A new, diminutive, upland Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843 (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

A new species of diminutive, upland, forest floor skink, Sphenomorphus temengorensis sp. nov. is described from the Belum-Temengor forest complex in northern Peninsular Malaysia. This species is differentiated from all other 36 Sundaland species of Sphenomorphus on the basis of a unique suite of morphological and color pattern characteristics. This is the first reptile known to be endemic to the Belum-Temengor forest complex and underscores the need for additional field research in this area that is actively being logged.

Repeated evolution of sympatric, palaeoendemic species in closely related, co-distributed lineages ofHemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) across a sky-island archipelago in Peninsular Malaysia

“…Globally, montane tropical rainforests are renowned for their high levels of endemism (Blackburn & Measey, ; Bell et al ., ; Grismer et al ., ; Grismer, ; Tolley et al ., ), and this is becoming even more evident in Southeast Asia where recent research in the upland regions of Peninsular Malaysia has yielded 21 new, co‐distributed species of amphibians and reptiles across five different mountain systems in only 8 years (Grismer, , b, , ; Grismer et al ., , , , , , , 2013, 2014a, b, c; Wood et al ., , ; Chan et al ., , , ; Grismer, Norhayati & Chan, ; Grismer & Chan, ; Johnson et al ., ; Loredo et al ., ). It is noteworthy, however, that the phylogeographic relationships of these species bear no overarching pattern, indicating that a single historical event cannot account for speciation across this broad, upland landscape of sky‐island archipelagos (Grismer et al ., in prep.…”

Molecular systematics of the Philippine forest skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Sphenomorphus): testing morphological hypotheses of interspecific relationships

“…One explanation for this problem is that Sphenomorphus was never properly defined with diagnostic characters (Myers & Donnelly, 1991; Greer & Shea, 2003). Thus, species were placed in the genus if they possessed generalized plesiomorphic character states or if their phylogenetic affinities were unclear (Grismer, Ahmad & Onn, 2009).…”

“…As we lack samples of Sphenomorphus buettikoferi , Sphenomorphus malayanus , and Sphenomorphus butleri , we cannot comment on the relationships of those species, but the others are closely related, except Sphenomorphus luzonensis . Recently, numerous small, diminutive species have been described from Malaysia (Grismer, 2006, 2007a, b; Grismer, Ahmad & Onn, 2009; Grismer, Wood & Grismer, 2009). In the recent description of Sphenomorphus temengorensis , Grismer, Ahmad & Onn (2009) summarized the eight species of diminutive skinks in Peninsular Malaysia, all of which are morphologically and ecologically similar to the species in Clade A.…”

“…Recently, numerous small, diminutive species have been described from Malaysia (Grismer, 2006, 2007a, b; Grismer, Ahmad & Onn, 2009; Grismer, Wood & Grismer, 2009). In the recent description of Sphenomorphus temengorensis , Grismer, Ahmad & Onn (2009) summarized the eight species of diminutive skinks in Peninsular Malaysia, all of which are morphologically and ecologically similar to the species in Clade A. We also expect that diminutive species in Indonesia: Sphenomorphus temmincki , Sphenomorphus schlegeli , Sphenomorphus sanana , Sphenomorphus textus , Sphenomorphus necopinatus , and Sphenomorphus vanheurni to be part of this clade based on morphological similarity.…”

“…Although we lack genetic data for Tytthoscincus biparentialis , we nonetheless include it in this genus because it shares the unique presence of divided parietal scales with Tytthoscincus hallieri . The diminutive skinks of Malaysia (Grismer, Ahmad & Onn, 2009) should probably also be placed in this new genus, although we prefer to leave that decision in abeyance until a morphological and genetic examination of those taxa are complete. Tytthoscincus parvus (Boulenger, 1897) is one of three species of diminutive skinks described from Sulawesi Island.…”