New Species by FTEHCR

2010   Asaccus granularis
2011  Asaccus andersoni / Asaccus barani / Asaccus iranicus
          Asaccus tangestanensis / Asaccus zagrosicus
          Carinatogecko stevenandersoni / Cyrtopodion kiabii / Hemidactylus romeshkanicus Torki 2011/ Lytorhynchus levitoni Torki 2017/  Xerotyphlops luristanicus Torki 2017


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2011

Description of a new Asaccus (Sauria: Phyllodactylidae) from Iran

 

Farhang TORKI, Behzad FATHINIA, Haji Ali ROSTAMI, Ahmad GHARZI &

Farzaneh NAZARI-SERENJEH

 

Abstract

Field research on the western Iranian herpetofauna led to the discovery of a new species of Asaccus in Illam province, near the Iraqi border. The relatively large new species is clearly distinct from all other known phyllodactylid geckos and is described and differentiated from the latter in detail. Additionally, observations on the natural history and ecology of the new species are summarized. A key to the species of Asaccus occurring on the Iranian Plateau is provided.

 

Key words: Phyllodactylidae: Asaccus andersoni sp. n.: morphology; biology; ecology; Asaccus spp.; Iran: Illam Province.

 

Diagnosis

A relatively large species (maximum SVL 66.2 mm); two or three pairs of postmentals, first pair of postmentals separated by mental; dorsal sides of body, neck and head (including interorbital and snout region) covered with small globular granular scales; granules on dorsum are more or less elevated and less sharp on the tail than on the back, and also less sharp than in other species of the genus Asaccus; dorsal faces of arms and legs covered with scales (not granules); scansors large; tubercles on occiput and upper head, partly also on forearm and hind limbs; upper arms without tubercles; tubercles on hind limbs moderately large to small; dorsal tubercles pointed or not; dorsolateral tubercles pointed or slightly keeled; tubercles on forearm not pointed; tubercles on hind limbs keeled or pointed; tubercles on upper head smaller than those on dorsum; digital scansors extend up to claw; distinct sexual dichromatism with the male being darker than the female; dorsal ground colour silvery in females and yellowish orange in males for which reason the orange spotted pattern is more distinct in females than in males.

SAURIA, Berlin, 2011, 33 (1): 51–61

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Asaccus barani Torki et al. 2011 Asaccus tangestanensis Torki et al. 2011

Description of four new Asaccus Dixon and Anderson, 1973 (Reptilia: Phyllodactylidae) from Iran and Turkey

 

Farhang Torki, Faraham Ahmadzadeh, Çetin Ilgaz, Aziz Avcı, Yusuf Kumluta

 

Abstract. One new Asaccus from the Anatolian plateau and three new Asaccus from the Iranian plateau are described as follows. (1) Asaccus barani sp. nov.: diagnosed by strongly heterogeneous dorsal tubercles; (2) Asaccus iranicus sp. nov.: diagnosed by small body size and digits (forelimbs) parallel joint to palm; (3) Asaccus tangestanensis sp. nov.: by having enlarged trihedral tubercles all over the dorsal body; (4) Asaccus zagrosicus sp. nov.: secondary postmentals are not in contact with lowerlabials (100% of specimens). Other important data on the new Asaccus are given in detail in the text.

 

Keywords: Asaccus barani sp. nov., Asaccus iranicus sp. nov., Asaccus tangestanensis sp. nov., Asaccus zagrosicus sp. nov., Iran, Phyllodactylidae, Turkey.

