Taxonomic reassessment of Eutropis macularia (Blyth, 1853) complex in the Western Ghats of India: Resurrection of Eutropis brevis (Günther, 1875), Eutropis dawsoni (Annandale, 1909) and synonymisation of Eutropis gansi (Das, 1991) (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae)

Authors

  • S. R. Ganesh
     Chennai Snake Park, Rajbhavan Post, Chennai − 600022, Tamil Nadu
  • Kaushik Deuti
     Zoological Survey of India, Herpetology Division, 27 JL Nehru Road, Kolkata − 700016, West Bengal
  • N. S. Achyuthan
     Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore − 560012, Karnataka
  • Patrick Campbell
     Department of Life Sciences, Darwin Centre, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
  • Sujoy Raha
     Zoological Survey of India, Herpetology Division, 27 JL Nehru Road, Kolkata − 700016, West Bengal
  • Probhat Bag
     Zoological Survey of India, Herpetology Division, 27 JL Nehru Road, Kolkata − 700016, West Bengal
  • Sudipta Debnath
     Zoological Survey of India, Herpetology Division, 27 JL Nehru Road, Kolkata − 700016, West Bengal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26515/rzsi/v121/i3/2021/154296

Keywords:

Bengal, Eutropis brevis, E. dawsoni, Junior Synonym, Nomenclature, Western Ghats

Abstract

Against the backdrop of published cryptic genetic diversity and partly resolved taxonomy of the Eutropis macularia complex of skinks in the Indian Peninsula, we reassess the taxonomic status of the Western Ghats populations. Based on our examination of name-bearing types of two synonymised nomina (Euprepes brevis, Lygosoma dawsoni) and a valid (Mabuya gansi) nomen, we recognise two species: E. brevis and E. dawsoni, with E. gansi being the synonym of the latter. We characterise and distinguish these southwest Indian taxa from the allopatric E. macularia s. str. In keeping with studies on the nearby island of Sri Lanka, cryptic diversity within the peninsular Indian E. macularia complex has resulted in the resurrection of these long-synonymised nominal taxa.

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Published

2021-09-30

How to Cite

Ganesh, S. R., Deuti, K., Achyuthan, N. S., Campbell, P., Raha, S., Bag, P., & Debnath, S. (2021). Taxonomic reassessment of <i>Eutropis macularia</i> (Blyth, 1853) complex in the Western Ghats of India: Resurrection of <i>Eutropis brevis</i> (Günther, 1875), <i>Eutropis dawsoni</i> (Annandale, 1909) and synonymisation of <i>Eutropis gansi</i> (Das, 1991) (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae). Records of the Zoological Survey of India, 121(3), 363–374. https://doi.org/10.26515/rzsi/v121/i3/2021/154296

Issue

Volume 121, Issue 3, 2021

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