title: Rapid forest clearing in a Myanmar proposed national park threatens two newly discovered species of geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus).
abstract: Myanmar's recent transition from military rule towards a more democratic government has largely ended decades of political and economic isolation. Although Myanmar remains heavily forested, increased development in recent years has been accompanied by exceptionally high rates of forest loss. In this study, we document the rapid progression of deforestation in and around the proposed Lenya National Park, which includes some of the largest remaining areas of lowland evergreen rainforest in mainland Southeast Asia. The globally unique forests in this area are rich in biodiversity and remain a critical stronghold for many threatened and endangered species, including large charismatic fauna such as tiger and Asian elephant. We also conducted a rapid assessment survey of the herpetofauna of the proposed national park, which resulted in the discovery of two new species of bent-toed geckos, genus Cyrtodactylus. We describe these new species, C. lenya sp. nov. and C. payarhtanensis sp. nov., which were found in association with karst (i.e., limestone) rock formations within mature lowland wet evergreen forest. The two species were discovered less than 35 km apart and are each known from only a single locality. Because of the isolated nature of the karst formations in the proposed Lenya National Park, these geckos likely have geographical ranges restricted to the proposed protected area and are threatened by approaching deforestation. Although lowland evergreen rainforest has vanished from most of continental Southeast Asia, Myanmar can still take decisive action to preserve one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.
authors.affiliation: Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Grant M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9424-6591
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Connette
authors.affiliation: Fauna & Flora International, San Chaung Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.affiliation: Myanmar Environment & Sustainable Conservation Co., LTD (MESC), Yangon, Myanmar.
authors.forename: Myint Kyaw
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Thura
authors.affiliation: Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: LaJeunesse Connette
authors.affiliation: Fauna & Flora International, San Chaung Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Grindley
authors.affiliation: Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Songer
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., United States of America.
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Zug
authors.affiliation: Global Genome Initiative (GGI), National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., United States of America.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D056727:Endangered Species; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D002052:Myanmar; D000068316:Parks, Recreational; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA