Description of male takydromus sylvaticus (squamata: Lacertidae) from China, with notes on sexual dimorphism and a revision of the morphological diagnosis of the species

Abstract

The Chung-an ground lizard, Takydromus sylvaticus, long known only from five females collected in Fujian Province of China, was recently found in Anhui Province of the country. The newly collected specimens included the first male specimens (n=7), in which the tail bases were stouter than in conspecific females. Ventral scales in these males were invariably keeled, whereas in females those forming the four median rows were smooth. Females had more dorsal scales (47-48) than males (42-43) in the median longitudinal row between axilla and groin. Takydromus sylvaticus differed from the closely related T. dorsalis in having more dorsal scales in the median longitudinal row between axilla and groin (42-48 versus 32-40, respectively), more rows of large dorsal scales between the hind legs (10 versus 7-8, respectively), shorter hind legs, two distinct white longitudinal stripes on each side of the body, and no black stripe in the preocular and postocular regions. The number of transverse rows of ventral scales between collar and femoral pores in T. sylvaticus (26-28) was larger, but with a slight overlap, than that in T. dorsalis (22-26). Ecological observations on T. sylvaticus were also documented. © 2007 Zoological Society of Japan.