Description of Two New Species of Eutropis (Reptilia: Scincidae) from Sri Lanka with a Redescription of Eutropis madaraszi (Méhely)
I describe two new endemic Eutropis species, with restricted distributions from the Central Hills and Lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka. Both were previously identified as Eutropis macularia Blyth. Eutropis austini sp. nov. is a medium-sized skink immediately distinguished from E. macularia by coloration and in being larger, with only the upper pretemporal in contact with parietal, the first pair of chin shields in medial contact. Eutropis greeri sp. nov. is a medium-sized, spotted species that differs from E. macularia by coloration and is larger, with a heavily keeled dorsum and fragile skin. Eutropis greeri sp. nov. further differs from E. macularia in having only the upper pretemporal in contact with parietal and the first pair of chin shields in medial contact. Eutropis greeri sp. nov. is distinguished from E. austini sp. nov. in scalation, coloration, and having fragile skin. The identity of Eutropis madaraszi is stabilized through the designation of a neotype, and here is redescribed. Examination of the holotype of Euprepes macularius Blyth, 1853 (=Eutropis macularia), shows this taxon is not conspecific with any of the Sri Lankan Eutropis. Eutropis madaraszi, E. austini, and E. greeri represent geographically, morphologically, and morphometrically discrete species. Eutropis greeri sp. nov. is confined to lowland wet zones, whereas E. austini sp. nov. is restricted to Central Hills (including Knuckles Range), and E. madaraszi to lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka.Abstract
Factor 1 vs. Factor 2 of the principal-components analysis of E. austini (Central Hills and Knuckles Range), E. greeri (Lowland wet zone), E. madaraszi (Lowland dry zone and Intermediate zone) (all from Sri Lanka); and E. macularia (=holotype of Lygosoma dawsoni), E. gansi (holotype and paratype) (all from India).
A, in life; B, lateral view of head; C, dorsal view of head of holotype (WHT 7003) of E. austini; D, WHT 6758, paratype of E. austini, ventral view of head; E, NMSL RSK 8, E. carinata, ventral view of head (M, mental scale, PM, postmental, CS, chin shields, tongue shaded). Scale bar 5 mm.
Distribution of E. austini (triangles), E. greeri (squares), and E. madaraszi (circles); syntypes of E. madaraszi (in gradient circles); locations of holotypes or neotype (in white), other locations (in black) in Sri Lanka.
WHT 7000, holotype of E. greeri, A, in life; B, lateral view of head; C, dorsal view of head (interrupted lines indicate damaged areas). Scale bar 5 mm.
WHT 7001, neotype of E. madaraszi, A, in life; B, C, lateral and dorsal views of head, respectively. Scale bar 5 mm.
Holotype of E. macularia, ZSI 2344.
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