Philippine lizards of the family Gekkonidae comprise 49 species (Taylor, 1915, 1922; Brown and Alcala, 1978) in 10 genera: Gehyra (1), Gekko (13), Hemidactylus (5), Hemiphyllodactylus (2), Lepidodactylus (6), Luperosaurus (8), Ptychozoon (1), Pseudogekko (4), and Cyrtodactylus (9), (Brown et al., 2007, 2010a, 2011; Welton et al., 2009, 2010a, 2010b; Zug, 2011). An amazing percentage of these species are endemic to the Philippines archipelago (roughly 85%; Brown et al., 2011). Several of the recently described gekkonids in the Philippines were discovered only recently as part of ongoing surveys around the archipelago. Recent phylogenetic studies focused on Philippine gekkonids (Siler et al., 2010; Welton et al., 2010a,b) have resulted in the observation of high levels of genetic diversity among populations of widespread species, an indication that the country's gecko diversity may still be greatly underestimated.
The genus Luperosaurus presently contains 13 species (Brown et al., 2000, 2007, 2010b, 2011). Unfortunately, many of these species are known only from a few specimens (Ota et al., 1996; Brown and Diesmos, 2000). In the Philippines, eight species are recognized: Luperosaurus angliit, Luperosaurus corfieldi, Luperosaurus cumingii, Luperosaurus gulat, Luperosaurus joloensis, Luperosaurus kubli, Luperosaurus macgregori, and Luperosaurus palawanensis (Brown et al., 2007, 2010b, 2011; Gaulke et al., 2007). All of the species in the Philippines, as well as the Borneo species, Luperosaurus yasumai and Luperosaurus sorok (Ota et al., 1996; Das et al., 2008) are robust-bodied (Brown et al., 2011). In contrast, Luperosaurus browni (Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo), Luperosaurus brooksii (Sumatra), and Luperosaurus iskandari (Sulawesi) are recognized to have more slender bodies (Brown et al., 2000, 2011). Brown et al. (2000) conducted the only phylogenetic analysis of this unique radiation of gekkonid lizards to date, and found that the robust- and slender-bodied species are supported to be part of two, reciprocally monophyletic clades, respectively.
Luperosaurus species remain rare in collections, with few exceptions, and little is known of their ecology. Coastal forests are the presumed microhabitat for most species (Brown et al., 2011). Unfortunately, much of this microhabitat has been destroyed across the Philippine archipelago, and many species may currently be threatened due to severe habitat loss.
Luperosaurus angliit is distinguished from all species of Luperosaurus by (1) its relatively small, slender body; (2) reduced interdigital webbing; (3) reduced cutaneous expansions bordering the limbs; (4) absence of ventrolateral body tubercles; (5) absence of spinose tubercles on edges of cutaneous expansions ordering the limbs; (6) the presence of only a few ventrolateral tubercles on the caudal margin of each tail whorl; (7) postrictal and nuchal tubercles absent; (8) precloacofemorals 17–19; (9) relatively low numbers of supralabials and infralabials; and (10) low subdigital scansors counts (Brown et al., 2011).
The known geographic range of L. angliitincludes the Sierra Madre Mountains of eastern Luzon and Camiguin Norte Island, just off the north coast of Luzon. Specimens tentatively assigned to the new species include one poorly preserved specimen from Mt. Makiling (southern Luzon), an immature male from Lubang Island (off the coast of southwest Luzon), two hatchings from Polillo Island, and several older specimens in European collections with imprecise locality data (Brown et al., 2011).
The specific epithet is taken from the Tagalog (Filipino) conjugation of the adjective maliit, meaning small or little. In colloquial usage, ang liit is used to denote or emphasize the small size of a particular object (the new species) in reference to another larger entity (L. cumingii) and translates to ‘‘the small one,’’ or ‘‘the little one.’’
Luzon Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complex (PAIC; Brown and Diesmos, 2002) and the Babuyan Island Group.
Some information on microhabitat preference and distribution of L. angliit is available. Two specimens (KU 308023 from Camiguin Norte Island and KU 326160 from Mt. Makiling, Luzon Island) have been collected in reasonably mature, upland forested habitats. Additional specimens (PNM 9702 from the Municipality of Baler, Aurora Province and PNM 7242 from Lubang Island) were collected in highly disturbed second growth vegetation, within less than 5 km from coastal areas. Two specimens (KU 321815 and PNM 9703) from the Municipality of Casiguran, Aurora Province were collected in a fragment of beach forest less than 20 m from the coast. Most specimens with collection data were captured 2–3 m high on tree trunks, although one (PNM 7242 from Lubang Island) was collected from a thin branch of a low, scrubby understory tree, adjacent to a small stream (Brown et al., 2011).
Luperosaurus angliit most closely resembles L. cumingii, but differs from this species by SVL 59.4–64.7 (vs. 73.4–82.7), enlarged scales in the precloacofemoral series 17–19 (vs. 20–28), midbody scales 162– 182 (vs. 184–199), supralabials 12–15 (vs. 15–17), Toe I scansors 9–10 (vs. 12–14), Toe IV scansors 11–13 (vs. 15–16), the absence (vs. presence) of spinose postrictal, nuchal, and ventrolateral body tubercles, reduction (1/3–1/2) of interdigital webbing between fingers and toes (vs. 1/2–2/3), limitation of ventrolateral tail tubercles to one or two small tubercles on the caudal margin of each tail segment (vs. entire ventrolateral tail margin lined with highly spinose, recurved tubercles), and reduction of cutaneous expansions bordering the limbs (vs. cutaneous expansions extensive throughout limbs (Brown et al., 2011).
SVL 59.4-64.7 mm
PNM 9702 (Field Collection number ACD 3678), adult female, collected at 1930 h by Arvin C. Diesmos 5 April 2008, 91 m above sea level, Barangay Zabali, Municipality of Baler, Aurora Province, Luzon Island, Philippines; type stored in the Philippine National Museum.
Luperosaurus angliit is a species of gecko. It is endemic to Luzon in the Philippines.[1]
Luperosaurus angliit is a species of gecko. It is endemic to Luzon in the Philippines.
