NEW PROVINCIAL RECORD AND EXPANDED DESCRIPTION OF Hemiphyllodactylus nahangensis DO, PHAM, PHAN, LE, ZIEGLER & NGUYEN, 2020 FROM THAI NGUYEN PROVINCE, VIETNAM

Abstract

Hemiphyllodactylus nahangensis was originally described in 2020 from three specimens collected in Tuyen Quang province, northern Vietnam. During a recent herpetofaunal survey in the Nam Xuan Lac Species and Habitat Conservation Area, Thai Nguyen province, nine additional Hemiphyllodactylus individuals were discovered in secondary limestone karst forests at elevations above 800 m a.s.l. Morphological examination revealed that these specimens match the original description, with small body size (SVL 39.6 - 41.9 mm in males, 40.6 - 45.5 mm in females), head longer than wide and slightly concave, enlarged chin and first sublabial scales, cloacal spurs in both sexes, dark coloration on the dorsum and head, a light postorbital stripe extending to the forelimb, a fork-like postsacral marking. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed their identity, grouping all specimens with H. nahangensis with strong support (100%) and genetic divergences ranging from 1.6% to 5.4%. These results provide the first confirmed record of H. nahangensis from Thai Nguyen province, thereby extending the known distribution of this species by approximately 30 km and contributing novel data for its conservation and taxonomy.