2018). They are known only through photographs or isolated individuals, but were never morphologically assessed or compared in detail. ...
We describe a colorful and distinctively patterned, karst-dwelling pitviper, Trimeresurus kuiburi sp. nov., from the isolated, coastal massif of Khao Sam Roi Yot in Kui Buri District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, in northern Peninsular Thailand. The new species, member of the ‘Cryptelytrops group’ sensu Malhotra & Thorpe (2004) and morphologically and genetically allied to Trimeresurus kanburiensis and T. venustus, differs from all pitviper taxa by a combination of
red/purple bands on a green dorsum; a white concave suborbital stripe in males (straight and less visible in females); white, spaced vertebral dots in males (absent in females); pale green belly lacking dark dots or stripe on the lateral sides of the ventrals; partially fused first supralabial and nasal scale; 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody; 164–171 ventrals; 63–65 subcaudals in males, 51–53 in females; maximal known SVL of 451 mm; and long, papillose hemipenes.
... Although Indochina's Northern and Southern Islands have been visited more than average per km 2 when compared to the rest of the region, their insular nature suggests that further surveying is required. Only 13 of the more than 70 islands have been visited to date and multiple surveys have only been conducted on the largest formations: Con Dao, Phu Quoc, and Cat Ba (Smith, 1920;Grismer and Ngo, 2007;Ziegler et al., 2008c;Grismer et al., 2008cGrismer et al., , 2010b. Recent descriptions of a gekko in the Northern Islands, as well as gekkonids and a viperid in Rach Gia Bay off southern Vietnam suggest that these areas are not only under-surveyed, but potentially harbor endemic species (Grismer and Ngo, 2007;Ziegler et al., 2008c;Grismer et al., 2008cGrismer et al., , 2010b. ...
... Only 13 of the more than 70 islands have been visited to date and multiple surveys have only been conducted on the largest formations: Con Dao, Phu Quoc, and Cat Ba (Smith, 1920;Grismer and Ngo, 2007;Ziegler et al., 2008c;Grismer et al., 2008cGrismer et al., , 2010b. Recent descriptions of a gekko in the Northern Islands, as well as gekkonids and a viperid in Rach Gia Bay off southern Vietnam suggest that these areas are not only under-surveyed, but potentially harbor endemic species (Grismer and Ngo, 2007;Ziegler et al., 2008c;Grismer et al., 2008cGrismer et al., , 2010b. Given the lack of permanent and diverse freshwater sources, it is unlikely that future surveys will record many more amphibian or freshwater turtle species from these areas. ...
... Gekko palmatus Bobrov, 1993a,b;Bourret, 1937a;Ota et al., 1995;Ziegler et al., 2006bGekko petricolus Stuart, 1999Gekko scientiadventura Rö sler et al., 2005Gekko russelltraini Ngo et al., 2009Gekko takouensis Ngo and Gamble, 2010Gekko vietnamensis Nguyen, 2010Goniurosaurus araneus Grismer et al., 1999Goniurosaurus catbaensis Ziegler et al., 2008dGoniurosaurus huulienensis Orlov et al., 2008bGoniurosaurus lichtenfelderi Bobrov, 1993aOrlov and Darevsky1999;Orlov et al., 2008bGoniurosaurus luii Grismer et al., 1999Vu et al., 2006Hemidactylus bowringii Bobrov, 1992aZiegler and Weitkus, 1999bHemidactylus frenatus Bobrov, 1992a,b, 2003bBobrov and Ho, 1993;Grismer et al., , 2008cSchmidt, 1928;Semenov, 2001;Szczerbak and Nekrasova, 1994;Teynie et al., 2004;Vassilyev, 2003;Weitkus, 1999b Hemidactylus garnotii Smith, 1935;Herrmann, 2000 Hemidactylus karenorum Ziegler andHerrmann, 2000;Ziegler et al., 2006b, indicate that the record from Vietnam is questionable Hemidactylus platyurus Bobrov, 1992aBourret, 1944;Grismer et al., , 2008bSzczerbak and Nekrasova, 1994;Teynie et al., 2004;Hemidactylus stejnegeri Darevsky, 1999Hemidactylus vietnamensis Bobrov, 1993aDarevsky et al., 1984Hemiphyllodactylus typus Bobrov, 1993aBobrov and Ho, 1993;Bourret, 1944;Vassilyev, 2003Hemiphyllodactylus yunnanensis Smith, 1935Lepidodactylus lugubris Darevsky, 1999Ptychozoon lionotum Bobrov, 1993aEmmett, 2006 Ptychozoon trinotaterra Brown, 1999 Lacertidae Takydromus hani Chou et al., 2001;Ziegler et al., 2006bTakydromus kuehnei Bobrov, 1993aHerrmann, 2000 Takydromus sexlineatus Angel, 1929;Bobrov, 1992aBobrov, ,b, 2003aBourret, 1937aGrismer et al., 2008b;Teynie et al., 2004; Scincidae Ateuchosaurus chinensis Dasia olivacea Bobrov, 1993aEmmett, 2006 Emoia atrocostata Bobrov, 1993a;Bourret, 1937a;Brown, 1991Emoia laobaoensis Bourret, 1937aBrown, 1991Eutropis chapaense Bourret, 1937aEutropis darevskii Bobrov, 1992b B ...
Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) houses over 600 species of amphibians and
reptiles, roughly a quarter of which has been described within the last 15 years. Herein, we
undertake the first biogeographic synthesis of the regional herpetofauna since the first half of the
20th century. We review the literature to measure and map species richness and endemism, the
contributions of regional faunas, and ecological characteristics of Indochina’s amphibians
(Anura, Caudata), and reptiles (Serpentes, Sauria, Testudines, Crocodylia). Dividing Indochina
into 19 subregions defined by topography and geology, we estimate the similarity among the
regional faunas and appraise the effects of area and survey effort on these comparative analyses.
Variation in species composition is broadly correlated with topography, habitat complexity,
and proximity to regions outside Indochina. Indochina’s herpetofauna is dominated (in
decreasing order) by endemic species, widely distributed species, a South China fauna, and a
biota centered in Thailand and Myanmar. Species richness is highest in amphibians and snakes,
and peaks in upland forests. Endemism, highest among amphibians and lizards, also peaks in
forests of the region’s northern uplands and Annamite Range. Endemic species occupy a
narrower range of habitats than nonendemics. Patterns of richness and endemism are partially
explained by ecological constraints: amphibians and lizards are more restricted to forests than
snakes, turtles, and crocodiles; amphibians are more restricted to uplands, turtles to lowlands.
We also assess biogeography in the context of Indochina’s geology, climate, and land cover.
In northern Indochina, the Red River either acts as or coincides with an apparent dispersal
barrier. Herpetofauna in northeastern upland areas are closely allied with fauna of southeastern
China. In southern Indochina there is little evidence that the Mekong River represents a
biogeographic barrier to the regional herpetofauna. The Annamite Range is composed of at
least three distinct units and its elevated species richness and endemism are also noted in
adjacent lowlands. Contribution of subtropical biota to Indochina’s fauna is significantly
greater than that of tropical biota and there is little other evidence for intermixing at
intermediate latitudes.
Our results have implications for biogeography and conservation efforts, although they must
be viewed in the context of rapidly evolving systematic knowledge of the region’s amphibians
and reptiles. Future survey efforts, and the phylogenetic analyses that come from them, are
essential for supporting regional conservation efforts, as they will better resolve the known
patterns of amphibian and reptile richness and endemism.
... With a nearly flat terrain and a maximum elevation of about 90 m asl, it is fairly densely populated. However, Car Nicobar does Mirza et al. (2020), and Grismer et al. (2008) in addition to the specimens examined during this study, the numbers of which are given under each species name. ...
A new species of green pit viper of the genus Trimeresurus, in the T. albolabris complex, is described from Car Nicobar Island of the Nicobar Archipelago, Indian Ocean. The new species, Trimeresurus davidi sp. nov., can be distinguished from all other members of this group by the following characteristics: medium to large body size (277-835 mm SVL); dorsal scales in a series of 21-25:21-23:15-17 rows; nasal partly fused with the first supralabial; 166-179 ventrals, 58-70 subcaudals; one preocular; 2-3 postoculars; 10-12 supralabials; 12-15 infralabials; two internasals usually in contact with each other; 11-14 cephalic scales; verdant green dorsal and ventral color, absence of white ventrolateral stripes along the sides of the body; males with a white supralabial streak, bordered by a reddish tinge above; a pair of white and red stripes along the sides of the tail in both sexes; a reddish brown colored tail and a greenish iris. The new species is endemic to Car Nicobar Island of the Nicobar Archipelago, and should be regarded as an Endangered species owing to its restricted distribution range.
... In view of the congruent results of mtDNA sequences and the AFLP data, Giannasi et al. regard the Lesser Sunda and East Java populations as a separate species, T. insularis, and the Nepalese population as a full species, T. septentrionalis (now Cryptelytrops insularis and Cryptelytrops septentrionalis, respectively). Grismer et al. (2008) Within what is now Protobothrops, Stuebing and Inger (1998) analyzed variation in Trimeresurus sumatranus on the island of Borneo. They came to the conclusion that the high-elevation populations from Mt. Kinabalu should be treated as a separate species, T. malcolmi. ...
