Madascincus minotaurus Miralles, Scherz, Roberts, Rakotoarison, Glaw & Vences, 2026, sp. nov.

Madascincus minotaurus sp. nov. Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Holotype. MADAGASCAR – Boeny Region • 1 adult ♀; Tsingy de Namoroka National Park, Petit Tsingy; 16°26’7”S, 45°22’6”E; 125 m a. s. l.; 08 Oct. 2023, 07: 00–09: 00 a. m.; A. Miralles, N. A. Rahagalala, A. Rakotoarison, D. Razafimanafo and A. Razafimanantsoa leg.; ZSM 116 / 2023 (ZCMV 15819). Other material examined. MADAGASCAR – Boeny Region • 1 tissue sample (MIRZC 1217, voucher not collected); Tsingy de Namoroka National Park, Grand Tsingy, south of the Tsingy massif, Camp 2; 16°28’9”S, 45°20’54”E, 128 m a. s. l.; 10 Oct. 2023, 03: 00–07: 00 p. m.; A. Miralles, N. A. Rahagalala, A. Rakotoarison, D. Razafimanafo and A. Razafimanantsoa leg. • 1 specimen photographed (unsampled and uncollected); Tsingy de Namoroka National Park, Grand Tsingy; 16°28’1”S, 45°21’0”E; photographed by Ivan Ineich on 3 Sept. 2012. Furthermore, four specimens deposited in the UMMZ collection and registered as Madascincus intermedius (junior synonym of M. polleni) have been collected only 50 m from the sample MIRZC 1217. Given their collection locality and the superficial resemblance between M. polleni and M. minotaurus sp. nov., we hypothesize that these specimens likely correspond to the new species: UMMZ 222106 –222109, from Namoroka, camp 1, at the edge of Tsingy (16°28’11”S, 45°20’54”E); Dec. 1996; C. J. Raxworthy, J. B. Ramanamanjato, A. Razafimanantsoa and J. Rafanomezantsoa leg. These specimens / samples are not designated as paratypes because the specimens were not studied. Diagnosis. Madascincus minotaurus sp. nov. differs from all other species in the genus Madascincus by the combination of a lower number of scales around midbody and a higher number of ventrals. It differs from the species of the melanopleura group (its sister clade formed by M. melanopleura, M. ankodabensis and M. minutus) by a distinctly higher number of ventrals (68, versus 55 to 63) and paravertebral scales (69, versus 51 to 65), by a bell-shaped frontal scale (versus hourglass-shaped, i. e., frontal constricted by the first pair of supraoculars) and a distinct, lighter and warmer coloration (versus darker and brownish). Description of the holotype. (Figs 3, 4) An adult female, with a single large egg in the abdominal cavity. Good state of preservation, with exception of the left arm and the left leg that have been removed for molecular analyses. SVL (39.9 mm) 7 times head length (5.9 mm), almost as long as tail (41.0 mm, either entire or completely regenerated). Limbs very short, SVL 7.1 times forelimb length (5.5 mm) and 4.3 times hind limb length (8.9 mm). Snout short and rounded on lateral aspect, with a rostral tip bluntly rounded in dorsal aspect. Rostral wider than long, contacting first supralabial scales, nasals, and supranasal scales. Paired supranasal scales in median contact, contacting loreals and postnasal scales. Frontonasal scales roughly triangular, wider than long, contacting loreals, first supraciliaries and first supraoculars. Prefrontals absent. Frontal longer than wide, wider posteriorly, in contact with frontonasal, supraoculars, parietals and interparietal. Four supraoculars, all of them in contact with frontal; second pair larger than posteriormost pair; first pair not constricting frontal (frontal bell-shaped sensu Andreone and Greer 2002). Frontoparietals absent. Interparietal as long as wide, well separated from supraoculars; parietal eyespot present with parietal eye evident. Parietals contact posterior to interparietal. Two pairs of enlarged nuchals, each nuchal scale width corresponding to two transverse rows of adjacent cycloid scales. Nasals slightly larger than nostrils; contacting rostral, first supralabials, postnasals and supranasals. Postnasals present, separating supranasals from first supralabials, and nasals from loreals. Loreal single, slightly higher than long. Preocular trapezoidal, as long as high, single. Presubocular roughly square, single. Six supraciliaries on both sides, in continuous row; first and last pairs significantly larger than the intermediate ones; last pair projecting onto supraocular shelf. Pretemporals single, contacted by parietal. Two postsuboculars; upper contacting pretemporal; both contacting penultimate supralabial. Lower eyelid moveable, with a spectacled translucent window; lower palpebrals small, longer than high. Contact between upper palpebrals and supraciliaries seemingly direct but flexible, i. e., palpebral cleft narrow. Primary temporal single. Two secondary temporals; upper long, contacting pretemporal anteriorly and overlapping lower secondary temporal ventrally. Six supralabials, with the fourth being the enlarged subocular, contacting scales of the lower eyelid. External ear opening rounded, without lobules. Mental wider than long, posterior margin convex. Postmental wider than long, contacting first two pairs of infralabials. Six infralabials. Three pairs of large chin scales, both members of first pair in contact, both members of second pair separated by a single median scale, and members of third pair separated by three scale rows. No scales extending between infralabials and large chin scales. Gulars similar in size and outline to ventrals. All scales, except head shields and scales on palms, soles, and digits, cycloid, smooth, and imbricate; 20 longitudinal scale rows at midbody; 69 paravertebrals, similar in size to adjacent scales; 68 ventrals. Inner preanals overlapped by outer. Both anterior and posterior limbs pentadactyl; fingers and toes relatively short, clawed, except the fifth finger which does not bear a claw; relative length of toes in the following order: I