TY - JOUR

T1 - Towards completion of the species inventory of small-sized leaf-tailed geckos

T2 - two new species of Uroplatus from northern Madagascar

AU - Ratsoavina, Fanomezana M.

AU - Glaw, Frank

AU - Raselimanana, Achille P.

AU - Rakotoarison, Andolalao

AU - Vieites, David R.

AU - Hawlitschek, Oliver

AU - Vences, Miguel

AU - Scherz, Mark D.

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to numerous friends and colleagues for their assistance in the field, in particular to P. Bora, P-S. Geh-ring, E. Z. Lattenkamp, J. and C. Patton, E. Rajeriarison, T. Rajoafiarison, Z. Rakotomalala, R. T. Rakotonindrina, O. Randriamalala, F. Randrianasolo, R.-D. Randrianiaina, S. Rasamison, S. M. Rasolonjatovo, A. Razafimanantsoa and J. H. Razafindraibe. We thank the Malagasy authorities and MNP (Madagascar National Parks) for issuing re- search and export permits to collect the specimens studied here. This work received logistic and financial support by MICET, Volkswagen Foundation and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant VE 247/13-1), the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (project 11253064), BIOPAT, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grants CGL2009-10198 and CGL2017-89898-R (AEI/FEDER, UE)). Funding Information: We are grateful to numerous friends and colleagues for their assistance in the field, in particular to P. Bora, P-S. Gehring, E. Z. Lattenkamp, J. and C. Patton, E. Rajeriarison, T. Rajoafiarison, Z. Rakotomalala, R. T. Rakotonindrina, O. Randriamalala, F. Randrianasolo, R.-D. Randrianiaina, S. Rasamison, S. M. Rasolonjatovo, A. Razafimanantsoa and J. H. Razafindraibe. We thank the Malagasy authorities and MNP (Madagascar National Parks) for issuing research and export permits to collect the specimens studied here. This work received logistic and financial support by MICET, Volkswagen Foundation and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant VE 247/13-1), the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (project 11253064), BIOPAT, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grants CGL2009-10198 and CGL2017-89898-R (AEI/FEDER, UE)). Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Press.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - The northern part of Madagascar is well known for its high species diversity and endemism. Exceptional species richness is related to the existence of large forest blocks and mountain complexes. These areas shelter a diverse variety of habitats occupied by a wide diversity of species, including leaf-tailed geckos of the genus Uroplatus. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we here formally name two evolutionary lineages as new species that previously had been considered as candidate species (Uroplatus spp. Ca3 and Ca4), both small-sized species of the Uroplatus ebenaui group. Genetically, both new species are related to U. finiavana with a genetic divergence (uncorrected pairwise distance) of 10.3-12.8% in a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, and separated from each other by 10.3-10.7%. Uroplatus fangorn sp. nov. is described from the Marojejy massif and is also known from Andrevorevo, Lohanandroranga and Sorata; it is similar to U. ebenaui and U. fetsy but is distinguishable by its rather short tail and only partially black pigmented oral mucosa. Uroplatus fivehy sp. nov. is described from the Sorata Massif and is wider-ranging, occurring in an area from Marotandrano and Makira to Sorata, comprising Marojejy, Anjanaharibe-Sud, Ankitsika and Betaolana; it is morphologically similar to U. finiavana but distinguishable by tail size and shape. Both newly described species are found in rainforest from mid to high elevation and range respectively from 840-1417 m for U. fivehy sp nov. and 1300-1800 m for U. fangorn sp. nov. According to their respective geographical distributions, we propose to classify the two new species as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List criteria, due to their occurrence in some forests outside of the protected area network plus the continuing decline of forest patches in the north of Madagascar.

AB - The northern part of Madagascar is well known for its high species diversity and endemism. Exceptional species richness is related to the existence of large forest blocks and mountain complexes. These areas shelter a diverse variety of habitats occupied by a wide diversity of species, including leaf-tailed geckos of the genus Uroplatus. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we here formally name two evolutionary lineages as new species that previously had been considered as candidate species (Uroplatus spp. Ca3 and Ca4), both small-sized species of the Uroplatus ebenaui group. Genetically, both new species are related to U. finiavana with a genetic divergence (uncorrected pairwise distance) of 10.3-12.8% in a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, and separated from each other by 10.3-10.7%. Uroplatus fangorn sp. nov. is described from the Marojejy massif and is also known from Andrevorevo, Lohanandroranga and Sorata; it is similar to U. ebenaui and U. fetsy but is distinguishable by its rather short tail and only partially black pigmented oral mucosa. Uroplatus fivehy sp. nov. is described from the Sorata Massif and is wider-ranging, occurring in an area from Marotandrano and Makira to Sorata, comprising Marojejy, Anjanaharibe-Sud, Ankitsika and Betaolana; it is morphologically similar to U. finiavana but distinguishable by tail size and shape. Both newly described species are found in rainforest from mid to high elevation and range respectively from 840-1417 m for U. fivehy sp nov. and 1300-1800 m for U. fangorn sp. nov. According to their respective geographical distributions, we propose to classify the two new species as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List criteria, due to their occurrence in some forests outside of the protected area network plus the continuing decline of forest patches in the north of Madagascar.

KW - Gekkonidae

KW - Squamata

KW - Uroplatus fangorn sp. nov.

KW - Uroplatus fivehy sp. nov.

U2 - 10.11646/zootaxa.4895.2.5

DO - 10.11646/zootaxa.4895.2.5

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33756904

AN - SCOPUS:85097680241

VL - 4895

SP - 251

EP - 271

JO - Zootaxa

JF - Zootaxa

SN - 1175-5326

IS - 2

ER -