Morphological and molecular evidence for a new species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata, Scincidae) from northern Guizhou, China

A new species of the genus Scincella is described from northern Guizhou Province, China, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI gene sequences supported the new species as a sister species to S. dabieshanensis . The uncorrected p-distances of the 16S rRNA and COI genes between the new species and its sister species, S. dabieshanensis , were 2.0% and 6.2%, respectively. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) medium body size, snout–vent length 42.81–46.02 mm; (2) tail relatively long, TAL/SVL ratio 1.13–1.81; (3) seven infralabials; (4) 6–7 supraciliaries; (5) tympanum deeply sunken, without lobules; (6) single primary temporal; (7) three to four pairs of nuchals; (8) 28 midbody scale rows; (9) 52–60 paravertebral scale rows; (10) 62–69 ventral scale rows; (11) dark dorsolateral stripes wavy, with 1/2+4+1/2 rows of dorsal scales in the middle; (12) 12–14 enlarged lamellae beneath finger IV and 16–18 beneath toe IV; (13) toes in contact with fingers when limbs are adpressed.