title: DNA barcoding of Vietnamese bent-toed geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) and the description of a new species.
abstract: Species of bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus) in Vietnam have been described at a rate of nearly four species per year since 2007 mostly based on morphological data. A tool that guides species delimitation will accelerate the rate of documentation, and at a time when the recognition of species greatly benefits conservation. We use DNA barcoding using COI (550 bp) to re-examine the levels of genetic divergence and taxonomic status of 21 described species of Vietnamese bent-toed geckos. Tree-based analyses resolve all sampled species and identify potential undescribed taxa. Kimura 2-parameter genetic distances between the described species average 21.0±4.2% and range from 4.3% to 28.7%. Further, our analyses discover two potentially new species from Vietnam, two from Laos and one from China. Herein we describe the new species Cyrtodactylus puhuensis sp. nov. from Vietnam on the basis of both genetics and morphology. Genetically, it differs from the remaining species by an average K2P distance of 24.0±1.8%. Morphologically, the new species is diagnosed by its medium-size (snout-vent length 79.24 mm and tail length 82.59 mm, for the single known individual), in having a series of moderately enlarged transverse subcaudals and a series of moderately enlarged femoral scales that extend from precloacal scales, in possessing femoral scales without pores, with males having five precloacal pores, and in exhibiting 8 supralabials, 10 infralabials, 23 narrow subdigital lamellae on its fourth toe, and 36 transverse ventrals.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 250223, Yunnan, China.; Email: ngocsangitb@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sang Ngoc
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 250223, Yunnan, China.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Jun-Xiao
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Viet Nam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, University of Science, 227 Nguyen Van Cu St., District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.; Email: le_ngan2309@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Thanh-Ngan Thi
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: Hue University, College of Science, 77 Nguyen Hue St., Hue City, Vietnam.; Email: nguyenluanbio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luan Thanh
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab 1, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia.; Email: natalia_ananjeva@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nikolai L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Orlov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, VAST, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Hanoi, Vietnam.; Email: nqt2@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Chung Van
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, VAST, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Hanoi, Vietnam.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Truong Quang
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 250223, Yunnan, China.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Jie-Qiong
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 250223, Yunnan, China.; Email: raodq@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Ding-Qi
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Vinh University, 182 Le Duan St., Vinh City, Nghe An, Vietnam.; Email: ngocthao54@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Thao Ngoc
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 250223, Yunnan, China.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Che
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada M5S 2C6.; Email: bob.murphy@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada M5S 2C6.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D040961:Genetic Drift; D007812:Laos; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D014744:Vietnam