Historical considerations and comments on the type series of Cyrtodactylus marmoratus Gray, 1831, with an updated comparative table for the bent-toed geckos of the Sunda Islands and Sulawesi

Abstract

Cyrtodactylus marmoratus Gray, 1831, a species of bent-toed gecko exhibiting a precloacal groove in males, was described on the basis of specimens collected by Heinrich Kuhl and Johan Conrad van Hasselt in Java, Greater Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Kluge (1985) subsequently designated a lectotype for C. marmoratus from a series of these specimens (i.e., syntypes), now housed in the herpetological collection at Naturalis (formerly the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie; RMNH), Leiden, the Netherlands. Our work at Naturalis shows that the type series of C. marmoratus at RMNH actually comprises two sets of specimens, and that examination of specimens from one set or the other by different authors, including Kluge (1985), is responsible for some confusion surrounding the type series of this species. As a consequence, we present relevant morphological data for all 14 specimens constituting the type series of C. marmoratus at RMNH for the first time. The type status of two specimens of C. marmoratus in the collection at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, remains unresolved at present. Owing to the inconsistent naming and application of terms for some key characters (e.g., groove, sulcus, pit, hollow, depression) used in the diagnoses of Cyrtodactylus species, we here propose a set of novel and useful definitions that are supported by photographs. We also illustrate the sexually dimorphic expression of this character in C. marmoratus. Finally, we present a revised comparative table for the bent-toad geckos of the Sunda Islands and Sulawesi.

Taxonomic reassessment and phylogenetic placement of Cyrtodactylus phuketensis (Reptilia, Gekkonidae) based on morphological and molecular evidence

“…The absence of a precloacal depression was used as a diagnostic character separating C. macrotuberculatus from C. phuketensis (see Grismer and Ahmad 2008 ; Sumontha et al 2012 ). Based on the terminology of the precloacal depression in Mecke et al (2016) , the described specimens were re-examined and the presence of a precloacal depression (as precloacal groove) was observed in both C. macrotuberculatus (deep depression) and C. phuketensis (shallow depression). The PSUZC-RT 2010.58 and THNHM 15378 specimens are two males of C. phuketensis , in which the precloacal grooves are shallow (all others are deep) and could result from their poor state of preservation; thus, the character of this specimen was not included in the present diagnostic characters of C. macrotuberculatus .…”

Genetically diverse yet morphologically conserved: Hidden diversity revealed among Bornean geckos (Gekkonidae:Cyrtodactylus)

“…When possible, we took measurements from the ventral surface, and the left side of the body (specific methods of data collection in Davis et al (2019)). To provide a qualitative assessment of precloacal area, as well as update the characterization of recognized Bornean species, we follow the precloacal descriptions provided in Mecke et al (2016). We took morphological measurements using a Mitutoyo TM vernier caliper to the nearest 0.1 mm.…”

Six nights in Bali: Wildlife on our holiday in the Gianyar Regency, Indonesia

“…The Cyrtodactylus geckos in Bali have been classified as either Sulawesi Bow-fingered Geckos (C. fumosus; e.g., McKay 2006) or Marbled Bowfingered Geckos (C. marmoratus; e.g., Janiawati et al 2016). Only after we returned home from the trip did we discover from reading and speaking to Indonesian herpetologists that only one morphological study of bent-toed geckos in Bali has been published (Amarasinghe et al 2020) and that the two species of bent-toed geckos mentioned above had only been assumed to be those on the island (Mecke et al 2016a); the Sulawesi Bow-fingered Gecko has only been confirmed in Sulawesi and the Marbled Bow-fingered Gecko has only been identified in Java (Mecke et al 2016b). Amarasinghe 2020) examined bent-toed geckos caught in western Bali, which proved to be the newly described species, C. jatnai.…”