摘要: Despite continuous progress made on the taxonomy of the genus Tropidophorus, the Lao Water Skink, T. laotus, is only known from brief descriptions of its syntypes in historical literature. Here we designate a lectotype and paralectotype of the species, redescribe the species based on the type series and newly collected topotypes, provide the first colored photographs of taxonomically-verified individuals, and estimate its phylogenetic position using mitochondrial DNA data for the first time.Using these comparable data, we confirm that the previously identified “T. berdmorei” population from southern Yunnan Province, China, represents a distinct new species that is closely related and morphologically similar to T. laotus, but differs from true T. laotus by having considerable genetic divergence(4.7%–4.8% for 12S, 3.2%–4.2% for 16S)and distinct morphological characters(e.g., undivided frontonasal scales and a distinct color pattern of the throat). The southern Yunnan population is therefore described as a new species. With the above newly acquired data, we update the checklist and the provincial-level distribution of the genus Tropidophorus in China and compile an updated key to all recognized species of the genus from China and Indochina.

摘要: Here, we described Gekko(Japonigekko)ichangensis sp. nov., a new member of the genus Gekko Laurenti, 1768, based on specimens collected from Changyang Tujia Autonomous County, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China. Morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial cytb and 16S genes place the new species within the subgenus Japonigekko, clustering with G.(J.) wenxianensis. The new species differs from other Japonigekko congeners by the following set of characteristics:(1) moderate body size(snout-vent length 58.5–66.5 mm in adult individuals);(2) nostrils touching the rostral, with 1–2 internasals present;(3)tubercles distributed on the head, dorsum, limbs, and tail, excluding the upper forelimbs;(4) 174–195ventral scales spanning from the mental to the cloacal slit;(5) 39–47 rows of ventral scales;(6) 12–15 subdigital lamellae under the first toes and 13–18under the fourth toes;(7) weakly developed webbing;(8) 5–8 precloacal pores in males;(9) three unilateral postcloacal tubercles;(10) a brown dorsum with six broad, irregular dark-brown bands extending from the nape to the sacrum. The identification of this new species raises the number of described Gekko species to 90. In China, 25 species are recorded, 21 of which belong to the subgenus Japonigekko.