A new Four-clawed Gecko (Squamata, Gekkonidae: Gehyra) from limestone hills in the Thai Peninsula, with new data on Gehyra angusticaudata
We describe Gehyra astrosyzygia sp. nov. from Phra Khayang Cave in Kraburi District, Ranong Province, southern Thailand. We report it from several other limestone formations in Chumphon, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Ranong provinces in Peninsular Thailand, and from the neighboring Tanintharyi Region in southern Myanmar. The new species differs from all currently recognized Southeast Asian Gehyra by the following combination of morphological characters and dorsal color pattern: maximal known snout–vent length of 56.9 mm, 7 or 8 supralabials, 80–83 dorsal and 44–48 ventral scale rows around midbody, absence of skin folds on limbs, 39–41 preanofemoral pores in males in a continuous series extending along the whole length of the femur (pores absent in females), tail not to moderately widened behind vent in adults, a single row of widened subcaudals, digits and toes with basal webbing, 7 or 8 divided subdigital lamellae on 4th toe, and a unique dorsal pattern with four paravertebral and lateral rows of large white round spots on a yellowish brown background, without dark spots or bars. We provide an osteological description of the cranium of the new species. The new species has been confused in online citizen science platforms with the rare, allopatric Gehyra angusticaudata, endemic to southeastern Thailand, for which we present new material and localities.
Authors
- Olivier S. G. Pauwels (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3265-5496)
- Montri Sumontha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4829-7731)
- Nattasuda Donbundit (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3074-9288)
- PRAPANTH IAMWIRIYAKUL (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7286-3604)
- Jonathan Brecko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2969-4566)
- S. N. Das (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1597-1147)
- Worawitoo Meesook (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6781-3645)
- NIRAN ANURAKPONGSATHORN (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0686-6534)
Institutions
- Institute of Natural Sciences (BE)
- Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi (TH)
- Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (TH)
- Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (TH)
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Zootaxa
- Published
- 2026-10-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5897.2.2
- Primary Topic
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00