From the heart of Urpad: records of Cyrtodactylus bapme Kamei & Mahony, 2021 (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Assam, India, with comments on the pre-cloacal region in males

Authors

  • Manmath Bharali Help Earth, 16, Raghunath Choudhury Path, Lachitnagar, Guwahati, Assam 781007, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8173-5479
  • Pranjal Swargiary Help Earth, 16, Raghunath Choudhury Path, Lachitnagar, Guwahati, Assam 781007, India.
  • Tejas Mariswamy Goalpara Forest Division, Goalpara, Assam 783101, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2099-3954
  • Madhurima Das Department of Zoology, Assam Don Bosco University, Sonapur, Assam 782402, India.
  • Jayaditya Purkayastha Help Earth, 16, Raghunath Choudhury Path, Lachitnagar, Guwahati, Assam 781007, India.
  • Sanath Chandra Bohra Help Earth, 16, Raghunath Choudhury Path, Lachitnagar, Guwahati, Assam 781007, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7057-2723

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9735.18.5.28998-29002

Keywords:

ND2, lizard, morphology, phylogenetic analysis, taxonomy

Abstract

Cyrtodactylus bapme Kamei & Mahony, 2021, a member of the C. khasiensis group, was originally described from the East Garo Hills of Meghalaya based on four female specimens. Due to the absence of males in the type series, the species was diagnosed primarily using pitted femoral scales in females, which were assumed to correspond to precloacal pores in males. In this study, we report the first records of C. bapme from Assam, India, based on specimens collected from the hills surrounding Urpad Beel in Goalpara District. Our findings include the first description of males of this species and provide detailed morphological data on precloacal pores and pitted scales, thereby refining its diagnostic features. Molecular phylogenetic analysis confirms the conspecificity of the Assam population with C. bapme from Meghalaya, with a low genetic divergence of 1.3–3.5% in the mitochondrial ND2 gene.

References

Agarwal, I., A.M. Bauer, T.R. Jackman & K.P. Karanth (2014). Insights into Himalayan biogeography from geckos: a molecular phylogeny of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 80: 145–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.07.018

Agarwal, I., S. Mahony, V.B. Giri, R. Chaitanya & A.M. Bauer (2018a). Two new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with comments on name-bearing types from northeast India. Zootaxa 4420(3): 334–356. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4420.3.2

Agarwal, I., S. Mahony, V.B. Giri, R. Chaitanya & A.M. Bauer (2018b). Six new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northeast India. Zootaxa 4524(5): 501–535. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4524.5.1.

Bauer, A.M. (2003). Descriptions of seven new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with a key to the species of Myanmar (Burma). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 54: 463–498.

Bharali, M., K. Thaosen, M. Vabeiryureilai, H.T. Lalremsanga, J. Purkayastha, R. Bhattacharjee, M. Das, S.C. Bohra & A.K. Hazarika (2026). A new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the montane forests of Dima Hasao District, Assam, India. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 19(1): 85–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2025.06.008

Bohra, S.C., H.T. Zonunsanga, M. Das, J. Purkayastha, L. Biakzuala & H.T. Lalremsanga (2022). Morphological and molecular phylogenetic data reveal another new species of Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus Gray: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Mizoram, India. Journal of Natural History 56(41–44): 1585–1608. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2022.2119178

Boruah, B., S. Narayanan, N.A. Aravind, S. Lalronunga, V. Deepak & A. Das (2024). Description of six new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northeastern India. Vertebrate Zoology 74: 453–486. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.74.e124752

Darevsky, I.S., N. Helfenberger, N.L. Orlov & K.B. Shah (1998). Two new species of the genus Gonydactylus (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from eastern Nepal. Russian Journal of Herpetology 4(2): 89–93. https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-1997-4-2-89-93

Grismer, L.L., Jr. P.L. Wood, N.A. Poyarkov, M.D. Le, F. Kraus , I. Agarwal, P.M. Oliver , S.N. Nguyen, T.Q. Nguyen, S. Karunarathna, L.J. Welton, B.L. Stuart, V.Q. Luu, A.M. Bauer, K.A. O’Connell, E.S.H. Quah, K.O. Chan, T. Ziegler, H. Ngo, R.A. Nazarov, A. Aowphol, S. Chomdej, C. Suwannapoom, C.D. Siler, S. Anuar, N.V. Tri & J.L. Grismer (2021). Phylogenetic partitioning of the third-largest vertebrate genus in the world, Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Reptilia; Squamata; Gekkonidae) and its relevance to taxonomy and conservation. Vertebrate Zoology 71: 101–154. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e59307

