title: A new species of Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Sauria: Scincidae) from Vietnam .
abstract: A new forest skink species of the genus Sphenomorphus is described from Kon Tum Plateau, southern Central Vietnam. Sphenomorphus sheai sp. nov. is similar to the other montane skink species from the Indochina region, Lygosoma veunsaiensis, Scincella apraefrontalis, Sphenomorphus tetradactylus, and Sphenomorphus tridigitus, in having a small size and the absence of external ear openings. However, the new species is differentiated from aforementioned species and other members of Sphenomorphus from China and mainland Southeast Asia by a unique suite of morphological characters. The discovery of S. sheai brings the total species number of Sphenomorphus known from Vietnam to twelve.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany; Email: nqt2@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Truong Quang
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Wildlife At Risk, 202/10 Nguyen Xi Street, Ward 26, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.; Email: khoi.nv@wildlifeatrisk.org.
authors.forename: Khoi Vu
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608 USA; Email: vandevenderr@appstate.edu.
authors.forename: Robert Wayne
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Van Devender
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany; Email: m.bonkowski@uni-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonkowski
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany AG Zoologischer Garten Köln, Riehler Strasse 173, D-50735 Cologne, Germany; Email: ziegler@koelnerzoo.de.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ziegler
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D008297:Male; D014744:Vietnam