Diagnosis

Medium size gecko; large size Asaccus (49-57 mm); thin body; thin, elongated limbs; tail is longer than body; trihedral tubercles (type b) all over the dorsal body including the back, limbs, head; special tubercles (strongly keeled, elevated and trihedral) in front of eye and between the eyes and ears; claws in front of scansore. Two large postmentals, first in contact; rostral is not divided in upper region; internasal scales elongated and crescent shaped, distinct with one scale or in contact; several small scales on posterior of postnasal scale; a special pattern includes six crossbands on dorsal side (from occipital region to proximal of tail); some specimens have one crossband on neck and one crossbands on occipital, and in general crossbands are only present from the occipital into the tail and not extended into other region; three crossbands on the first half of the original tail; two or three rings on secondary part of the original tail; other regions of the body including limbs, head, and ventral sides are without any pattern; in some specimens regenerated tails have black rings, and in others there is no pattern (dorsal and ventral side) and have whitish color (similar to ventral of body). The color is very translucent in live specimens, because we could see abdomen components such as digestive and vascular system clearly visible; in live females an egg in the abdomen was visible; dorsal crossbands or spots are colorless (pallid brownish); pattern on limbs is pallid with typically no pattern on limbs in most of the specimens; upper eyes are completely emerald or green; center of scansor is reddish.

Amphibia-Reptilia 32 (2011): 185-202

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Asaccus zagrosicus Torki et al. 2011

Description of four new Asaccus Dixon and Anderson, 1973 (Reptilia: Phyllodactylidae) from Iran and Turkey

 

Farhang Torki, Faraham Ahmadzadeh, Çetin Ilgaz, Aziz Avcı, Yusuf Kumluta

 

Abstract. One new Asaccus from the Anatolian plateau and three new Asaccus from the Iranian plateau are described as follows. (1) Asaccus barani sp. nov.: diagnosed by strongly heterogeneous dorsal tubercles; (2) Asaccus iranicus sp. nov.: diagnosed by small body size and digits (forelimbs) parallel joint to palm; (3) Asaccus tangestanensis sp. nov.: by having enlarged trihedral tubercles all over the dorsal body; (4) Asaccus zagrosicus sp. nov.: secondary postmentals are not in contact with lowerlabials (100% of specimens). Other important data on the new Asaccus are given in detail in the text.

 

Keywords: Asaccus barani sp. nov., Asaccus iranicus sp. nov., Asaccus tangestanensis sp. nov., Asaccus zagrosicus sp. nov., Iran, Phyllodactylidae, Turkey.

Diagnosis

Medium size Asaccus (44-55 mm); tubercles are distributed in dorsal body, neck, occipital, limbs, and tail; dorsal tubercles are small, keeled, trihedral type b intermixed with pointed tubercles; 16-18 irregular rows at midtrunk; neck tubercles are weakly keeled or pointed; occipital and upper head tubercles are pointed or simple; few simple tubercles between interorbit; few large tubercles (simple or pointed) are in front of eyes; arm and forearm tubercles are pointed; thigh tubercles are pointed or keeled; arm tubercles have low density; several simple or weakly keeled tubercles on the forearm; 8 tubercles form each whorls of tail; scales on upper head are cobble-stone shaped; scale weakly globular shape between the eyes; two postmentals, secondary postmentals not in contact with lowerlabial (separated from lower labials with 1-3 rows scales); small and weakly overlapped chin scales; between inter hindlimbs scales have same shape and size to ventrals; mental trihedral; claves in front of scansors.

Amphibia-Reptilia 32 (2011): 185-202

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Carinatogecko stevenandersoni Torki 2011

Description of a new species of Carinatogecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Iran

 

Farhang Torki

 

Abstract

A new keel-scaled gecko, Carinatogecko stevenandersoni sp. n. (Squamata: Gekkonidae) is described from mate­rial collected in scattered oak forest habitats of the temperate climatic region on the western slope of the Zagros Mountains in the Delphan region, northern Lorestan province, Iran, in 2007 and 2008. It is a large Carinatogecko (snout-vent length more than 35 mm) that is distinct from all other species of its genus by its scales and tubercles all over body being strongly keeled (except labials, nasals and chin scales); 3-4 postmentals; enlarged tubercles on dorsum, head, limbs; enlarged and tri­hedral tubercles posterior to the labials; ventral scales smaller than dorsals; dorsal body colour brownish, venter dirty white; dark crossbars on dorsum, limbs, digits, and tail. Some information about the ecology, biology and conservation of the new species is provided. Comparisons with other species of Carinatogecko are presented and a key to the genus is provided.