Kamei, R.G. & S. Mahony (2021). A new species of Bent-toed Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827) from the Garo Hills, Meghalaya State, north-east India, and discussion of morphological variation for C. urbanus. Herpetological Journal 31(3): 177–196. https://doi.org/10.33256/31.3.177196

Lalremsanga, H.T., H. Chinliansiama, S.C. Bohra, L. Biakzuala, M. Vabeiryureilai, L. Muansanga, F. Malsawmdawngliana, G.Z. Hmar, H.T Decemson, V. Siammawii, M. Das & J. Purkayastha (2022). A new Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus Gray: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the state of Mizoram, India. Zootaxa 5093(4): 465–482. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5093.4.5

Lalremsanga, H.T., Z. Colney, M. Vabeiryureilai, F. Malsawmdawngliana, S.C. Bohra, L. Biakzuala, L. Muansanga, M. Das & J. Purkayastha (2023). It‘s all in the name: another new Cyrtodactylus Gray (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northern Mizoram, north-east India. Zootaxa 5369(4): 553–575. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5369.4.5

Li, P.P. (2007). Description of a new subspecies of Cyrtodactylus khasiensis from China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 32: 733–737.

Mahony, S. (2009). Taxonomic status of Cyrtodactylus khasiensis tamaiensis (Smith, 1940) and description of a new species allied to Cyrtodactylus chrysopylos Bauer, 2003 from Myanmar (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Hamadryad 34(1): 62–74.

Mahony, S & R.G. Kamei (2022). A new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Manipur State, northeast India, with a critical review highlighting extensive errors in literature covering bent-toed geckos of the Indo-Burma region. Journal of Natural History 55(39–40): 2445–2480. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2021.1994667

Mirza, Z.A., H. Bhosale, F. Ansari, P. Phansalkar, M. Sawant, G. Gowande & H. Patel (2021). A new species of geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Evolutionary Systematics 5: 13–23. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.5.61667

Mirza, Z.A., H.S. Bhosale, T. Thackeray, P. Phansalkar, M. Sawant, G.G. Gowande & H. Patel (2022). A new species of Bent-toed geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 from western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Herpetozoa 35: 65–76. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e80610

Purkayastha, J., M. Das, S.C. Bohra, A.M. Bauer & I. Agarwal (2020). Another new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Guwahati, Assam, India. Zootaxa 4732 (3): 375–392. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4732.3.2

Purkayastha, J., H.T. Lalremsanga, S.C. Bohra, L. Biakzuala, H. Decemson, L. Muansanga, M. Vabeiryureilai, S. Chauhan & Y.S. Rathee (2021). Four new Bent-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus Gray: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northeast India. Zootaxa 4980(3): 451–489. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4980.3.2

Purkayastha, J., H.T. Lalremsanga, B. Litho, Y.S. Rathee, S.C. Bohra, M. Vabeiryureilai, L. Biakzuala & L. Muansanga (2022). Two new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from northeast India. European Journal of Taxonomy 794: 111–139. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2022.794.1659

Smith, M.A. (1935). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II. Sauria. Taylor and Francis, London, xiii + 440 pp., 1 pl., 1 folding map.

Uetz, P., P. Freed & J. Hošek (2024). The reptile database. http://www.reptiledatabase.org. Accessed on 3.xi.2024).

Wood, Jr. P.L., M.P Heinicke, T.R. Jackman & A.M. Bauer (2012). Phylogeny of Bent-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus) reveals a west to east pattern of diversification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65: 992–1003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.08.025

Downloads

Published

26-05-2026

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 5 (2026)

Section

Notes

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Manmath Bharali, Pranjal Swargiary, Tejas Mariswamy, Madhurima Das, Jayaditya Purkayastha, Sanath Chandra Bohra

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.