Geographic structure of genetic variation in the Parachute Gecko Ptychozoon lionotum Annandale, 1905 across Indochina and Sundaland with descriptions of three new species
Author
Grismer, L. Lee
Author
Wood Jr, Perry L.
Author
Grismer, Jesse L.
Author
Quah, Evan S. H.
Author
Thy, Neang
Author
Phimmachak, Somphouthone
Author
Sivongxay, Niane
Author
Seateun, Sengvilay
Author
Stuart, Bryan L.
Author
Siler, Cameron B.
Author
Mulcahy, Daniel G.
Author
Anamza, Tashitso
Author
Brown, Rafe M.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-07-16
4638
2
151
198
journal article
26200
10.11646/zootaxa.4638.2.1
008c2ce6-d9ae-424c-9e2b-0d16d9da40e7
1175-5326
3337640
FF159163-7F48-4FB3-B4DF-57527860EA36
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
Cambodian Parachute Gecko
Fig. 12
Ptychozoon kuhli
Smith, 1935:119
(in part)
Ptychozoon lionotum
Bourret
1937
–1947 in
Bourret, 2009:169
(in part);
Smith, 1935:118
(in part);
Manthey & Grossmann, 1997:247
(in part);
Cox
et al.,
1998:81
(in part); Das, Dattagupta, & Gayen, 1998:131 (in part); Chan-ard
et al.,
1999:132 (in part);
Pauwels
et al
., 2000: 132
;
Kluge, 2001:25
(in part);
Pauwels
et al
., 2002: 27
; Stuart & Emmet, 2006:18;
Grismer
et al.,
2008:22
;
Nguyen
et al.,
2009:236
;
Grismer, 2011a:532
,
2011b:139
;
Grismer
et al.,
2011:62
(in part);
Sumontha
et al
., 2012: 74
;
Herr & Lee, 2016:111
;
Vassilieva
et al.,
2016:162
;
Grismer & Quah, 2019:234
.
Ptychozoon lionatum
[sic.]
Taylor, 1963:807
;
Grismer
et al.,
2007:231
(in part)
Ptychozoon trinotaterra
Grismer
et al.,
2011:64
Holotype
.
FMNH 261853
adult female, collected by
Bryan L. Stuart
and
Dara Anon
5 June 2000
from
Kirirom National Park
,
Phnom Sruoch District
,
Kampong Speu Province
,
Cambodia
(
11.32611°N
,
104.06556°E
,
700 m
in elevation).
Paratypes
.
FMNH 261851–52
bear the same collection data as the holotype except they were collected on
3 June 2000
.
FMNH 261854
bears the same collection data as the holotype except it was collected on
5 November 2000
by Joe Walston.
CBC
03162 adult female collected by
Neang Thy
on
9 June 2017
from
Bokor National Park
,
Teuk Chou District
,
Kampot Province
,
Cambodia
(
10.60156°N
,
104.03200°E
,
325 m
in elevation)
.
NCSM 98986
adult female collected by
Neang Thy
on
10 June 2017
from
Bokor National Park
,
Teuk Chou District
,
Kampot Province
,
Cambodia
(
10.60372°N
,
104.02944°E
,
328 m
in elevation)
.
NCSM 98987
adult female collected by
Neang Thy
on
12 June 2017
from
Bokor National Park
,
Teuk Chou District
,
Kampot Province
,
Cambodia
(
10.58753°N
,
104.03269°E
,
315 m
in elevation)
.
FMNH 177359
adult male collected by
Edward H. Taylor
on
11 June 1969
from the
Khao Chong Reserve
,
Trang Province
,
Thailand
(
7.54350°N
99.79800°E
,
127 m
in elevation)
.
FMNH 181844
adult male collected by
W. Ronald Heyer
on
11 June 1969
from
Pak Thong Chai District
,
Nakhon Ratchasima Province
,
Sakaerat
(
Environmental Research Station
),
Thailand
(
14.50000°N
,
100.86670°E
,
16 m
in elevation)
.
Additional specimens examined.
FMNH 177358
and 177550 adult females collected by
Edward H. Taylor
on
11 June 1969
from the
Khao Chong Reserve
,
Trang Province
,
Thailand
(
7.54350°N
99.79800°E
,
127 m
in elevation)
.
FMNH 181823–24
, 181828–
29 adult
males collected by
W. Ronald Heyer
on
11 June 1969
from
Pak Thong Chai District
,
Nakhon Ratchasima Province
,
Sakaerat
(
Environmental Research Station
),
Thailand
(
14.50000°N
,
100.86670°E
,
16 m
in elevation)
.
