[Herpetology • 2019] Oedura elegans, O. picta & O. lineata • Three New Velvet Geckos (Diplodactylidae: Oedura) from inland eastern Australia, and Redescription of Oedura monilis De Vis

Oedura lineata  Hoskin, 2019

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4683.2.4

 twitter.com/StephenZozaya 

Abstract

Inland eastern Australia has a complex array of habitats, driven by variation in topography, geology and moisture. This broad region is relatively poorly surveyed compared to coastal eastern Australia and likely contains significant numbers of undescribed reptiles. Oedura monilis is found through much of this region but has been shrouded in taxonomic uncertainty since its original description. Here I assess variation across the range of ‘O. monilis’ and show that it consists of two species: a widespread species in the northern half of the range and a widespread species in the southern half of the range. These two species are readily diagnosed by colour pattern and aspects of shape and scalation. I show that the name O. monilis applies to the northern species. I also show that the name O. attenboroughi Wells & Wellington applies to the northern populations, making it a junior synonym of O. monilis. I describe the southern widespread species as Oedura elegans sp. nov.. I also describe two new, highly localised species from inland eastern Queensland that are allied to O. monilis: Oedura picta sp. nov. from a rocky range in the Moranbah–Dysart region, and Oedura lineata sp. nov. from brigalow forest remnants in the Arcadia Valley. These two species are distinct for colour pattern and aspects of size, shape and scalation. Oedura lineata sp. nov. has a very small and fragmented range, and is restricted to a highly threatened habitat type. It therefore warrants conservation attention. I also provide more detailed diagnoses for O. coggeri Bustard and O. tryoni De Vis, and demonstrate that the name O. ocellata Boulenger is a junior synonym of O. tryoni.

Keywords: Chordata, Oedura monilis, Oedura elegans sp. nov., Oedura picta sp. nov., Oedura lineata sp. nov., Oedura attenboroughi, Oedura ocellata, Oedura tryoni, Oedura coggeri

 Oedura monilis De Vis, 1888 

Ocellated velvet gecko

Oedura elegans sp. nov. 

Elegant velvet gecko

 Etymology. From the Latin elegans, meaning elegant; in reference to the fine pattern and form of this species. 

Oedura picta sp. nov. from Bundoora State Forest.

Photo: Stephen Zozaya

 twitter.com/StephenZozaya

Oedura picta sp. nov. 

Ornate velvet gecko

 Etymology. From the Latin picta, meaning painted, in reference to the beautiful markings on this species.

Oedura lineata sp. nov.  from Arcadia Valley.

Photo: Stephen Zozaya 

twitter.com/StephenZozaya

Oedura lineata sp. nov. 

Arcadia velvet gecko

Etymology. The species name lineata is derived from Latin and refers to the linearly-arranged white lines, spots and dark markings that characterise this species. 

Conrad J. Hoskin. 2019. Description of Three New Velvet Geckos (Diplodactylidae: Oedura) from inland eastern Australia, and Redescription of Oedura monilis De Vis. Zootaxa. 4683(2); 242–270. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4683.2.4

 twitter.com/StephenZozaya/status/1181366179027226625

[Herpetology • 2019] Phyllurus pinnaclensis • A New Species of Phyllurus Leaf-tailed Gecko (Lacertilia: Carphodactylidae) from The Pinnacles, north-east Australia

Phyllurus pinnaclensis

Hoskin, Bertola & Higgie, 2019

DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4576.1.6 

 twitter.com/LorenzoBertola5  facebook.com/LorenzoBeppoLorenzo

Abstract

Recent surveys of rocky rainforest in the Townsville region have found additional populations of Phyllurus geckos. One of these populations was discovered at The Pinnacles, an isolated area of habitat in between the distributions of P. gulbaru and P. amnicola. Genetic and morphological data shows that this population is most similar to P. gulbaru Hoskin, Couper & Schneider, 2003 but divergent in a number of traits. Here we describe this population as a new species, Phyllurus pinnaclensis sp. nov., based on genetic divergence and differences in a number of morphometric and scalation traits from other populations of Phyllurus. Phyllurus pinnaclensis sp. nov. appears to be restricted to a few small areas of deeply layered rock with associated dry rainforest. This habitat is fire-sensitive and increased frequency and intensity of fires (due to late season burns and high fuel loads of invasive grasses) threatens to reduce and fragment these dry rainforest patches. Other threats include potential future invasion of the habitat by introduced Asian House Geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836) and illegal collecting. Given the very small and fragmented distribution and potential reduction in habitat area due to fire, P. pinnaclensis sp. nov. warrants a Critically Endangered listing. Resolving the distributional change of dry rainforest in the Townsville region in recent decades, particularly in regards to fire, is key to resolving the status of this and other locally threatened taxa that depend on this habitat.