The advanced snakes (Caenophidia) constitute the most diverse group of living snakes. They include the medically important venomous snakes and have therefore received considerable research attention. A large body of recent phylogenetic work has resulted in a consensus that caenophidians as a group are more phylogenetically complex than portrayed by previous family-level classifications. The traditional family Colubridae is nonmonophyletic and composed of multiple deep clades that deserve taxonomic recognition at the family level. Moreover, all Caenophidia (and probably all snakes and many lizards) are descended from a single venomous ancestor, making the venom apparatus a homologous feature of all snakes. Molecular markers and further exploration in several continents are revealing considerable hitherto unsuspected diversity of venomous snakes, including the discovery of new species and the reassessment of existing species, which often turn out to be more heterogeneous than previously suspected. Here we review the most recent taxonomic changes and the new discoveries involving venomous snakes worldwide.
... The past ten years have witnessed the description of several new species of Trimeresurus sensu lato. Currently the group contains more than 50 species (Orlov et al., 2002;Gumprecht et al., 2004;Ziegler et al., 2000;David et al., 2002;Sanders et al., 2004;Grismer et al., 2006Grismer et al., , 2008Orlov et al., 2009). ...
A new species of pitviper, Protobothrops maolanensis sp. nov. is described from the forested karst region in Maolan Na- tional Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China based on scalation, body proportions and color pattern. Data on the natural history of the new species are provided and a new key to the currently recognized species of Protobothrops is given. The new discovery and other recent findings suggest that further research is desirable in the karst regions in southern China and adjacent Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
... The discovery of another new species of lizard from an offshore island in Peninsular Malaysia once again underscores the need for more studies to be carried out in these insular strongholds of overlooked biodiversity, with more discoveries expected as the remaining islands in the archipelago are explored. As ongoing research continues to demonstrate, isolated ecosystems such as offshore islands, mountaintops, granite outcrops, caves and karst formations harbor a disproportionately large number of endemic species (Chan et al. 2009;Das 2005;Das & Grismer 2003;Grismer & Das 2006;Grismer & Ngo 2007;Grismer 2005Grismer , 2008Grismer & Norhayati 2008;Grismer et al. 2006bGrismer et al. , 2008aLeong & Grismer 2004). Intensive and long term surveys conducted in the Seribuat Archipelago since 2001 uncovered at least 13 new species and 186 new insular species records (see and references therein) and preliminary surveys on the Perhentian Islands resulted in the discovery of at least three species of lizards new to science Grismer et al. forthcoming b). ...
A herpetological survey was conducted at Pulau Besar, Melaka from 10 to 12 June 2008, resulting in the discovery of five species of amphibians, nine species of lizards (including one new species of the gekkonid Cyrtodactylus) and one snake species. This report constitutes the first checklist of the herpetofauna of Pulau Besar and the Water Islands Archipelago.
An updated herpetofaunal checklist of Hon Son Island, Rach Gia Bay, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam is presented which reports of new records for Kaloula pulchra, Sylvirana cf. mortenseni, Cyrtodactylus sp., and Gehyra mutilata bringing the island total to 21 species. Cyrtodactylus sp. is an unidentified granite-cave adapted species that occurs in syntopy with the granite-cave adapted C. eisenmanae, bringing the total number of Cyrtodactylus on this tiny island (11.5 km2) to three. The implications of highly specialized syntopic congeneric ecomorphs is discussed.
Of the 10,272 currently recognized reptile species, fewer than 8% are regulated by the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the European Wildlife Trade
Regulations (EWTR). However, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has assessed
45% of the world’s reptile species and determined that at least 1390 species are threatened by “biological
resource use.” Of these, 355 species are intentionally targeted by collectors, including 194 non-CITES-listed
species. Herein we review impacts of the global reptile pet trade, and its contribution to the over-harvesting of
species and populations, in light of current international law. Findings are based on examination of relevant
professional observations, online sources and literature (e.g., applicable policies, taxonomy [reptile database],
trade statistics [EUROSTAT], and conservation [IUCN Red List]). Case studies are presented from the following
countries and regions: Australia, Central America, China, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Germany, Europe, India,
Indonesia (Kalimantan), Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Western Africa, and Western Asia. Between 2004 and 2014
(the period under study), the European Union (EU) member states officially reported the import of 20,788,747
live reptiles. Illegal trade activities involve species regulated under CITES, but concerns are also raised about
the provenance of species that are not CITES-regulated but are nationally protected in their country of origin
and are openly offered for sale in the EU. Analysis of trade data and examples suggest that law and
enforcement in several countries may be inadequate to prevent the overexploitation of species and to halt
illegal trade activities.