USNM 587523
adult female collected by
Daniel Mulcahy
on
27 May 2015
from the proposed
Lenya National Park
,
Tanintharyi Region
,
Myanmar
(
11.05080°N
98.91720°E
,
58 m
in elevation)
.
FMNH 177548
adult male collected by
Oliver G. Young
in 1961 from
Chiang Mai
,
Chiang Mai District
,
Chiang Mai Province
,
Thailand
(
18.79528°N
98.99861°E
,
314 m
in elevation)
.
MNHN 1998.590
and 1999.7661 collected on
16 February 1998
by
Olivier S. G. Pauwels
from the
Phang-Nga Wildlife Breeding Station
,
Muang District
,
Phang Nga Province
,
Thailand
(
8.45014°N
,
98.525532°E
,
154 m
in elevation)
.
Diagnosis.
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
differs from all other species of
Ptychozoon
by having the following unique combination of characters: a maximum SVL of
97.5 mm
; supranasals not in contact; 8–11 supralabials; 10–12 infralabials; infra-auricular cutaneous flap; weak supra-auricular ridge present; no dorsal or caudal tubercles; imbricate parachute support scales on dorsal surface of patagia; prominently raised ridges on ventral surface of patagia; 80–95 midbody dorsal scales; 30–37 ventral scales; an emargination between the pre-antebrachial flap and digit I; no enlarged femoral scales; 20–24 pore-bearing precloacal scales in males; 18–25 enlarged precloacal scales; 4–7 rows of enlarged post-precloacal scales; 13–18 transverse subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; approximately 28–34 scales across the widest portion of the caudal flap; enlarged dorsal caudal scales forming intermittent whorls; distal lobes fusing to form a short, narrow, caudal flap; edges of caudal flap smooth; caudal lobes angled posteriorly; caudal lobes variably showing posterior reduction in size; postorbital striping variable; four dark body bands between limb insertions; and irregularly shaped, white, vertebral markings usually not present (absent in 14 of
16 specimens
;
Tables 4
,
5
).
Description of
holotype
.
Adult female SVL
97.5 mm
; head moderate (HL/SVL 0.25), wide (HW/HL 0.79), depressed (HD/HL 0.44), distinct from neck; snout rounded at tip in dorsal profile; prefrontal region weakly concave; lores rounded; rostral scale large, rectangular, in contact posteriorly with two supranasals and one postnasal, dorsolaterally with nostrils, and laterally with first supralabials; supralabials (10R, 9L) to mid-orbital position; infralabials (12R, 11L); nostrils elliptical with long axes oriented obliquely, occupying anterior portion of nasal scale, bordered anteriorly by rostral, dorsally by supranasal, posteriorly by four postnasals of varying sizes (upper largest), and ventrally by first supralabial; scales on rostrum granular larger than granular scales on top of head and occiput; eyes large (ED/HL 0.23), less than snout length; pupil vertically elliptical, crenelated; supraciliaries elongate, posteriormost pointed; auricular opening rounded, bearing a weak supra-auricular ridge; tympanum deeply sunk; infra-auricular flap broad, rounded, extending from below corner of mouth to lateral margin of neck midway between posterior margin of ear opening and forelimb insertion, measuring 5.0 mm at its widest point; dorsal scales of infra-auricular flap large, subimbricate proximally, small juxtaposed distally, ventral scales of flap minute and granular; mental triangular, as wide as deep, bordered laterally by first infralabials and posteriorly by paired, rectangular postmentals, posterior section of left postmental divided into three smaller scales; one row of enlarged sublabials bordering infralabials, anteriormost largest; gular scales granular, grading into larger imbricating throat and subimbricate pectoral and ventral scales.
Body dorsoventrally depressed, relatively stout (AXG/SVL 0.53); patagia
8.9 mm
at midpoint of body bearing enlarged, subimbricate, rectangular scales dorsally, minute, juxtaposed, subrectangular scales ventrally, ventral surface bearing raised scaly ridges extending from body to edge of flap; 88 minute, flat, round, juxtaposed midbody dorsal scales, largest mid-dorsally; no large, flat, dorsal scales immediately anterior to the hind limb insertions; 36 transverse rows of large, smooth, flat, subimbricate ventral scales much larger than dorsal scales, decreasing in size laterally into granular scales at the base of the flap; 21 enlarged, precloacal scales; five rows of enlarged, post-precloacal scales; and scales immediately anterior to vent granular.
