A New Species of the Genus Scincella Mittleman,1950(Squamata:Scincidae)from Sichuan Province,Southwest China

The genus Scincella Mittleman,1950,within the family Scincidae,is a diverse group comprising 39 described species.The taxonomy of the genus is complex due to morphological similarities among species,which often obscures the true extent of biodiversity,resulting in several undescribed species requiring further exploration.In China,particularly within the unique ecosystems of the Hengduan Mountains,the diversity of Scincella is notably underestimated,with only 12 species currently recognized.In the present study,we describe a new species of the genus Scincella,Scincella liangshanensis sp.nov.,from Sichuan Province,Southwest China.Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the putative new species is distinct from all other known congeners.This discovery not only expands the known diversity of Scincella but also emphasizes the inadequacies in our current understanding of herpetological diversity in China.The addition of this species to the scientific record highlights the necessity for ongoing biodiversity assessments to uncover hidden species and enhance our understanding of the intricate web of life in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

A New Species of the Genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae)from Sichuan Province, Southwest China, with a Diagnostic Key of Scincella Species in China

The genus Scincella Mittleman,1950 of the family Scincidae currently includes 38 species."To date,however,taxonomic assessment remains challenging.Here,phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences of four mitochondrial genes supported a putative new species from Sichuan Province,Southwest China,as an independent lineage.Uncorrected genetic distance of 16S rRNA between the new species and closest congener was 8%,and the population was morphologically distinguishable from all other known congeners.We herein describe the Scincella population as anew species based on both phylogeny and comparative morphology.The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters:(1)body slender,mediumsized,snout-vent length 35.0-62.1 mm;(2)infralabials seven,rarely eight;(3)supraciliaries 5-7;(4)tympanum deeply sunk without lobules;(5)midbody scale-row counts 27-30;(6)dorsal scales smooth and enlarged,paravertebral scale-row counts 60-75,ventral scalerow counts 46-59,gulars 25-30;(7)upper edge of lateral longitudinal stripes relatively straight with six rows of dorsal scales in middle;(8)number of enlarged,undivided lamellae beneath fingerⅣ9-11,number of enlarged,undivided lamellae beneath toeⅣ13-16;(9)ventral side of tail densely ornamented with dark brown or black spots;and(10)grayish-brown discontinuous regular dorsal stripes 5-7,distinct black dorsolateral stripes,starting from posterior corner of eye and continuing to lateral side of tail.A diagnostic key to all Scincella members from China is also provided The new species is currently only known from Wenchuan and Lixian counties,Sichuan Province,China,and brings the number of Scincella species in China to 12.This study emphasizes the incompleteness of knowledge on herpetodiversity in China.