Cyrtodactylus murua sp. nov. Fig. 1 a Holotype BPBM 17858 (field tag AA 16499), immature female, collected by A. Allison in the vicinity of Guasopa, 9.2182971ºS, 152.943987ºE, 5 m, Woodlark Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, 24 January 2003. Paratype AMS R124889, maturing female, collected by G. Mengden at Kulumadau, Woodlark Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, 10 August 1987. Diagnosis A large (106–113 mm) species of Cyrtodactylus having a single row of enlarged subcaudal scales; approximately 20–22 irregular rows of prominent, conical dorsal tubercles; uniformly sized scales on throat; poorly developed lateral fold; a dark chevron on the nape followed by three dark brown bands on body, each band narrow laterally, widening mid­dorsally, with dark brown, irregular margins, and approximately twice width of intervening ground color; pale lips; and head, limbs, and interspaces between dorsal bands mottled with dark brown. Comparisons with other species Cyrtodactylus murua can be easily distinguished from all other Papuan members of the genus except C. louisiadensis and C. aaroni in having a single row of enlarged subcaudal scales. From C. aaroni it is distinguished by its larger size (106–113 mm vs. 70–86.5 mm in C. aaroni) and in having fewer dark dorsal bands between the nape and hindlimbs (3 vs. 6 or more in C. aaroni). From C. louisiadensis it is distinguished by having the dark dorsal bands at least twice as wide as the intervening ground color (vs. narrower or equal in width in C. louisiadensis), broadening mid­dorsally (vs. of even width across the dorsum in C. louisiadensis), and with irregular margins (vs. straight margins in C. louisiadensis, Fig. 1). Furthermore, the lips of C. murua are light (vs. dark in C. louisiadensis); the head, limbs, and dorsal ground color are mottled with dark brown (vs. uniform brown in C. louisiadensis), and there are fewer rows of dorsal tubercles (approximately 20–22 vs. 24 or more in C. louisiadensis). Description of holotype An immature female nearing adulthood, with small ovarian follicles, mid­ventral incision, and tail separated from body. Animal medium­sized (SV = 106 mm, TrL = 48 mm); tail crooked and unamenable to accurate measurement, approximately as long as SV. Head relatively long (HL/SV = 0.34) and wide (HW/HL = 0.69), not depressed (HH/HL = 0.38), distinct from neck. Loreal region slightly inflated; canthus rostralis absent. Interorbital region and top of snout concave. Snout relatively long (SN/HL = 0.41), much longer than eye diameter (SN/EY = 1.9). Eye relatively large (EY/HL = 0.22); pupil vertical, with crenellated margins; supraciliaries large, frill­like, well­differentiated from adjacent granules. Ear opening small (Ear/HL = 0.067), round, with ventrolateral 40% shallowly indented; distance between ear and eye larger than eye diameter. Rostral more than half (1.8 mm) as high as wide (3.1 mm), highest just medial to nares and shallowly depressed between these points; length (1.2 mm) two­thirds height; partially divided dorsally by weak rostral groove that bifurcates anteriorly. Two enlarged supranasals separated by two smaller internasals. Rostral in contact with first supralabials, two supranasals, and one internasal. External nares circular; each bordered by rostral, supranasal, first supralabial, one nasal, and one dorsal granular scale. First supralabial has a short extension that reaches dorsally to posterioventral margin of naris. Nasal bordered posteriorly by four small granular scales. Four rows of small scales separate orbit from supralabials at narrowest point. Mental shallowly triangular, wider (6.1 mm) than long (3.7 mm). Mental bordered posteriorly by two enlarged postmentals. First 5–6 infralabials bordered by enlarged, elongate scales, these followed posteriorly by tiny granules. Supralabials to mid­orbital position nine on right side, 11 on left; to angle of jaw ten on right, 12 on left. Infralabials ten on right, nine on left. Scale rows between center of orbits ~65. Body moderately robust (TrL/SV = 0.45), with poorly developed ventrolateral folds consisting of slightly enlarged granules. Dorsal scales on head, body, and limbs tiny, juxtaposed granules; these more conical anteriorly and flatter posteriorly; each granule with small raised asperities. Enlarged conical tubercles present on head, body, and limbs; best developed posteriorly; most with one primary, anterior keel and numerous short, shallow ridges around remainder of tubercle. Ventral scales flat and smooth, those on chin and throat smaller than on abdomen. Tubercles arranged irregularly in approximately 20–22 poorly defined rows between the lateral folds. Precloacal and femoral pores absent. Scales of precloacal and femoral regions of approximately uniform size and not distinct from those on abdomen. No precloacal groove. Scales on palms and soles rounded, smooth. Fore­ and hindlimbs relatively well­developed (FA/SV = 0.12, CS/SV = 0.16). Digits well­developed, reflected at basal interphalangeal joints; all with robust, slightly recurved claws surrounded by two scales. Subdigital lamellae narrow and smooth, expanded proximally. Lamellae of manus 16­19­21­20­18 on right, 16­19­21­21­19 on left; of pes 17­21­22­25­21 on right, 15­20­23­24­21 on left. Relative lengths of digits on manus and pes I

Published as part of Kraus, Fred & Allison, Allen, 2006, A new species of Cyrtodactylus (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) from Papua New Guinea, pp. 59-68 in Zootaxa 1247 on pages 61-66, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.172955