Limbs short, robust (FL/SVL 0.10; TBL/SVL 0.17); dorsal scales of forelimbs, flat, juxtaposed, larger than dorsal body scales; ventral forelimb scales small, subimbricate; anterior and posterior margins of forelimbs, and posterior margins of hind limbs bearing wide, cutaneous flaps; that of anterior margin of forearm (
i.e.
pre-antebrachial flap) emarginated distally and terminates low on the base of digit I, that of the foreleg does not reach the base of digit I; scales of forelimb flaps large, elongate, subimbricate; those of hind limb flaps smaller, more rounded, subimbricate; palmar scales smooth, rounded; digits fully webbed, relatively short, dorsoventrally compressed; undivided transverse subdigital lamellae number 11 (I), 13 (II), 12 (III), 13 (IV), 12 (V), distalmost lamellae V-shaped; claws arise from within the dorsal surface of digital pads; claw of digit I replaced by an enlarged, flat scale; dorsal scales of hind limbs, flat, juxtaposed, same size as dorsal body scales; ventral scales of hind limbs flat, subimbricate, smaller than ventral scales of belly; scales of anterior margin of thigh large, subimbricate; plantar scales smooth, subimbricate; digits fully webbed; transverse subdigital lamellae number 11 (I), 12 (II), 14 (III), 15 (IV), 13 (V), distalmost lamellae V-shaped; claws arise from within the dorsal surface of digital pads, and claw of digit I replaced by an enlarged, flat scale.
TABLE 8.
Meristic, mensural (in mm), and diagnostic characters of
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
P = Phnom (mountain). See Materials and methods for character abbreviations. / = data unobtainable. r = tail partially or completely regenerated. Numbers in parentheses refer to numbered localities in Figure 1.
FMNH |
FMNH |
FMNH |
FMNH |
NCSM |
CBC |
NCSM |
FMNH |
FMNH |
261853 (25) |
261851 (25) |
261852 (26) |
261854 (26) |
98986 (27) |
03162 (27) |
98987 (27) |
177359 (15) |
18144 (21) |
Kirirom |
Kirirom |
Kirirom |
Kirirom |
Bokor |
Bokor |
Bokor |
Khao Chong |
Sakaerat |
Cambodia |
Cambodia |
Cambodia |
Cambodia |
Cambodia |
Cambodia |
Cambodia |
Thailand |
Thailand |
holotype |
paratype |
paratype |
paratype |
paratype |
paratype |
paratype |
paratype |
paratype |
sex |
f |
m |
f |
f |
f |
f |
f |
m |
m |
supralabials (SU) |
10 |
10 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
8 |
11 |
9 |
infralabials (IL) |
11 |
10 |
11 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
12 |
11 |
supra-auricular lobe |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
midbody transverse dorsals (MB) |
88 |
92 |
84 |
83 |
88 |
90 |
87 |
86 |
94 |
midbody transverse ventral scales (VS) |
36 |
36 |
35 |
36 |
34 |
33 |
34 |
30 |
35 |
enlarged pore-bearing precloacal scales in males (PP) |
/ |
21 |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
23 |
22 |
enlarged precloacal scales (PS) |
21 |
24 |
20 |
20 |
22 |
22 |
25 |
25 |
22 |
enlarged post-precloacal scale rows (PPS) |
5 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
transversely expanded 4th toe lamellae (TL4) |
15 |
18 |
13 |
13 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
17 |
scales across widest portion of caudal flap (CF) |
34 |
32 |
/ |
/ |
34 |
28 |
29 |
34 |
34 |
edges of flap smooth or crenulated |
smooth |
smooth |
/ |
/ |
smooth |
smooth |
smooth |
/ |
/ |
thick postorbital marking |
yes |
yes |
faint |
faint |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
irregularly shaped, white vertebral markings |
yes |
no |
yes |
/ |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
SVL |
97.5 |
82.0 |
75.6 |
89.3 |
83.8 |
87.2 |
84.4 |
78.5 |
85.6 |
TL |
86.1 |
97.5 |
58.6r |
45.8r |
broken |
83.3 |
75.0 |
75.0 |
81.5 |
TW |
7.8 |
9.6 |