Keywords: Reptilia, Phyllurus pinnaclensis sp. nov., leaf-tailed gecko, rainforest, boulder-field

Phyllurus pinnaclensis

Conrad J. Hoskin, Lorenzo V. Bertola and Megan Higgie. 2019. A New Species of Phyllurus leaf-tailed Gecko (Lacertilia: Carphodactylidae) from The Pinnacles, north-east Australia. Zootaxa. 4576(1); 127–139.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4576.1.6

twitter.com/LorenzoBertola5/status/1112548220859633665

twitter.com/LorenzoBertola5/status/1112575798647484417

facebook.com/LorenzoBeppoLorenzo/posts/10218789337267404

[Herpetology • 2014] Carlia wundalthini | Cape Melville Rainbow Skink • A New Skink (Scincidae: Carlia) from the Rainforest Uplands of Cape Melville, north-east Australia

Carlia wundalthini Hoskin, 2014
Cape Melville Rainbow Skink

Abstract

Carlia skinks are widespread in New Guinea, Wallacea, and northern and eastern Australia. Most Australian species occur in dry woodlands and savannas or marginal rainforest habitats associated with these. There are two rainforest species, parapatrically distributed in coastal mid-eastern Queensland (C. rhomboidalis) and the Wet Tropics of north-eastern Queensland (C. rubrigularis). These two sister species share a diagnostic morphological trait in having the interparietal scale fused to the frontoparietal. Here I describe a third species in this group, Carlia wundalthini sp. nov., from rainforest uplands of the Melville Range, a rainforest isolate 170 km north of the Wet Tropics. This species is diagnosable on male breeding colouration, morphometrics and scalation. The description of C. wundalthini sp. nov. brings the number of vertebrate species known to be endemic to the rainforest and boulder-fields of Cape Melville to seven. Carlia wundalthini sp. nov. is distinct among these endemics in being the only one that does not appear to be directly associated with rock, being found in rainforest leaf-litter.

Keywords: Carlia rubrigularis, Carlia rhomboidalis, Cape York, rainforest, boulder-field, lithorefugia, Queensland

Etymology. Wundalthini was the name of Charlie Monaghan, a Traditional Owner who was born in the Cape Melville area and who passed on much of the knowledge and responsibility for that country to the current generation of its Traditional Owners. The species was named by the bubu gudjin of Cape Melville, the Traditional Owners who have the responsibility to speak for the land where the species lives.

Distribution. Known only from the uplands of the Melville Range, Cape Melville, north-eastern Australia (Fig. 7). Recorded in the vicinity of the type locality (14°16'33" S, 144°29'32" E), at elevations between 450 and 520 m a.s.l., and also in the vicinity of the highest peak (14°16'59" S, 144°29'59" E) at about 600 m a.s.l. Carlia wundalthini sp. nov. was not recorded during surveys of lowland rainforest at the west and south-east of Melville Range.

Habitat and habits. Found in upland rainforest (Fig. 8). Individuals were found during the day active on the surface of leaf-litter or basking in small sun-patches. When disturbed the skinks hid under the leaf-litter or retreated to tangles of fallen branches or rock crevices. Male C. wundalthini sp. nov. were in breeding colour in December but not in March. The other skinks found in micro-sympatry were an undescribed species of Glaphyromorphus (Hoskin & Couper, in press) and a species of Lygisaurus (Hoskin & Hines, under investigation) in the leaf-litter, while Saproscincus saltus Hoskin, 2013 was found on rock surfaces in the same habitat. Carlia longipes (Macleay, 1877), Eulamprus brachysoma (Lönnberg & Andersson, 1915), Cryptoblepharus fuhni Covacevich & Ingram, 1978, Cryptoblepharus virgatus (Garman, 1901) and Bellatorias frerei (Günther, 1897) were found in more open, rockier habitats nearby.

