title: Off the scale: a new species of fish-scale gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae:Geckolepis) with exceptionally large scales.
abstract: The gecko genusGeckolepis, endemic to Madagascar and the Comoro archipelago, is taxonomically challenging. One reason is its members ability to autotomize a large portion of their scales when grasped or touched, most likely to escape predation. Based on an integrative taxonomic approach including external morphology, morphometrics, genetics, pholidosis, and osteology, we here describe the first new species from this genus in 75 years:Geckolepis megalepissp. nov.from the limestone karst of Ankarana in northern Madagascar. The new species has the largest known body scales of any gecko (both relatively and absolutely), which come off with exceptional ease. We provide a detailed description of the skeleton of the genusGeckolepisbased on micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT) analysis of the new species, the holotype ofG. maculata, the recently resurrectedG. humbloti, and a specimen belonging to an operational taxonomic unit (OTU) recently suggested to representG. maculata.Geckolepisis characterized by highly mineralized, imbricated scales, paired frontals, and unfused subolfactory processes of the frontals, among other features. We identify diagnostic characters in the osteology of these geckos that help define our new species and show that the OTU assigned toG. maculatais probably not conspecific with it, leaving the taxonomic identity of this species unclear. We discuss possible reasons for the extremely enlarged scales ofG. megalepisin the context of an anti-predator defence mechanism, and the future ofGeckolepistaxonomy.
authors.affiliation: Sektion Herpetologie, Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB) , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Scherz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University , Huntsville , TX , United States.
authors.forename: Juan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Daza
authors.affiliation: Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany.
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.affiliation: Zoologisches Institut, Technische Universität Braunschweig , Braunschweig , Germany.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vences
authors.affiliation: Sektion Herpetologie, Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB) , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Glaw
keywords: Ankarana; Anti-predator defence; Geckolepis megalepis sp. nov.; Integrative taxonomy; Madagascar; Micro-Computed Tomography; Morphology; Osteology