6.4 |
7.4 |
7.3 |
7.9 |
6.8 |
7.0 |
8.2 |
HL |
24.7 |
23.6 |
21.7 |
24.4 |
22.4 |
23.8 |
22.8 |
21.7 |
23.8 |
HW |
19.5 |
18.6 |
16.3 |
18.2 |
16.5 |
17.2 |
16.7 |
16.0 |
17.8 |
HD |
10.8 |
9.9 |
8.4 |
11.2 |
8.8 |
9.4 |
9.4 |
8.7 |
9.3 |
SNL |
12.0 |
11.6 |
9.5 |
10.7 |
9.9 |
9.4 |
9.4 |
8.7 |
10.9 |
ED |
5.7 |
3.2 |
4.4 |
5.1 |
5.2 |
5.5 |
5.0 |
9.7 |
5.4 |
TD |
3.3 |
1.0 |
2.7 |
3.1 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
IN |
3.9 |
3.4 |
2.8 |
3.5 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
1.8 |
3.2 |
IO |
9.7 |
2.5 |
7.9 |
9.1 |
1.9 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
7.9 |
3.5 |
AXG |
51.8 |
44.2 |
34.3 |
39.6 |
41.0 |
45.0 |
40.0 |
36.1 |
38.1 |
FL |
9.9 |
19.3 |
9.5 |
10.1 |
9.5 |
10.1 |
9.5 |
10.0 |
8.9 |
TBL |
16.7 |
16.6 |
13.1 |
14.6 |
13.3 |
13.3 |
12.2 |
12.3 |
12.3 |
TABLE 8.
Continued.
MNHN |
MNHN |
FMNH |
FMNH |
FMNH |
FMNH |
FMNH |
FMNH |
FMNH |
USNM |
1990.0590 (16) |
1999.7661 (16) |
177358 (15) |
177550 (15) |
181823 (21) |
181824 (21) |
181828 (21) |
181829 (21) |
177548 (20) |
587523 (19) |
Phang Nga |
Phang Nga |
Khao Chong |
Khao Chong |
Sakaerat |
Sakaerat |
Sakaerat |
Sakaerat |
Chiang Mai |
Tanintharyi |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Thailand |
Myanmar |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
non-type |
sex |
m |
f |
f |
f |
m |
m |
m |
m |
m |
f |
supralabials (SU) |
10 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
infralabials (IL) |
11 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
12 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
supra-auricular lobe |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
small ridge |
midbody transverse dorsals (MB) |
85 |
80 |
82 |
89 |
89 |
95 |
94 |
95 |
90 |
87 |
midbody transverse ventral scales (VS) |
30 |
32 |
30 |
31 |
32 |
35 |
32 |
37 |
35 |
30 |
enlarged pore-bearing precloacal scales in males (PP) |
21 |
/ |
/ |
/ |
20 |
20 |
20 |
24 |
21 |
/ |
enlarged precloacal scales (PS) |
23 |
20 |
18 |
20 |
22 |
20 |
22 |
24 |
21 |
21 |
enlarged post-precloacal scale rows (PPS) |
5 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
transversely expanded 4th toe lamellae (TL4) |
16 |
16 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
16 |
13 |
scales across widest portion of caudal flap (CF) |
/ |
/ |
/ |
28 |
/ |
/ |
30 |
33 |
/ |
/ |
edges of caudal flap smooth or crenulated |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
thick postorbital marking |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
irregularly shaped, white vertebral markings |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
SVL |
78.4 |
87.1 |
76.8 |
78.5 |
72.4 |
73.6 |
87.2 |
81.1 |
80.2 |
92.0 |
TL |
78.0r |
71.5r |
20.7b |
75.0 |
66.7r |
45.8 |
82.0 |
75.7 |
73.5r |
52.0r |
TW |
7.0 |
7.5 |
6.2 |
6.9 |
6.1 |
7.4 |
7.1 |
7.4 |
7.1 |
7.7 |
HL |
22.0 |
23.5 |
20.2 |
21.7 |
21.7 |
20.3 |
24.8 |
22.2 |
22.5 |
25.9 |
HW |
19.4 |
18.4 |
15.2 |
15.9 |
15.4 |
15.7 |
17.4 |
16.4 |
16.2 |
17.8 |
HD |
8.8 |
10.8 |
8.0 |
8.7 |
8.1 |
8.4 |
10.0 |
10.0 |
10.1 |
11.0 |
SNL |
10.3 |
10.9 |
8.7 |
8.7 |
9.7 |
10.2 |
10.8 |
10.0 |
10.2 |
11.5 |
ED |
5.1 |
5.5 |
4.8 |
9.6 |
4.9 |
/ |
5.1 |
4.6 |
5.4 |
5.7 |
TD |
2.3 |
1.8 |
2.2 |
1.91 |
1.5 |
2.0 |
2.2 |
2.6 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
IN |
4.3 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
1.7 |
2.6 |
3.2 |
2.8 |
3.5 |
3.0 |
/ |
IO |
8.3 |
8.4 |
7.7 |
7.8 |
7.7 |
8.5 |
9.1 |
8.7 |
8.6 |
8.5 |
AXG |
38.1 |
46.4 |
32.8 |
36.0 |
32.9 |
34.4 |
42.1 |
38.8 |
33.0 |
44.0 |
FL |
8.9 |
10.2 |
8.0 |
9.9 |
9.2 |
9.3 |
11.1 |
8.1 |
9.14 |
11.0 |
TBL |
12.7 |
13.7 |
11.9 |
12.3 |
11.0 |
11.9 |
14.1 |
13.4 |
13.3 |
15.3 |
FIGURE 12.
