Ptychozoon kaengkrachanense. Photo by M. Sumontha.
Seven species of parachute geckos of the genus Ptychozoan are known, there is now an eighth species Ptychozoon kaengkrachanense a Thailand endemic which inhabits montane evergreen forest in Kaeng Krachan National Park, in western Thailand. The new species differs from all known Ptychozoon species by having three dark dorsal chevrons between limbs insertions, homogeneous dorsal scalation without enlarged scales, original tail without long terminal flap, supranasals widely in contact, a continuous series of 14–19 enlarged precloacofemoral scales, bearing 13–17 pores in males, the absence of a predigital notch in the preantebrachial cutaneous expansion and the presence of cutaneous expansions on sides of head. Ptychozoon kaengkrachanense is the fifth species of Ptychozoon recorded from Thailand, along with P. horsfieldii, P. kuhli, P. lionotum and P. trinotaterra. and it is the only Ptychozoon species endemic to Thailand. It is the 68th reptile species recorded from Kaeng Krachan National Park, which was already known to house the richest herpetofauna of all protected areas of Thailand and it thus reinforces the exceptional value of the park in terms of biodiversity and its conservation.
Citation
MONTRI SUMONTHA, OLIVIER S.G. PAUWELS, KIRATI KUNYA, CHAIWAT LIMLIKHITAKSORN, SIRICHAI RUKSUE, APIRAT TAOKRATOK, MICHEL ANSERMET & LAWAN CHANHOME 2012. A new species of Parachute Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: genus Ptychozoon) from Kaeng Krachan National Park, western Thailand . Zootaxa 3513 68-78.
