Cyrtodactylus makwanpurgadhiensis, Bhattarai & Gautam & Neupane & Khandekar & Thackeray & Agarwal & Olson & Hogan & Wright, 2025

Cyrtodactylus makwanpurgadhiensis sp. nov.

Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , Tables 2 View Table 2 , 3 View Table 3

Type material examined.

Holotype. • NHM 2025/383 (SB 078), adult male, collected from on the walls of Makwanpurgadhi Fort ( 27°24.799'N, 85°8.690'E; ca 1050 m a. s. l.), Makwanpur District, Bagmati Province, Nepal; collected by Santosh Bhattarai on 10 July 2024 GoogleMaps . Paratypes. • NHM 2025/384 (SB 079), NHM 2025/385 (SB 080), NHM 2025/386 (SB 081), NHM 2025/387 (SB 082), NHM 2025/388 (SB 083), NHM 2025/389 (SB 086) bear the same locality and collection data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

A medium- sized Cyrtodactylus , snout to vent length up to 78.7 mm. Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; smooth granular scales intermixed with fairly regularly arranged rows of enlarged, feebly keeled, weakly pointed tubercles; a weak ventrolateral fold on lower flank; 18–20 rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody, 32–40 tubercles in paravertebral rows; ventral scales subequal from chest to vent, smooth, subcircular, and subimbricate with rounded end; 38–41 scales across belly at midbody, 76–90 longitudinal scales between axilla to groin, 167–195 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, unnotched, and mostly entire; 12–14 lamellae under digit I of manus and pes, 16–18 lamellae under digit IV of manus and 19–23 lamellae under digit IV of pes; a series of nine precloacal pore-bearing scales contiguous with 10 or 11 enlarged precloacal scales in males ( n = 4); female lack pores but have 7–9 pitted homologous scales, and 11–13 enlarged precloacal scales ( n = 3); dorsal scales on non-regenerated tail homogeneous, fairly regularly arranged, smooth, subcircular, flattened, and subimbricate, and larger than granular scales at dorsal midbody, gradually becoming larger posteriorly and dorsolaterally; a few scattered enlarged tubercles present on the tail base; subcaudal scales in median series smooth, variable in size and shape, and not enlarged; variegated dorsal pattern, original tail bearing 10–13 alternating dark and light bands.

Genetic divergence.

Cyrtodactylus makwanpurgadhiensis sp. nov. is nested within the Nepalese clade of the Mountain subclade of the khasiensis group. It differs from members of the Nepalese clade by ≥ 14.5 % uncorrected ND 2 sequence divergence (Table 1 View Table 1 ).

Comparisons with regional congeners.

Cyrtodactylus makwanpurgadhiensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from all regional congeners based on the following differing or non-overlapping characters: no femoral pores and nine precloacal pores in males (vs femoral pores present in C. chitwanensis , C. fasciolatus , C. gubernatoris , and C. nepalensis ; three or four precloacal pores in C. annapurnaensis , 6–9 in C. cayuensis , five in C. chamba , 10 in C. himalayicus , 7–11 in C. kamengensis , 4–9 in C. lawderanus , seven or eight in C. martinstolli ; seven or eight precloacal pores and one or two pores below precloacal row in C. karanshahi ); length of original tail> SVL (vs length of original tail < SVL in C. lawderanus ); median row of subcaudals not enlarged (vs median row of subcaudals enlarged in C. chitwanensis , C. fasciolatus , and C. nepalensis ); 18–20 rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody and 38–41 scales across belly at midbody (vs 24 or 25 DTR and 37 or 38 MVSR in C. bhupathyi , 13–15 DTR in C. chamba , 39–42 MVSR in C. karanshahi , 20–24 DTR and 30–34 MVSR in C. kamengensis , 19–23 DTR in C. martinstolli , 17 DTR in C. nepalensis , 15 or 16 DTR and 40–45 MVSR in C. siangensis ); and moderate body size with maximum SVL up to 78.7 mm (vs maximum SVL < 65 mm in C. annapurnaensis , C. bhupathyi , C. chamba , C. himalayicus and maximum SVL > 80 mm in C. cayuensis , C. chitwanensis , C. fasciolatus , and C. martinstolli ); 32–40 tubercles in paravertebral rows (vs 49–58 PVT in C. kamengensis ); 12–14 lamellae under digit I of manus and pes, 16–18 lamellae under digit IV of manus (vs. 14 or 15 under digit I of manus and pes and 18–20 under digit IV of manus in C. martinstolli ). Cyrtodactylus makwanpurgadhiensis sp. nov. is distinguished from the other new species described in this paper as part of its description below.

Description of the holotype.

Adult male in good state of preservation except tail bent towards left, and a 4.0 mm long incision in sternal region for tissue collection (Fig. 3 A – D View Figure 3 ). SVL 66.8 mm, head short ( HL / SVL 0.24), wide ( HW / HL 0.69), not strongly depressed (HD / HL 0.38), distinct from neck. Loreal region inflated, canthus rostralis indistinct. Snout half of head length ( ES / HL 0.44), twice the eye diameter ( ES / ED 2.00); scales on snout and canthus rostralis oval, subequal, smooth, much larger than those on forehead and interorbital region; scales on forehead similar to those on snout and canthus rostralis except slightly smaller; scales on interorbital, occipital, and temporal regions heterogeneous, composed of granular scales intermixed with enlarged, feebly keeled, rounded tubercles (Fig. 4 A View Figure 4 ). Eye small ( ED / HL 0.22), with vertical pupil having crenulated margins; supraciliaries short, larger anteriorly; 15 interorbital scale rows across narrowest point of frontal; 47 scale rows between left and right supraciliaries at mid-orbit (Fig. 4 A, C View Figure 4 ). Ear opening small, oval, deep ( EL / HL 0.10); eye to ear distance much greater than diameter of eye ( EE / ED 1.36) (Fig. 4 C View Figure 4 ). Rostral ~ 2 × wider ( 2.8 mm) than high ( 1.5 mm), incompletely divided dorsally by a strongly developed rostral groove for ~ 1 / 2 of its height; a single enlarged, roughly rectangular supranasal on each side,> 5–6 × the size of upper postnasal, separated from each other behind rostral by a single much smaller internasal scale; rostral in contact with supralabial I, nostril and supranasal, and internasal on either side; nostrils oval, surrounded by three postnasals, supranasal, rostral, and supralabial I on either side; three subequal postnasals on either side; two rows of scales separate orbit from supralabials (Fig. 4 C View Figure 4 ). Mental enlarged, subtriangular, slightly wider ( 2.8 mm) than high ( 2.4 mm); two pairs of postmentals, inner pair roughly triangular, slightly shorter ( 1.7 mm) than mental, in weak contact with each other below mental ( 0.3 mm); inner pair bordered by mental, infralabial I, outer postmental on either side and additionally by 11 slightly enlarged chin shields below; outer postmentals roughly rectangular, much smaller ( 0.8 mm) than inner pair, bordered by inner postmentals, infralabials I and II, and four chin shields on either side, 11 enlarged gular scales between left and right outer postmentals; all chin shields bordering postmentals flattened, subequal, subcircular, smooth, and much smaller than outermost postmentals; scales on rest of throat, granular, much smaller, smooth, and subcircular (Fig. 4 B View Figure 4 ). Infralabials bordered below by a row or two of slightly enlarged, much elongated scales, decreasing in size posteriorly. Eleven supralabials to angle of jaw on either side and eight at midorbital position on left and seven on right side; supralabial I largest, gradually decreasing in size posteriorly; ten infralabials to angle of jaw on left and nine on right side, and seven at midorbital position on either side; infralabial I largest, gradually decreasing in size posteriorly (Fig. 4 C View Figure 4 ).

Body relatively slender ( BW / AGL 0.34), trunk slightly less than half of SVL ( AGL / SVL 0.45) with weak ventrolateral fold (Fig. 5 A – C View Figure 5 ). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; smooth granular scales intermixed with fairly regularly arranged rows of enlarged, feebly keeled, weakly pointed tubercles; granular scales gradually increasing in size towards each flank, largest on mid-flank; granular scales on occiput slightly smaller than paravertebral granular scales; enlarged tubercles in ~ 19 longitudinal rows at midbody; 33 tubercles in paravertebral rows (Fig. 5 A View Figure 5 ). Ventral scales much larger than granular scales on dorsum, subequal from chest to vent, smooth, subcircular and subimbricate with rounded end; scales on precloacal region distinctly enlarged; midbody scale rows across belly 41; 195 scales from mental to anterior border of cloaca and 87 scales between limb insertions (Fig. 5 B View Figure 5 ). A continuous series of nine precloacal pores; femoral pores absent (Fig. 4 D View Figure 4 ).

Scales on palm and soles, smooth, oval or subcircular, subequal and more or less flattened; scales on dorsal aspects of limbs heterogenous; composed of slightly smaller, smooth, subimbricate scales intermixed with enlarged, weakly keeled, weakly pointed tubercles which are slightly larger on thigh and shank than lower arm, enlarged tubercles absent on upper arm; scales on ventral aspect of upper arm smooth, granular, slightly smaller than granular scales on body dorsum, scales on ventral aspect of lower arm much larger than those on upper arm, smooth, subcircular, weakly conical to flattened, and subimbricate; ventral aspect of thigh and shank with enlarged, smooth, roughly rounded, flattened, subimbricate scales, slightly larger and oval on the shank but otherwise similar in size to those on body ventrals (Fig. 3 A, B View Figure 3 ). Forelimbs and hindlimbs slightly long, slender ( LAL / SVL 0.14; CL / SVL 0.17); digits long, with a strong, recurved claw, distinctly inflected, distal portions laterally compressed conspicuously. Digits with mostly unpaired lamellae, separated into a basal and narrower distal series by a single, much enlarged lamella at inflection; basal lamellae series: (5-6 - 6 - 6 - 6 right manus, 3-6 - 7 - 8 - 7 right pes), (5-6 - 5 - 6 - 6 left manus, Fig. 4 E View Figure 4 ; 3 View Figure 3 – 6 View Figure 6 – 7 View Figure 7 – 9 View Figure 9 – 6 View Figure 6 left pes, Fig. 4 F View Figure 4 ); distal lamellae series: (9-10 - 12 - 12 - 11 right manus, 10-11 - 13 - 12 - 14 right pes), (9-10 - 12 - 12 - 11 left manus, Fig. 4 E View Figure 4 ; 10 View Figure 10 –11 – 14 – 13 – 13 left pes, Fig. 4 F View Figure 4 ). Relative length of digits (measurements in mm in parentheses): IV (5.8)> III (5.4)> V (5.1)> II (4.9)> I (3.6) (left manus); IV (7.3)> III (6.9)> V (6.3)> II (5.4)> I (3.6) (left pes).