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
A. CBC 1217 from Phnom Samkos, Pursat Province, Cambodia. Photograph by Neang Thy. B. Paratype CBC 03162 from Bokor National Park, Teuk Chou District, Kampot Province, Cambodia. Photograph by Neang Thy. C. USNM 587523 from Lenya National Park, Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar. Photograph by D. Mulcahy. D. Holotype FMNH 261853 from Kirirom National Park, Phnom Sruoch District, Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia. Photograph by L. L. Grismer.
FIGURE 13.
Forest habitat of
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
A. Phnom Samkos, Pursat Province, Cambodia. B. Bokor National Park, Teuk Chou District, Kampot Province, Cambodia. Photographs by L. L. Grismer.
Tail original, flattened, shorter than SVL (TL/SVL 0.88); two median rows of transversely widened, smooth subcaudals anteriorly becoming less regular and broken up posteriorly; postcloacal scales large, flat, imbricate; dorsal caudals flat, juxtaposed, larger than dorsal body scales, bearing whorls of larger scales; tail width and caudal lobes decrease posteriorly; 22 caudal lobes on each side slightly angled posteriorly; and tail terminates in a short, narrow flap (10.0 mm) bearing smooth edges.
Dark phase coloration in life (
Fig. 12
).
Dorsal ground color of head, body, and tail brown; top of head darkly speckled; darker, inverted Y-shaped marking overlying nape and occiput; labial scales lighter than body, delimited by thin, dark lines at their junctures; infra-auricular flap same color as labials; irregularly shaped, white, vertebral markings between and just posterior to the forelimb insertions and in the sacral region; four faint, thin, deeply sinuous dorsal bands between limb insertion transitioning into approximately five wide, faint, caudal bands; terminal caudal band on caudal flap dull-white; subcaudal region mottled, weakly banded; iris bronze; gular region, throat, ventral surfaces of limbs, pectoral region, and belly dull-white with stippled scales. In preservation, the coloration is uniformly dull-grey on all dorsal surfaces with only faint patterning visible.
Variation (
Fig. 12
).
Variation in coloration and pattern is highly variable due to this species’ having dark and light color phases and its ability to substrate match. Color pattern variation in the
paratypes
described here is based on preserved and living material. The
paratypes
closely approximate the
holotype
in all aspects coloration and pattern. Caudal banding is present in all specimens in varying degrees of distinctness. FMNH 261852–53 have a series of large, irregularly shaped, white, vertebral markings extending from the nape to the postsacral region whereas no other specimens (N=17) have these markings. FMNH 261852 and 261854 have partially regenerated tails bearing a single flap with no lobes. FMNH 177359, 181844, and 261851 are males bearing 23, 22, and 21 pore-bearing precloacal scales. Variation in meristic characters is presented in
Table 8
.
Comparisons (
Tables 4
,
5
;
Figs. 3
,
5
,
6
).
Differences between
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
,
P. kabkaebin
sp. nov.
, and
P. cicakterbang
sp. nov.
are listed above in the comparisons sections of those species.
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
differs from
P. intermedium
,
P. kuhli
,
and
P. trinotaterra
in lacking, as opposed to having, caudal tubercles. From
P. intermedium
,
P. nicobarense
,
P. rhacophorus
,
P. trinotaterra
,
and
P. kaengkrachanense
it differs in having four body bands as opposed to 0–3.
