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A NEW SPECIES of Lankascincus GREER, 1991 (REPTILIA: SCINCIDAE) from the RAKWANA HILLS of SRI LANKA

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A NEW SPECIES of Lankascincus GREER, 1991 (REPTILIA: SCINCIDAE) from the RAKWANA HILLS of SRI LANKA MAJOR ARTICLE TAPROBANICA, ISSN 1800–427X. May, 2020. Vol. 09, No. 01: pp. 23–30, pls. 9–11. © Research Center for Climate Change, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia www.taprobanica.org urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4ADC5446-7A33-478A-B364-9F06F341E22D A NEW SPECIES OF Lankascincus GREER, 1991 (REPTILIA: SCINCIDAE) FROM THE RAKWANA HILLS OF SRI LANKA Section Editor: Jakob Hallermann Submitted: 17 April 2020, Accepted: 30 April 2020 1,3 1 1,2 L. J. Mendis Wickramasinghe , Dulan Ranga Vidanapathirana & Nethu Wickramasinghe 1 Herpetological Foundation of Sri Lanka, 31/5, Alwis Town, Hendala, Wattala, Sri Lanka 2 Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka 3 Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Abstract A new species of the endemic scincid lizard genus Lankascincus from the Rakwana hills of Sri Lanka, is described. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by possessing the following combination of characters: maximum SVL less than 35.0 mm, prefrontals in broad contact, seven supralabials, last supralabial scale split, 24 mid-body scale rows, 46–48 paravertebrals, 50–51 ventrals, 13–16 lamellae on fourth toe, and a conspicuous dark brown band from snout to mid-tail, gradually fading posteriad. The number of palpebral scales around eye is used as a meristic character in the genus Lankascincus for the first time. Keywords: Central highlands, rainforest, Ristella, South Asia, systematics, taxonomy Introduction central highlands (Lankascincus munindradasai The endemic Sri Lankan lizard genus Wickramasinghe, Rodrigo, Dayawansa et al. Lankascincus Greer, 1991, is a widespread and 2007, and L. sripadensis Wickramasinghe, an abundant group of litter skinks distributed Rodrigo, Dayawansa et al. 2007) were added to throughout the island. In the description of this the inventory of Lankascincus. In the same year, new genus, Greer (1991) recognized six species, two further species were added: L. greeri of which three were new: L. deraniyagalae Batuwita & Pethiyagoda, 2007, and L. Greer, 1991, L. taylori Greer, 1991, and L. gansi dorsicatenatus (Deraniyagala, 1953), the latter Greer, 1991, while the remaining three, was a new combination after the rediscovery of previously allocated to Sphenomorphus, were a paratype from the long-lost type series assigned to this genus: L. taprobanensis (Batuwita & Pethiyagoda 2007). The most (Kelaart, 1854), L. fallax (Peters, 1860), and L. recent comprehensive taxonomic review of deignani (Taylor, 1950). Lankascincus fallax, Lankascincus by Batuwita (2019) recognized which is also the most abundant and widely nine species, while synonymising L. distributed member of the genus, was designated deraniyagalae with L. fallax, and L. the type species (Greer 1991). munindradasai with L. taprobanensis, and Subsequently, two more species from the combining L. megalops (Annandale, 1906). 23 TAPROBANICA VOL. 09: NO. 01 A NEW SPECIES OF Lankascincus FROM THE RAKWANA HILLS OF SRI LANKA These small-sized, slender, terrestrial skinks width of head at the temporo-mandibular are most closely related to the Indian genus articulation / angle of the jaws), head depth (HD, Ristella Gray, 1839. Greer (1991) drew attention dorso-ventral distance between occiput and to the resemblance of the two genera, while throat), snout length (ES, from anterior border of Austin et al. (2004), based on molecular orbit to tip of snout), head width at front-eye evidence, identified them as belonging to a (HWF, width of head at the anterior edge of the distinct lineage. The molecular phylogeny of orbit), head width at back-eye (HWB, width of Pyron et al. (2013) showed Ristella to be the head at the posterior edge of the orbit), orbit sister-group of Lankascincus, while Hedges diameter (ED, the greatest horizontal diameter of (2014) included the two genera in a new family, the orbit), nostril–snout length (NS, from Ristellidae, supported both by molecular and anterior border of nostril to tip of snout), morphological evidence, and identifying a suite internarial distance (IN, shortest dorsal distance of familial autapomorphies. between inner margins of nares), eye–nostril Here we describe a further new species of length (EN, from anterior border of orbit to the Lankascincus, based on a series of specimens posterior border of nostril), tympanum–nostril from the Rakwana hills, which were collected length (TN, from anterior border of tympanum from Southern Province of Sri Lanka. to the posterior border of nostril), tympanum horizontal diameter (THD, greatest horizontal Material and methods diameter of the tympanum), tympanum vertical During field surveys carried out in 2007, we diameter (TVD, greatest vertical diameter of the observed a Lankascincus population in tympanum), tympanum–snout length (TS, from Enasalwatte, in Rakwana (Fig. 1). Four anterior border of tympanum to tip of snout), specimens were collected from this locality. tympanum–eye length (TYE, from