A new genus and species of gekkonid lizard (Squamata: Gekkota: Gekkonidae) from Hormozgan Province with a revised key to gekkonid genera of Iran
Author
Safaei-Mahroo, Barbod
Author
Ghaffari, Hanyeh
Author
Anderson, Steven C.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4109
4
428
444
journal article
39106
10.11646/zootaxa.4109.4.2
503fbe1f-2bb8-48f6-ab97-8c9b915f11a1
1175-5326
261370
6A38C268-D7C2-406A-BECC-C23ABB22F56A
Parsigecko
gen. nov.
Type
species.
Parsigecko ziaiei
sp. nov.
, herein described.
Definition.
The monotypic genus of family
Gekkonidae
is readily distinguished from all other genera of the family by a combination of the following characters: dorsal scales smooth, granular, subequal in size, not tuberculate and not imbricated, two strongly keeled scales on each side of each annulus of tail. Other characteristics of the new genus are given in the species description.
This genus is distinguished from all other bent-toed geckos in lacking dorsal tubercles, and from
Microgecko
Nikolsky,
1907
in its enlarged lateral caudal scales and its single row of enlarged subcaudal scales.
Distribution.
Koh-e Homag Protected Area, in Zagros Mountains, Hormozgan Province, southern
Iran
. Forest steppe habitat. Known only from the
type
locality.
Etymology.
The generic nomen
Parsigecko
is derived from the word “Pars” which refers to an old name for
Iran
, the country where the new genus was found. Pars was the ancient seat of the Persian Empire which was centered in south-central
Iran
.
Comparisons
. The genus
Parsigecko
gen. nov.
can be distinguished from other genera of Middle Eastern
Gekkonidae
by a combination of the following characteristics (see also key below): having two strong keeled and pointed scales on lateral part of each caudal annulus side, tail dorsum covered with small scales without any tubercles or keels (
Figure 1
) and precloacal region covered with distinctly enlarged and elongated scales arranged in a single arch-shaped row (
Figure 2
). We surmise that these scales contain precloacal pores in males. It is distinguished from
Agamura
Blanford, 1874
,
Alsophylax
Fitzinger, 1843
,
Bunopus
Blanford, 1874
,
Crossobamon
Boettger, 1888
,
Cyrtopodion
Fitzinger, 1843
,
Mediodactylus
Szczerbak & Golubev, 1977
,
Rhinogecko
de
Witte, 1973
and
Tenuidactylus
Szczerbak & Golubev,
1984
in not having strongly tuberculate or keeled dorsal scales; from
Microgecko
and
Tropiocolotes
Peters,
1880
in having subequal and non-imbricate dorsal scales (
Figure 3
); from
Agamura
,
Bunopus
and
Rhinogecko
in not having tuberculate scales on the terminal whorl of each tail segment; from
Cyrtopodion
,
Mediodactylus
and
Tenuidactylus
in not having fully tuberculate or keeled scales on dorsal part of tail; from
Crossobamon
,
Microgecko
,
Pseudoceramodactylus
Haas, 1957
,
Stenodactylus
Fitzinger, 1826
and
Tropiocolotes
in not having uniform, equal sized and smooth caudal scales.
Contents.
At present the new genus includes a single species,
Parsigecko ziaiei
sp. nov.