 

Key words. Squamata, Gekkonidae, Carinatogecko, C. stevenandersoni new species, C. heteropholis, C. aspratilis, Lorestan, Iran.

 

Diagnosis

A relatively small gecko, but a large Carinatogecko (snout–vent length more than 35 mm); scales and tubercles all over body strongly keeled (except labials, nasals and chin scales); dorsal scales heterogene­ous; enlarged tubercles on dorsum, head, and limbs; en­larged trihedral tubercles posterior to labials and anteri­or to eyes; ventral scales smaller than dorsal scales; dorsal scales on limbs homogeneous; 3-4 postmentals; lamellae in adults and juveniles elevated, swollen and broad; ven­tral side of tail without large plate-like scales; 14-17 regu­lar longitudinal rows of tubercles on back; dorsal body col­our brownish, venter dirty white; complete dark crossbars (regular or irregular) across dorsum, limbs, digits, and tail; dorsal side of head spotted; supralabials completely (in ju­venile) or partly (in adults) dark; subdigital lamellae dis­tinctly brownish.

SALAMANDRA, 47(2): 103–111

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Cyrtopodion kiabii Ahmadzadeh et al. 2011

A new species of angular-toed gecko, genus Cyrtopodion (Squamata: Gekkonidae), from southern Iran

 

FARAHAM AHMADZADEH1, MORRIS FLECKS, FARHANG TORKI & WOLFGANG BÖHME

 

Abstract

We describe a new species of the genus Cyrtopodion from the coastal area of Bushehr Province in southern Iran based on morphometric and pholidotic data. Cyrtopodion kiabii sp. nov. belongs to the agamuroides-group and the key characters to distinguish this species from all other members of the group are the lower number of ventrals and the extremely slender habitus with long and delicate legs. Resulting from pholidosis, the observed presence of sexual dimorphism, and distribution we suggest a close relationship with C. gastropholis, which is also reviewed herein.

 

Key words: Cyrtopodion agamuroides-group, sexual dimorphism, taxonomy

 

Diagnosis

A small and slender Cyrtopodion species of the agamuroides-group with angular-shaped toes and a maximal snout-vent length of 46.9 mm. Limbs are very long and thin, so that knee and elbow—at least in males—meet when pressed alongside the straightened body. The head width is less than two thirds of the head length and the neck is about half as wide as the head, underlining the overall appearance, which is even more delicate than in the other species of the agamuroides-group. The eyes are large in relation to the short snout, which is barely longer than the diameter of the orbit (fig. 2). Due to the swollen nasals, the nostrils seem to be mounted. Postmentals are distinctly larger than the posterior gular scales, whereas Agamura has small, indistinguishable postmentals. The anterior pair of postmentals may be in contact or separated from each other by a diminutive median scale (fig. 2). Ventrals are large, with ten to twelve scales transversely across midbody (fig. 3), which is less in number than in the related species (14 to 18 in C. gastropholis, 22 to 28 in C. golubevi, 28 to 32 in C. persepolense, and 28 to 38 in C. agamuroides). Longitudinally, there are 98 to 104 scales between the mental and the vent, which is at the upper end of the variation observed within C. gastropholis and less than in the remaining species. Subdigital lamellae are not tuberculous as in Bunopus. Numbers under the fourth finger and fourth toe range from 22 to 24 and 25 to 28, respectively. Males possess four active preanal pores (fig. 4), separating the species from C. agamuroides which has only two. The subfemoral scales are larger than the surrounding scales, but no femoral pores or femoral tubercles are developed, distinguishing it from all members of the subgenus Tenuidactylus. Dorsal tubercles are roundish and equal to or larger than interspaces (versus trihedral and smaller than interspaces in the subgenus Cyrtopodion) and arranged in nine rows along the back. The tail is whorled and distinct caudal tubercles are present, both characters further discriminating this species from Agamura. The tubercles form the terminal row of each whorl opposed to being located in the middle of each whorl as in Mediodactylus. The subcaudal scalation is homogenous, a character practicable to distinguish all members of the agamuroides-group from the otherwise similar C. kirmanense which has a heterogeneous scalation under the tail. Subcaudals are arranged in a single row of transversely enlarged scales, as in C. gastropholis and C. golubevi, whereas, in C. persepolense the enlarged subcaudals are bifurcated and form a double row. In contrast, C. agamuroides does not have distinctly enlarged subcaudals. A comparison of the diagnostic characters of the agamuroides-group is shown in table 1.

