Gekko ( Japonicgekko ) subpalmatus ( Günther, 1864 )

Gekko ( Japonicgekko) subpalmatus ( Günther, 1864)

Chresonymy.

Gecko subpalmatus — Günther 1864.

Gekko subpalmatus — Schmidt 1927 (part); Pope 1935 (part); Zhao et al. 1999 (part).

Gekko ( Japonigekko) subpalmatus — Wood et al. 2020.

Type materials. Holotype. BMNH 1946.8 .2592, adult female, collected by Fortune from Chikiang [= Zhejiang], PR China.

Specimens examined. Eight adult male and three adult female specimens. Males SYS r001380–1381, collected from Donghai Canyon, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, PR China; males SYS r001767 ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 1 View FIGURE 1 ), 2065, 2068–2070, 2072, and females SYS r001762 ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 2 View FIGURE 2 ), 1768, 2071, collected from Xikou Township, Fenghua District , Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province .

Common name. Webbed-toed Gecko (in English); pǔ zhǐ bì hŭ ( ×flŧt).

Etymology. The specific epithet subpalmatus is a compound adjective of sub- (‘under’, ‘beneath’ in Latin) and palmâtus (‘palmated’ in Latin), referring to the fingers and toes basally webbed in this species.

Revised diagnosis. (1) medium-sized gecko species, SVL 50.9–65.8 mm in adults; (2) tubercles on dorsal body, limbs and tail absent; (3) eye moderate, ED/HL ratio 0.18–0.22; (4) rostral moderate, elongate transversely, RW/HW ratio 0.18–0.22, RW/RH ratio 2.08–2.30; (5) mental elongate transversely, MW/HW ratio 0.10–0.15, MW/ML ratio 1.00–1.70; (6) nares bordered by rostral, internasals 0–1; (7) interorbital scales between anterior corners of the eyes 28–37; (8) midbody scale rows 129–156; (9) ventral scale rows at midbody 39–46; (10) scales between mental and cloacal slit 144–190; (11) subdigital lamellae on first fingers 9–11, on fourth fingers 11–15, on first toes 9–12, on fourth toes 11–14; (12) fingers and toes with distinct webbing; (13) 5–9 precloacal pores in a continuous row in males; (14) a single postcloacal tubercle on both sides; (14) dorsum greyish white to dark brown, with five regular dark bands between nape and sacrum ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ).

Hemipenial characteristics ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ): (1) hemipenis clavate, bilobed, densely covered with denticulate-seamed calyces; (2) sulcus spermaticus centrifugal, bifurcate at crotch of hemipenis; (3) lateral welt well developed, visible from asulcate side, not in contact with sulcus lip; (4) calyces confined to lobes and distal 2/3 of truncus; (5) tonguelike welt well-developed; (6) apical folds large, comma-shaped, in contact with each other; (7) a small and boomerang-like area on the asulcate side of the lobe center, calyces on this area not well developed ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 , Ch. 7).

Remark. The type locality of Gekko ( Japonigekko) subpalmatus is in “Chikiang” [= Zhejiang] according to the original description, but the specific locus is unknown ( Günther 1864; Pope 1935). Subsequently, this species has been reported from multiple localities in eastern, southern, and southeastern China ( Schmidt 1927; Pope 1935; Zhao et al. 1999). Currently, G. ( J.) subpalmatus can be recognized only from Zhejiang based upon voucher specimens and molecular data in this study. The populations in Fujian are temporally retained under the name of G. ( J.) subpalmatus (see Discussion section). The previous records in eastern and southeastern Guangdong and southern Jiangxi should be as allocated to G. ( J.) melli ( Yang et al. 2012; this study), and the previous records in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Chongqing should be as allocated to G. ( J.) cib sp. nov. (this study).