@article {25693, title = {A new species of Rhabdops Boulenger, 1893 (Serpentes: Natricinae) from the northern Western Ghats region of India}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4319}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, pages = {27-52}, abstract = {

Based on analyses of new DNA sequence data for two nuclear (rag1, cmos) and three mitochondrial (16s, cytb, nd4) genes, the Indian snake genus Rhabdops is a natricine. Variation in geography, DNA sequences, the number of ventral scales, pattern and colour for samples of Rhabdops from along the Western Ghats region of peninsular India is concordant, discontinuous and bimodal. We recognise populations from the northern Western Ghats as distinct specifically from the more southerly R. olivaceus and describe Rhabdops aquaticus sp. nov. based on a series of eight specimens from two localities in the Northern Western Ghats. Rhabdops aquaticus sp. nov. is associated particularly with upland laterite plateaus and their associated streams, a threatened habitat within its known distribution.

}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4319.1.2}, author = {Giri, Varad B and Deepak, V. and Captain, Ashok and Das, Abhijit and Das, Sandeep and Rajkumar, KP and Rathish, RL and Gower, David J.} } @article {25696, title = {On the recent designation of a neotype for the taxon Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802) (Reptilia: Agamidae)}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4317}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, pages = {585-587}, abstract = {

Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802) is a widespread species of agamid lizard found commonly in the Indian subcontinent and the Indo-Chinese region with a complicated taxonomic history (Uetz \& Hosek, 2016). The type locality of this species has been debatable (Smith, 1935, Amarasinghe et al. 2009) and the recent designation of a neotype from Pondicherry by Gowande et al. (2016) though much warranted, introduces additional complications that impede a thorough taxonomic resolution of this species complex.

}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4317.3.10}, author = {Chaitanya, R and Giri, Varad B and Deepak, V.} } @article {26574, title = {On the taxonomic status of Eurylepis poonaensis (Squamata: Scincidae): resolving a long-standing conundrum}, journal = {SALAMANDRA}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {08/2017}, pages = {389-397}, abstract = {

The scincid genus Eurylepis was split off from the cosmopolitan genus Eumeces sensu lato, with Eurylepis taeniolatus
being the type species, which is taxonomically poorly understood. The other nominate species in this genus is
Eurylepis poonaensis, which was known only from its type locality and original description, and is the only known member
of the subfamily Scincinae from near the Western Ghats. However, earlier studies raised doubts about its specific validity,
often without examining type or other specimens. We collected fresh samples of this species from the type locality
and nearby areas. Based on the examination of the holotype and the new material, we provide a detailed redescription of
E. poonaensis, additional data on its skeletal structure, habitat, and natural history. We also provide a detailed redescription
of E. taeniolatus based on the holotype to avoid further taxonomic ambiguity.

}, author = {Datta-Roy, Aniruddha and Deepak, V. and Chaitanya, R and Murthy, Channakeshva and Harshal Bhosale and Lajmi, Aparna and Karanth, K. Praveen and Kunte, Krushnamegh and Giri, Varad} } @article {8345, title = {Systematics and phylogeny of Sitana (Reptilia: Agamidae) of Peninsular India, with the description of one new genus and five new species}, journal = {Contributions to Zoology}, volume = {85}, year = {2016}, month = {2016}, pages = {67-111}, chapter = {67}, abstract = {

We revise the taxonomy of the agamid genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829, a widely distributed terrestrial lizard from the Indian subcontinent based on detailed comparative analyses of external morphology, osteology and molecular data. We sampled 81 locations spread over 160,000 km2 in Peninsular India including type localities, which represented two known and five previously undescribed species. Based on general similarity in body shape and dewlap all species were hitherto identified as members of the genus Sitana. However, Sitana deccanensis and two other morphotypes, which are endemic to north Karnataka and Maharashtra in Peninsular India, are very distinct from the rest of the known members of the genus Sitana based on their external morphology and osteology. Moreover, members of this distinct morphological group were monophyletic in the molecular tree, and this clade (clade 1) was sister to two well-supported clades (2 and 3) constituting the rest of the Sitana. The interclade genetic divergence in mtDNA between clade 1 and clades 2 and 3 was 21-23\%, whereas clade 2 and clade 3 exhibited 14-16\% genetic divergence. Thus, we designate a new genus name {\textquotedblleft}Sarada{\textquotedblright} gen. nov. for species represented in Clade 1, which also includes the recently resurrected Sitana deccanensis. We describe two new species in Sarada gen. nov. and three new species in Sitana. Similarity in the dewlap of Sitana and Sarada gen. nov. is attributed to similar function (sexual signaling) and similarity in body shape is attributed to a similar terrestrial life style and/or common ancestry.

}, author = {Deepak, V. and Giri, Varad B and Mohammad Asif and Sushil Kumar Dutta and Raju Vyas and Amod M. Zambre and Harshal Bhosale and K. Praveen Karanth} }