A new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Hon Tre Island in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

A new species of the genus <i>Cyrtodactylus</i> is described from Khanh Hoa Province, South-central Vietnam based on genetic divergence and morphological differences. <i>Cyrtodactylus arnei</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese bent-toed geckos of the <i>Cyrtodactylus irregularis</i> group by having the unique combination of the following characteristics: size medium (SVL 70.9-78.0 mm); dorsal tubercles in 15-17 irregular rows; 34 or 35 ventral scale rows; 12-15 enlarged femoral scales on each side, in continuous series without gap between precloacal and femoral scales; precloacal pores absent in females, 5-7 in males, in a continuous row; femoral pores absent; postcloacal spurs 0-3 on each side; 19-21 lamellae under toe IV; dorsal pattern between limb insertions consisting of four narrow light bands with dark edges and a transversal row of dark spots in the middle; subcaudal scales enlarged, forming broad transverse plates. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species was nested within the <i>Cyrtodactylus irregularis</i> group without any clear sister taxon. Genetically, <i>Cyrtodactylus arnei</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> is divergent from other species within the <i>Cyrtodactylus irregularis</i> group by at least 10.97% (COI) and 14.39% (ND2) based on two fragments of the mitochondrial gene.