A new species of the genus Acanthosaura from Yunnan, China (Squamata, Agamidae)

Abstract

A new species of Acanthosaura from Yunnan, China is described based on unique morphometric and meristic external characters and a very distinctive color pattern. The fourteenth species recorded of this genus, Acanthosaura tongbiguanensis sp. nov., was previously considered A. lepidogaster although it more closely resembles A. crucigera. It can be separated from all other species of the genus by having different numbers of subdigital lamellae on the fourth finger and toe, and a different shape of the black eye patch. The new species differs genetically from investigated congeners by percentage distance of 14.46% to 23.27% (cytochrome b gene).