Tail original, subcylindrical, slender, entire, slightly longer than body ( TL / SVL 1.20) (Fig. 3 C, D View Figure 3 ). Dorsal pholidosis on tail homogeneous; composed of fairly regularly arranged, smooth, subcircular, flattened, and subimbricate scales that are larger than granular scales on midbody dorsum, gradually becoming larger posteriorly and dorsolaterally; a few scattered enlarged tubercles present on the tail base (Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ). Scales on tail venter much larger than those on dorsal aspect, smooth, flattened, subimbricate; median series smooth, variable in size and shape, and not enlarged (Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ). Scales on tail base much smaller, smooth, subimbricate; three subequal and smooth postcloacal tubercles on left and four on right side (Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ).

Colouration in life

(Fig. 6 A View Figure 6 ). Dorsal ground colour of head, body, limbs and tail pale brown, strongly variegated with thick dark brown or black reticulations and pale brown blotches; labials with a few yellow streaks; distinct dark brown pre and postorbital streaks; a discontinuous light mid-vertebral stripe from neck to tail base; 12 dark and 13 pale caudal bands on original tail; rest of ventral surfaces immaculate; iris green-grey with dark reticulations, pupil bordered by pale orange.

Variation and additional information from paratypes

(Figs 6 B View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 ). Mensural, meristic, and additional character state data for the type series is given in Tables 2 View Table 2 , 3 View Table 3 respectively. There are three adult females, two adult males, and a single subadult male ranging in size from 54.9–78.7 mm (Fig. 7 A, B View Figure 7 ). All paratypes resemble the holotype except as follows: Five paratypes — NHM 2025/384 , NHM 2025/385 , NHM 2025/386 , NHM 2025/387 , and NHM 2025/388 with total three internasals, the one touching to rostral is ~ 3 × larger than the remaining two internasals. Inner postmentals bordered by mental, infralabial I, and outer postmental in all paratypes; additionally, bordered by six smaller chin shields in NHM 2025/384 , eight in NHM 2025/385 and NHM 2025/389 , 12 in NHM 2025/386 , seven in NHM 2025/387 , and nine in NHM 2025/388 . Outer postmentals bordered by inner pair and infralabial I & II in all paratypes; additionally, bordered by four smaller chin shields on left and five on right side in NHM 2025/386 and NHM 2025/388 , and by five on either side in NHM 2025/389 . Three paratypes, NHM 2025/385 , NHM 2025/386 , and NHM 2025/388 with original and complete tail, marginally longer than SVL ( TL / SVL 1.14, 1.12, and 1.14 respectively); NHM 2025/389 with complete but partially regenerated tail, which is detached from the body, marginally longer than body ( TL / SVL 1.06); NHM 2025/384 with complete but fully regenerated tail, slightly shorter than body ( TL / SVL 0.85); and NHM 2025/387 with incomplete regenerating tail; original tail distinctly banded and regenerated tail light brown (Fig. 7 A, B View Figure 7 ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a toponym for Makwanpurgadhi (Gadhi = Fort), which is ~ 17 km north-east of Hetauda town, Makwanpur District in Bagmati Province. Makwanpurgadhi is the largest fort in Nepal and was established in the 16 th century during the Sen dynasty. Suggested common name is Makwanpurgadhi bent-toed gecko.

Distribution and natural history.

We spotted ~ 20–25 individuals from ca 1930–2130 hrs on 10 July 2024 between the heights of < 10 cm to ~ 5 m on the walls of Makwanpurgadhi Fort and along roadside walls between Makwanpurgadhi and Hetauda town (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). The walls of the fort were partially covered with algae and had numerous crevices (Fig. 8 A View Figure 8 ). Broadly within the sub-tropical Sal mixed forest belt, there is little natural vegetation around the fort as it is a popular tourist destination with manicured lawns by day, but relatively quiet and calm at night. No disturbances were observed during nighttime sampling, although individuals facing the road are likely to have to contend with lights from passing traffic. We did not sample any forest areas. Other lizards observed here were Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802) and Hemidactylus sp.