We present a catalogue and systematic overview of Uropeltidae Müller, 1832 based on both new and previously published molecular and morphological data, and a new molecular phylogenetic analysis. We support the monophyly and distinctiveness of

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We describe a cryptic new species of gecko of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala. This medium-sized Cnemaspis species is differentiated from all other Indian congeners by a suite of the following distinct morphological characters: heterogeneous mid-dorsal scales, 6–7 supralabials; 113–120 paravertebral rows of tubercles; 71–85 mid-dorsal scales; absence of spine-like tubercles on flanks; subimbricate, smooth ventral scales; 135–140 mid-ventral scales; subdigital lamellae under fourth digit of manus 23–25; subdigital lamellae under fourth digit of pes 24–25; males with 7–8 precloacal pores; median row of subcaudals enlarged, smooth, a series of two large scales alternating, containing one divided scale; head and neck colouration brownish-yellow, consistent in adult males; adult females with orange coloured head and neck. Recent new descriptions of Cnemaspis species together with the present discovery show that the southern Western Ghats species have been overlooked by previous studies. Therefore we suggest further studies to evaluate the diversity of Cnemaspis in this region.

A new species belonging to the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 is described from the Rangana Fort mountain range of the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India. A preliminary 16S rRNA phylogeny of Indian Cnemaspis is provided and the phylogenetic position of the new species is established within the goaensis clade. The new species, Cnemaspis ranganaensis sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from all Indian congeners by having 3 or 4 spine-like tubercles on the flanks, conical tubercles absent on flank, dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous, presence of precloacal and femoral pores in males, 8 or 9 poreless scales between femoral and precloacal pores; gular scales flat, smooth; 93–101 paravertebral scales, 59–63 mid-dorsal scales; 93–101 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca, 30–31 scales across belly; ventral scales smooth, imbricate; tail with small, granular, keeled, pointed, subimbricate scales intermixed with enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles forming whorls; scales on ventral side of tail imbricate, smooth, with three rows of large, slightly elongated median subcaudals. The new species is closely related to C. goaensis, from which it differs by a genetic divergence of 1.9-3.0%. Molecular phylogenetic reconstruction supports the distinctiveness of the new species.

Cnemaspis flaviventralis, a new species of day gecko, is described from the forests of Amboli, Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra State, northern Western Ghats, India.  The new species was previously confused with the sympatric species Cnemaspis girii, C. indraneildasii, C. kolhapurensis and C. goaensis.  It is distinguished from C. giri by having spine-like tubercles on flanks, granular dorsal scales intermixed with large, depressed, slightly keeled scales (vs. lack of spine-like tubercles on flanks, granular dorsal scales, intermixed with large smooth scales); from C. indraneildasii by having dorsal scales heterogeneous (vs. homogenous), lacking a series of enlarged median sub-caudal scales, and 28–29 (vs. 20) ventral scales across mid-body; from C. kolhapurensis by having heterogeneous (vs. homogenous) dorsal scalation, lacking spine-like tubercles on flanks and lacking pre-cloacal pores (vs. 24–28 pre-cloacal-femoral pores); and from C. goaensis by lacking pre-cloacal pores and lacking a series of enlarged median sub-caudal scales.  We further provide partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences for the new species and for the sympatric species C. girii, C. kolhapurensis and C. goaensis, and show that the new species is genetically distinct.