Cyrtodactylus auribalteatus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new cave-dwelling gecko from Phitsanulok Province, Thailand

A new cave-dwelling species of the gekkonid lizard genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, C. auribalteatus sp. nov. is described on the basis of animals collected from a cave in Thung Salaeng Luang National Park, Phitsanulok Province, Thailand, bringing the number of species in this genus in Thailand to 18. The new species shares over all appearances with other cave-dwelling Cyrtodactylus spp. in having large eyes, a long snout, reduced tubercles, absence of caudal tubercles, and slender limbs for climbing. The new species is characterized by its moderate size (snout-vent length to at least 98.07 mm), weakly conical tubercles in 22–24 rows at midbody, high number of ventral scale across midbody (38–40), absence of precloacal groove, present of a single series of 6 precloacal pores and 4–5 femoral pores on each thigh separated by a diastema, broad subcaudal plates, and its dorsal pattern of three dark bands between limb insertions. It is the seventh species of cave-dwelling Cyrtodactylus, including the sandstone cave species, C. jarujini, recorded from Thailand.