A third new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Truong Son Range, Vietnam

Researchers have identified a third new species of bent-toed gecko, Cyrtodactylus roesleri, within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam. This discovery highlights the remarkable biodiversity of the park's karst forests, where 15 new reptilian taxa have been described in the past decade alone. C. roesleri is distinguished by its small size (up to 75.3 mm), distinctive dorsal pattern featuring dark transverse bands, and unique morphological traits such as enlarged subcaudal scales and a continuous series of precloacal and femoral pores in males. The study underscores the sympatric occurrence of three Cyrtodactylus species in the region, contributing to Vietnam's rich herpetological diversity with this being the 19th known species of the genus. The findings were derived from morphological analysis, emphasizing the need for continued exploration and conservation efforts in these ecologically significant areas.

ZIEGLER, T., NAZAROV, R., ORLOV, N., NGUYEN, T. Q., VU, T. N., DANG, K. N., DINH, T. H., & SCHMITZ, A. (2010). A third new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Truong Son Range, Vietnam. Zootaxa, 2413(1). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2413.1.2