Urocotyledon norzilensis sp. nov. (Figs. 6–7) Diplodactylus inexpectatus [part]: Loveridge, 1947: 251 Phyllodactylus inexpectatus [part]: Wermuth, 1965: 137 Urocotyledon inexpectata [part]: Kluge 1983; Gardner, 1985; Bauer et al. 1997; Rösler, 2000: 119; Gerlach & Ineich, 2006; Gerlach, 2008; Rocha et al. 2011; Pawlowski 2022. Urocotyledon inexpectata: Bourquin & Hitchins 1999; Pawlowski & Krämer 2006. Holotype (Fig. 6). BMNH 1987.1388, male, collected 100 m above Anse Volbert, Praslin Island, Seychelles by A. S. Gardner on 12 December 1980. Paratypes. BMNH 1907.10.15.31 female, collected at Anse Marie-Louise, Praslin Island, Seychelles by J. S. Gardiner without precise collecting data; BMNH 1987.1391, male, from Felicité Island, Seychelles, collected by A. S. Gardner on 5 October 1980; BMNH 1987.1392, male, from Coco Island, Seychelles, collected by A. S. Gardner on 6 October 1980; BMNH 1987.1389, male, from Anse Bodamier, Praslin Island, Seychelles, collected by A. S. Gardner on 20 June 1980. Additional material. BMNH 1987.1390, possible juvenile, from Anse Bodamier, Praslin Island, Seychelles, collected by A. S. Gardner on 20 June 1980. This is not included as a paratype because it is not well preserved and is much smaller than the other types (SVL ~ 16 mm). Etymology. The name “ norzilensis ” derives from two local words, “ nor ” and “ zil ” which in Seselwa, the official Seychelles creole language, refer to “ north ” and “ islands ”, respectively, and refer to the geographical distribution of this cryptic species. The termination “- ensis ” refers to being from a place or locality. Diagnosis. A medium sized Urocotyledon with maximum snout-vent length 41.5 mm (mean = 38.9 ± 2.4 mm, n=18), with rounded and moderate snout, 10–12 supralabials and 11–12 infralabials. Dorsal pholidosis with homogeneous small and granular scales; ventral scales smooth and slightly larger. A small, triangular small mental scale, and four to five small postmentals followed by a line of subequally sized post-postmentals. Precloacal and femoral pores absent. Two to four postcloacal spurs. As typical in Urocotyledon, prehensile tail with characteristic lamellae on the underside of the tip of the tail. Subcaudal scales smooth and slightly larger than dorsal scales. One pair of leaf-like terminal scansors separated by a groove on all fingers and toes. Four undivided scansors beneath first digit of both manus and five of pes, 9 or 10 beneath fourth digit of manus, 10 or 13 beneath fourth digit of pes. Dorsum presents pale greyish-pink coloration (in life) with two darker dotted or continuous crossbands from neck to the proximal end of the tail. Lateral band on head from eye to nape. Comparative diagnosis. Urocotyledon norzilensis sp. nov. is readily distinguished from western African Urocotyledon by the absence of dermal webbing on the posterior face of the hindlimb and absence of enlarged subcaudal scales (present in U. palmata) plus pale dorsal background coloration and in U. norzilensis sp. nov.; longer snout than U. weileri with more supra- and infralabial scales (11–12 versus 9(10)–9). The new species differs from U. rasmusseni in the absence of denticulate ventrolateral tail margins, more lamellae under the 4 th toe (4 versus 10–13), and absence of rostral cleft. Urocotyledon norzilensis sp. nov. differs from U. wolterstorffi by having more lamellae under the 4 th toe (10–13 versuss 8–9 in U. wolterstorffi) and smaller and more numerous postmental scales (4–5 small versus two enlarged postmental scales). Urocotyledon norzilensis sp. nov. differs from U. inexpectata, its only Seychelles congener, by having a slightly more extensively ossified skull with a more closed frontoparietal fontanelle and basicranium sutures (versus more paedomorphic form in U. inexpectata), more maxillary and dentary tooth loci (29–31 and 30 (n=5) in U. norzilensis sp. nov. versus 26–27 and 27 (n=2) in U. inexpectata, respectively; see Table 2), shorter hind limb (HLL/SVL 0.63 versus SE/SVL 0.38). They also differ by a genetic differentiation of circa 9% for part of the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene, and a lack of nuclear haplotype sharing in C-mos, Rag-2 and RELNint61. Holotype description (Fig. 6). Adult male, SVL 34.3 mm, regenerated tail length 34.3 mm. Body slender, nape indistinct. Head wider in the posterior region, narrowing anteriorly to the snout. Canthus rostralis not prominent, almost absent. Eye diameter 2.4 mm, pupil vertical. One row of small, rounded and slightly prominent supraciliar scales. Ear height 0.8 mm. Ear to eye distance (2.6 mm) slightly larger than eye diameter. Snout dorsally rounded. Frontal and occipital scales small and granular. Rostral wider than deep, in contact with nares, 1 st supralabial, supranasal and three internasal scales. 12 and 10 supralabials on the left and right side, respectively. 12 infralabials on both sides. First supralabial in contact with nostril. Nostril circular and surrounded by rostral, supranasal, two postnasal and first supralabial. Postnasals larger than supranasal. Nostril in direct contact with the rostral and 1 st supralabial. Triangular mental smaller than 1 st infralabials. Five small rounded postmental scales in broad contact with the mental scale, 1 st and 2 nd infralabial. Post-postmental scales similar in size and shape to postmental. Gular scales granular slightly smaller than ventral scales on the belly. A row of enlarged scales is present between the gular scales and infralabials, decreasing in size until the 7 th infralabial where they become the same size as the gular scales. Body slender (TRL / SVL = 0.47). Ventral scales larger than dorsal scales, with a group of larger scales immediately anterior to the hindlimbs. The dorsal pholidosis comprises homogenous, small granular scales, with two marked black lines from nape to the regenerated section of the tail. One fourth of the tail is regenerated, with homogeneous granular scales dorsally and more enlarged and flattered scales ventrally. The tip of the tail has 7 irregular setae. Precloacal scales same size as ventral scales. Three well-developed postcloacal spurs on each side. Fore- and hindlimbs moderately short and stout. Digits relatively long, bearing reduced claws. All digits with granular scales dorsally and distally widened undivided lamellae ventrally. One pair of leaf-like terminal scansors separated by a groove. Terminal scansor of 4 th finger is absent. Number of scansors: 4-6-8-/-5 (right manus) / 5-7- 9-10-9 (right pes) and 4-6-8-8-5 (left manus) /5-7-10-11-9 (left pes). Relative length of digits on manus and pes: I

Published as part of Lobón-Rovira, Javier, Rocha, Sara, Gower, David J., Perera, Ana & Harris, D. James, 2022, The unexpected gecko: A new cryptic species within Urocotyledon inexpectata (Stejneger, 1893) from the northern granitic Seychelles, pp. 556-578 in Zootaxa 5150 (4) on pages 562-573, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5150.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/6626859