Abstract
Cyrtodactylus metropolis sp. nov. from Batu Caves massif, Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia is differentiated from all congeners by having a unique suite of morphological and color pattern characteristics. Remarkably, this species has been overlooked despite a plethora of field studies at Batu Caves from 1898 to the present and no specimens had ever been examined until now. As with all other limestone forest-adapted Cyrtodactylus in Peninsular Malaysia, C. metropolis sp. nov. is not a cave-adapted species but is far more common on the exterior surfaces of the Batu Caves limestone massif and its surrounding limestone vegetation. We suggest that researchers devote time exploring the exterior surfaces of limestone massifs as well the interiors of their caves.
Keywords: new species, Cyrtodactylus, karst, limestone, conservation, endemic biodiversity, Batu Caves, Peninsular Malaysia
Grismer, Jesse L., JR. Perry L. wood, Chan K. Onn, Shahrul Anuar & MohD. A. Muin. 2014. Cyrts in the City: A New Bent-toed Gecko (Genus Cyrtodactylus) is the Only Endemic Species of Vertebrate from Batu Caves, Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia. Zootaxa.3774(4): 381–394.