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
differs from
P. bannaense
,
P. horsfieldii
,
P. intermedium
,
P. kuhli
,
P. nicobarense
,
P. rhacophorus
,
P. trinotaterra
,
and
P. kaengkrachanense
in having an emargination between the pre-antebrachial flap and digit I as opposed to no emargination. From
P. popaense
it differs by having a maximum SVL of
97.5 mm
versus
86.2 mm
.
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
is well-separated from
P. cicakterbang
sp. nov.
and
P. lionotum
in the PCA and from all species in the DAPC where their 95% confidence ellipses do not overlap.
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
occupies a significantly different position along PC1 from that of
P. cicakterbang
sp. nov.
and along PC2, it occupies a significantly different positon from those of
P. kabkaebin
sp. nov.
and
P. lionotum
.
From all other species of the
P. lionotum
group it is further separated by an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 4.1–15.5%. Combinations of other characters differentiating
P. kabkaebin
sp. nov.
from other more distantly related species are presented in
Table 5
.
Distribution (
Fig. 1
).
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
has a circum-Gulf of
Thailand
distribution extending from Cat Tien,
Dong Nai Province
and Phu Quoc Island,
Kien Giang Province
in southern
Vietnam
(
Nguyen
et al.
2009
), across the mountainous Cardamom region of southern
Cambodia
and eastern
Thailand
, around the Chao Phraya Basin and southward down the Thai-Malay Peninsula of
Thailand
and
Myanmar
to at least Hat Yai, Songkla Province,
Thailand
.
Nguyen
et al.
(2009)
report
P. tokehos
sp. nov.
from
Trang
Bom,
Dong Nai Province
, in southern
Vietnam
based on an illustration in
Bourret (2009
; Fig. 39.) The specimen illustrated however, has three body bands instead of four indicating it may be
P. trinotaterra
.
We have examined photographs of specimens from southern
Thailand
near the Thai-Malay border from Hat Yai, Songkla (LUSDPC 10946) and Muang
Trat
,
Trat
(LSUDPC 10947) that we consider
P. tokehos
sp. nov.
and not
P. cicakterbang
sp. nov.
as they have a weak supra-auricular ridge as opposed to a prominent supra-auricular lobe. Confirmation awaits the examination of these specimens (Grismer
et al.
in prep).
Etymology.
The specific epithet
tokehos
is the Khmer (Cambodian) word used for
Ptychozoon
.
Natural history.
Ptychozoon tokehos
sp. nov.
is a forest-dwelling species found in hilly areas from sea level to at least
700 m
in elevation. This species does quite well in disturbed forests and is commonly found on man-made structures. The
holotype
and
paratypes
from Kirirom National Park (FMNH 261851–54) were all found during the day (1400–1630 h) on or near the exterior walls of a building on a grassy plateau within open pine forest. FMNH 261851 was found on the branch of a large tree abutting an exterior wall, FMNH 261852 was found beneath a layer of paint peeling off the exterior wall of the building approximately
2.5 m
above the ground, and FMNH 261853–54 were found on the exterior walls. Pauwells
et al.
(2000) noted that MNHN 1998.590 and 1999.7661 from Phang- Nga were collected from walls inside a forestry department office building where other juveniles and adults were seen. They also observed other specimens inside houses and on the outside of cages in a zoo. MNHN 1999.7661 was carrying two eggs. Additionally they found a pair of the eggs
1.6 m
above the ground glued to a tree in evergreen forest of which one contained a fully formed embryo. These observations indicate that the reproductive season of
P. tokehos
sp. nov.
in southern
Thailand
occurs during mid-February. All
paratypes
from Bokor National Park (CBC 03162, NCSM 98986–87;
Fig. 13
) were found at night approximately
1.3 m
above the ground on the trunks of trees along a trail in disturbed evergreen forest between
315 m
and
328 m
in elevation. The
paratype
FMNH 18144 and additional specimens from Sakaerat (FMNH 181823–24, 181828–29) were collected from an undisturbed lowland forest at approximately
16 m
in elevation. The Tanintharyi specimen (USNM 587523) was collected from the trunk of a tree along a logging road in secondary forest at
58 m
in elevation. The
paratype
and additional specimens (FMNH 177358–59, 177550) from Khao Chong,
Thailand
were all collected from primary forest at approximately
130 m
in elevation. A hatchling (FMNH 177360) from Khao Chong was collected during June.