title: A likely microendemic new species of terrestrial iguana, genus Chalarodon, from Madagascar.
abstract: A new species of the hitherto monotypic genus Chalarodon is described from southern Madagascar and a lectotype (ZMB 4360) is designated for C. madagascariensis Peters, 1854. The new species of terrestrial iguana, Chalarodon steinkampi sp. nov., is defined by several morphological characters and by concordant differentiation in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA with &gt;5% uncorrected pairwise genetic distance in the 16S rRNA gene. It can be most clearly recognized by the presence of smooth (vs. keeled) gular and ventral scales, a spotted pattern extending from flanks onto belly, and an unpigmented throat. The new species is known from only a small area between the villages of Amboasary Sud and Esomony, located west of the Andohahela Massif, while C. madagascariensis appears to be widespread over much of southern and western Madagascar. We highlight the need for further exploration of this unprotected region which might host several other microendemic species.
authors.affiliation: CNRS-UMR5175 CEFE, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, 119 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France Division of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany; Email: miralles.skink@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aurelien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miralles
authors.affiliation: Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Glaw
authors.affiliation: Division of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany Département de Biologie Animale, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 906. Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Fanomezana M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ratsoavina
authors.affiliation: Division of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vences
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007076:Iguanas / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D008270:Madagascar; D008297:Male; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S