We describe two new species of green pitviper from Southeast Asia that are morphologically similar to Cryptelytrops macrops, but can be distinguished from that species by genetic means, multivariate analysis of morphology and some aspects of coloration. Cryptelytrops cardamomensis sp. nov., is described from southeastern Thailand and the Cardamom Mountains of southwestern Cambodia. Cryptelytrops rubeus sp. nov. has been recorded from southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia. These species have previously been confused with C. macrops, hence we also present here a redescription of this species, whose range is now restricted to Thailand, southern and central Laos, and northeastern Cambodia. All three species are present in Cambodia, but have disjunct ranges corresponding to three separate highland regions in southwestern (Cardamom Mountains), northeastern (western edge of the Kontum Plateau) and eastern (low elevation hills on the western edge of the Langbian Plateau) Cambodia for C. cardamomensis, C. macrops and C. rubeus respectively. However, there is still considerable morphological variation between geographically separated populations of C. macrops s.s., and greater sampling in southern and northern Thailand in particular may be required before the species diversity of this group is fully clarified.
A checklist of the Asian pitvipers with comments is provided
During a biological survey in July 2011, a pit viper was collected from the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve in the Dabie Mountains, Anhui, China. The pit viper's the total length measured 836 mm with a dorsal ground color of yellow-brown, decorated by 56 dark-brown transverse bands. The 4th supralabial squama of the new species is separated from subocular by two squamae, and the tip of tail is orange; this combination of characters distinguish it from other species of the genus Protobothrops. Based on the body proportions, number of squamae, body color pattern, and comparing the data of its life history with those of other species of Protobothrops, we herein describe it as a new species, belonging to the genus of Protobothrops.
A new endemic species, Cyrtodactylus thochuensis sp. nov. from Tho Chu Island in Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve off the southern coast of Vietnam, is differentiated from all other species of Cyrtodactylus by the following combination of characters: maximum SVL 86.3 mm (n=6); no precloacal groove; 3-5 precloacal pores arranged in an angular series; a series of enlarged femoral scales contacting a wide patch of enlarged precloacal scales; 3-6 intersuparanasals in contact with rostral; 20-26 strongly keeled, longitudinal rows of tubercles at midbody; and 30-40 transverse rows of ventral scales between the ventrolateral folds. This species most closely resembles C. condorensis Smith and C. paradoxus (Darevsky & Szczerbak).
Two new cave-dwelling species of Cyrtodactylus from mainland southwestern Vietnam and an offshore island are differ-entiated from all other congeners in lacking a precloacal groove and precloacal pores, presence of enlarged femoral scales beneath thigh, and in having a color pattern consisting of four or five narrow white bands on the body dorsum and one on the tail. Cyrtodactylus grismeri sp. nov. is reddish brown, has a mean SVL of 87.6 ± 3.8 mm (n = 9), 18–22 irreg-ular longitudinal rows of weakly-keeled tubercles at midbody between the lateral folds, 33–38 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds, 0–3 enlarged scales beneath thighs, and 20–24 subdigital lamellae under the first toe. Cyrtodactylus eisenmani sp. nov. is chocolate brown, has a mean SVL of 81.3 ± 5.0 mm (n = 5), 14 irregular longitudinal rows of weakly keeled tubercles at midbody between ventrolateral folds, 44–45 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds at mid-body, 4–6 enlarged femoral scales beneath each thigh, and 22–25 subdigital lamellae under the first toe. This discovery increases the total number of Cyrtodactylus found in Vietnam to fifteen.
A new insular species Cnemaspis bidongensis sp. nov. (Squamata: Gekkonidae), is described from Pulau Bidong, Tereng-ganu, Peninsular Malaysia and bears a unique suite of morphological and color pattern characters that differentiate it from all other congeners. Cnemaspis bidongensis sp. nov. is the sister species to C. kendallii (Gray) and represents the fifth insular endemic species of Cnemaspis on archipelagos along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This species survived massive deforestation of the small island of Bidong (260 ha) from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s when the island served as a Vietnamese refugee camp and harbored as many as 40,000 people at one time. We hypothesize that this species' gen-eralized lifestyle contributed to its survival, allowing it to seek refuge in rocky microhabitats.
A new insular species Cnemaspis bidongensis sp. nov. (Squamata: Gekkonidae), is described from Pulau Bidong, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia and bears a unique suite of morphological and color pattern characters that differentiate it from all other congeners. Cnemaspis bidongensis sp. nov. is the sister species to C. kendallii (Gray) and represents the fifth insular endemic species of Cnemaspis on archipelagos along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This species survived massive deforestation of the small island of Bidong (260 ha) from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s when the island served as a Vietnamese refugee camp and harbored as many as 40,000 people at one time. We hypothesize that this species' generalized lifestyle contributed to its survival, allowing it to seek refuge in rocky microhabitats.
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