A new skink of the genus Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer & Siler, 2019 (Squamata: Scincidae) from southern Vietnam

We describe a new species of the genus Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer & Siler from a coastal area in southern Vietnam. Subdoluseps vietnamensis sp. nov. is characterized by the following morphological characters: medium size in adults (snout-vent length up to 48.7 mm); tail length/snout-vent length ratio 1.04; toes not reaching finger when limbs adpressed; 27?30 midbody scale rows, smooth; 55?57 paravertebral scales; 55?62 ventral scale rows; 64?74 subcaudal scales; frontoparietal scale single; four supraoculars; prefrontals not in contact with one another; two loreal scales; seven supralabials; ear-opening with two lobules on the anterior border; smooth lamellae beneath finger III 9 or 10 and toe IV 12?15; six enlarged precloacal scales; and four distinct black stripes on dorsum. The new species differs genetically from its closest congeners, S. bowringii (G?nther) and S. frontoparietale (Taylor), by uncorrectedp-distances of 10.0% and 9.5%, respectively in ND1 sequences, and clusters into the same matriline with these two congeners on the phylogenetic trees.

Automated summary

The new species Subdoluseps vietnamensis sp. nov. from southern Vietnam is characterized by specific morphological features, such as medium size, tail length relative to snout-vent length, and four distinct black stripes on the dorsum. It genetically differs from its closest congeners, but clusters into the same matriline on the phylogenetic trees.