A new Gehyra (Gekkonidae: Reptilia) from New Guinea with unique caudal scalation

We describe a new species of gekkonid gecko in the genus Gehyra from West Papua, Indonesia. Gehyra serraticauda sp. nov. keys to Gehyra, but is distinct from all known species; most notably, it is characterised by a continuous fringe of prominent acuminate lateral scales running the length of the ta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zootaxa
Main Authors: Skipwith, Phillip L., Oliver, Paul M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Mangolia Press 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/article/view/zootaxa.3827.1.5
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3827.1.5
Description
Summary:We describe a new species of gekkonid gecko in the genus Gehyra from West Papua, Indonesia. Gehyra serraticauda sp. nov. keys to Gehyra, but is distinct from all known species; most notably, it is characterised by a continuous fringe of prominent acuminate lateral scales running the length of the tail, a feature shared with none of its congeners. Its robust body, intermediate size, numerous internasals, partially divided digital scansors, and the presence of well-developed popliteal folds further distinguish it from other Papuan Gehyra. The holotype of Gehyra serraticauda sp. nov. is of uncertain provenance, with the type locality listed as Fakfak, Onin Peninsula. However, the recent observation of a potential conspecific from Kaimana, Triton Bay supports the presence of this species in the region.