 

Zootaxa 2924: 22–32 (2011)

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2010

Asaccus granularis Torki 2010

Description of a new Asaccus (Reptilia: Phyllodactylidae) from Lorestan Province, Iran

 

Farhang Torki

 

Abstract

A new species of Asaccus is described from the western Iranian Plateau, Lorestan Province. Its morphology is compared in detail to all other species defined as yet. Like all other species the new one appears to be limited to a small geographical area, and the possible reasons for this distribution pattern are discussed. An overview of the distribution ranges of all Iranian species is presented, with a new locality for A. nasrullahi and an adjusted range for A. elisae.

 

Key words: Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria: Phyllodactylidae; Asaccus granularis sp. n.; morphology; ontogenetic variation; ecology; distribution; Asaccus nasrullahi, A. elisae: range; Asia: Iran: Lorestan Province.

 

Diagnosis

The following character states are of diagnostic importance for the differentiation of Asaccus granularis sp. n. vis-à-vis the other Iranian species of Asaccus: relatively large SVL (max. 70.2 mm); moderately long tail (TL:SVL appr. 1:1); head flattened (HW/ HL 0.63); limbs long (HL/SVL 0.60); no tubercles on head or neck; few or no tubercles in the shoulder region; dorsal tubercles conical and very pointed dorsolaterally and in the surroundings of the limbs in particular; 2 or 3 pairs of postmentals, the first pair in broad contact behind the mental (Fig. 7); dorsum covered with granular scales and tubercles; the size of the granular dorsal scales corresponds to 1/4 of the dorsal tubercles; granular scales on the head relatively large; 12–16 irregular rows of dorsal tubercles; ventral sides of the fore limbs covered with granular scales; large dark spots on the dorsum, some of which may suggest crossbars; limbs with distinct bands on the dorsal faces; no indications of shadow-like crossbars on the dorsum.

SAURIA, Berlin, 2010, 32 (4): 3–16

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2017

Lytorhynchus levitoni TORKI, 2017

Diagnosis. A species of the genus Lytorhynchus, characterised by (1) rostral truncate, (2) high number of ventral and subcaudal scales (227, 69), (3) 1 preocular, 1 postocular, and temporals 1+1, (4) 15 longitudinal rows of dorsal scales at midbody, (5) without pattern on dorsal or ventral portions of body and tail except for one V-shaped band on neck and dark markings on the head. 

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Xerotyphlops luristanicus TORKI, 2017

Diagnosis: A stout-bodied blind snake, small body size (maximum: 219 mm), moderate body form, short tail, rostral moderate. X. luristanicus sp. n. can easily be distinguished from all other Xerotyphlops species by the combination of the following characters: right side hemipenis in a single coil, left side curved, not straight; segmented testis; 22- 24 longitudinal scales rows; scale reduction present or not; 355-398 transverse scale rows at mid-body; 10-12 subcaudals; supralabial imbrication pattern T-III; parietal is apparently fused as there is no suture in the middle of this bone on the external side, on the internal side a groove is observed in this place; exoccipital is completely separated from supraoccipital; the dorsal body has strong uniform pigmentation throughout while in contrast all ventral scales lack pigmentation.