Phylogenetics of Cyrtodactylus in West Nusa Tenggara: a new distribution record of Cyrtodactylus jatnai from Lombok Island and a cryptic species from Sumbawa Island

Cyrtodactylus is one of the most diverse vertebrates of the Gekkonidae family, first described by Gray in 1827 and widely distributed in Asia, Northern Australia, and the Pacific Islands including Wallacea. The biodiversity in West Nusa Tenggara—a region in Wallacea—has been underestimated despite high fauna endemicity. Conservation strategies are needed to maintain the stability of Cyrtodactylus populations in their habitat. Therefore, this study aims to enhance the understanding of cryptic species and potential new distribution records of the genus Cyrtodactylus in West Nusa Tenggara. Molecular character identification was carried out by isolating the ND2 gene in liver tissue using polymerase chain reaction with primers M112F and M1123R. This study used BLAST analysis and phylogenetic tree reconstruction using Bayesian inference (BI), alongside p-distance calculations, to investigate Cyrtodactylus species in West Nusa Tenggara. The results gave a new distribution record of Cyrtodactylus jatnai on Lombok Island. This species was previously only known to be on Bali Island. Additionally, cryptic species from two lineages within the C. darmandvillei complex on Sumbawa Island were found. Further morphological research is recommended to provide a more comprehensive understanding and formal description of these taxa.