posterior These were photographed in life using a Canon border of orbit to anterior border of tympanum), EOS 40D, Canon 100mm F/2.8 IS USM macro antebrachium length (LAL, on the dorsal surface lens, and Canon 580EX II Flash Lite. A tail from the posterior surface of the knee while snipping from the holotype were fixed in 96% flexed 90 degree to the base of the heel), axilla– ethanol for future DNA analysis. The entire groin length (AG, distance between axilla and series was euthanized prior to fixing in 15% groin), tail length (TAL, from tip of tail to formalin and subsequently transferred to 75% posterior margin of vent), tail base width (TBW, ethyl alcohol after one day. greatest width at tail base), and tail base depth The specimens were deposited in the (TBD, greatest depth at tail base), total length National Museum of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri (TL=SVL+TAL, distance from tip of snout to tip Lanka (NMSL) and the National Wildlife of tail). Research and Training Centre, Department of Supralabial and infralabial scales were Wildlife Conservation, Girithale, Sri Lanka counted from the gape to the rostral and mental (DWC). Institutional abbreviations: Field scales, respectively. Ventrals included all scales Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA from the scale posterior to the postmental to the (FMNH); Wildlife Heritage Trust, Sri Lanka last scale bordering the vent, counted along the (WHT); the Natural History Museum, London ventral midline; and subcaudals from the first (BMNH); Smithsonian Institution National scale bordering the vent up to the tail tip, Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, counted along the subcaudal midline. USA (USNM); and the NMSL and DWC. Paravertebral scales were counted from the Museum acronyms are those of Uetz et al. postparietal / nuchal to the level of the posterior (2019). margin of the thigh in a straight line Observations were made using a Leica M50 immediately left of the vertebral column. (×10–40) microscope, on the left side of the Subdigital lamellae were counted from the first specimens. The following measurements were proximal enlarged lamella wider than the largest taken to the nearest 0.1 mm with a Mitutoyo palm scale to the distal-most lamella at the base digital calliper (each measurement was taken of the claw. Total number of longitudinal scale three times and the mean recorded): snout–vent rows was counted around the midbody (AG/2, at length (SVL, from tip of snout to anterior half-length of axilla–groin length). Sex was margin of vent), head length (HL, from posterior determined by the throat colouration, and the edge of the retro-articular process of the presence or absence of hemipenes by mandible to tip of snout), head width (HW, illuminating the base of the tail. 24 TAPROBANICA VOL. 09: NO. 01 WICKRAMASINGHE ET AL. 2020 Taxonomy supraocular and primary temporals anteriorly, Lankascincus merrill sp. nov. upper secondary temporal and dorso-nuchal (Figs. 1–5, Table 1) scales posteriorly; nasal non-fused; loreals two; anterior loreal touching prefrontal, frontonasal, st nd Holotype. Adult male, NMSL 2011.01.01, SVL nasal, 1 and 2 supralabials, and posterior 34.9 mm, collected from Enasalwatte Estate, loreal; posterior loreal larger than anterior loreal, Sinharaja Division (Army Camp Forest), longer on longitudinal axis, touching prefrontal, anterior loreal, 2nd supralabial, two preoculars, Rakwana Hills, Matara District, Southern st Province, Sri Lanka (06º23' N, 080º36' E, alt. and 1 supraciliary; preoculars two, lower preocular larger, touching upper preocular, 1,040 m a.s.l.), by D.R. Vidanapathirana, N. nd rd st Ranwella, and L.J.M. Wickramasinghe, on 25 posterior loreal, 2 and 3 supralabials, 1 November 2007. subocular and palpebral scales; supraciliaries Paratypes (n=3). Adult females, NMSL nine, placed between supraocular and upper 2011.01.02, SVL 33.7 mm and DWC palpebrals; upper palpebrals 17, placed between 2011.05.02, SVL 34.0 mm; adult male, DWC eye and supraciliary row; lower palpebrals 17, 2011.05.01, SVL 32.8 mm; same locality as placed between eye and subocular row; suboculars ten, smaller than supralabials, holotype; collected by D.R. Vidanapathirana and rd th L.J.M. Wickramasinghe, on 28 December 2007. touching 3 –6 supralabials ventrally, lower postoculars and primary temporal scale posteriorly, last subocular touching lower and Diagnosis. Lankascincus merrill sp. nov. is upper primary temporals, lower anterior and distinguished from its congeners by possessing posterior postoculars; anterior postoculars two, the following combination of characters: upper one larger than lower; posterior maximum SVL 32.8–34.9 mm; prefrontals in postoculars three, larger than anterior contact; seven supralabials, the last one split; 24 postoculars, touching pretemporals and primary mid-body scale rows; 46–48 paravertebrals; 50– temporals; pretemporals two, lower one larger 51 ventrals; 8–10 and 13–16 lamellae on fourth than upper, touching parietals, secondary finger and fourth toe, respectively; and a temporals and primary temporals; primary conspicuous dark-brown band from snout to temporals two, upper one larger, lower one mid-tail, gradually fading posteriad.
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