Hoskin, Conrad J. 2014. A New Skink (Scincidae: Carlia) from the Rainforest Uplands of Cape Melville, north-east Australia. Zootaxa. 3869(3): 224–236.

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3869.3.2

http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2014/f/zt03869p236.pdf

[Herpetology • 2004] Glaphyromorphus clandestinus • A New Species of Glaphyromorphus (Reptilia: Scincidae) from Mt Elliot, north-eastern Queensland, Australia

Glaphyromorphus clandestinus

Hoskin & Couper, 2004

photo: Stephen Zozaya | SZozaya.wordpress.com

Abstract

Glaphyromorphus clandestinus, sp. nov., is described from granite-slab habitat on Mt Elliot, north-eastern Queensland. This species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: large size (SVL 72 mm), adpressed limbs of adult separated by noticeably more than the length of the forelimb, 26 mid-body scale rows, and flanks patterned with dark flecks forming a series of longitudinal lines. The distribution, habitat preferences and habits of this species are poorly known. Currently G. clandestinus is known from a single locality where individuals have been found in an exposed area of exfoliating granite, set in a mosaic of rainforest and eucalyptus woodland. The discovery of this species brings to three the number of vertebrate species known to be endemic to Mt Elliot and highlights the evolutionary significance of this southerly outlier to the mountainous rainforest of the Wet Tropics.

Conrad J. Hoskin and Patrick J. Couper. 2004. A New Species of Glaphyromorphus (Reptilia : Scincidae) from Mt Elliot, north-eastern Queensland. Australian Journal of Zoology. 52(2) 183 - 190. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO03035 

The Endemic Herpetofauna of Mt Elliot by Stephen Zozaya

http://szozaya.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/the-endemic-herpetofauna-of-mt-elliot/

[Herpetology • 2013] Saproscincus saltus • A New Skink (Scincidae: Saproscincus) from Rocky Rainforest Habitat on Cape Melville, north-east Australia

Cape Melville Shade Skink Saproscincus saltus

Photo: Conrad Hoskin | http://gu.com/p/3jqmg/tw

Abstract

Saproscincus skinks are restricted to wet forest habitats of eastern Australia. Eleven species have previously been described, with most having small distributions in disjunct areas of subtropical and tropical rainforest. The localized distributions and specific habitat requirements of Saproscincus have made them a key group for understanding the biogeographic history of Australia’s rainforests. Here I describe a new species of Saproscincus from the Melville Range on Cape Melville, north-east Australia. The Melville Range is composed of boulder-fields and areas of rainforest in the uplands, and is highly isolated from other areas of elevated rainforest. All individuals of the new species were found on a moist ridgeline, active on boulders under a rainforest canopy or on boulder-field immediately adjacent to rainforest. Saproscincus saltus sp. nov. is highly distinct in morphology and colour pattern. Of particular interest are its long limbs and digits compared to congeners, which in conjunction with the observed ecology, suggest a long history of association with rock. The discovery of S. saltus sp. nov. extends the distribution of the genus over 100 km north from the nearest congeners in the Wet Tropics region. This species brings the number of vertebrates known to be endemic to the Melville Range to six, which is remarkable for such a small area.

Keywords: Saproscincus basiliscus, Saproscincus lewisi, Cape York, boulder-field, rainforest, lithorefugia, Queensland

CONRAD J. HOSKIN. 2013. A New Skink (Scincidae: Saproscincus) from Rocky Rainforest Habitat on Cape Melville, north-east Australia. Zootaxa. 3722 (3)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3722.3.7

"Lost World" Pictures: New Leaf-Tailed Gecko, More 

Tropical biologist Conrad Hoskin scrambles over massive boulders looking for reptiles and amphibians on the Melville Range, a small mountain range on Cape Melville, part of northeastern Australia's Cape York Peninsula.

http://on.natgeo.com/16wCNfa  via @NatGeo

Gecko that looks like a leaf among new species found in Australia's 'lost world'

http://gu.com/p/3jqmg/tw via @guardian

[Herpetology • 2013] Cophixalus petrophilus • A New Frog Species (Microhylidae: Cophixalus) from Boulder-pile Habitat of Cape Melville, Cape York Peninsula, north-east Australia

Blotched Boulder Frog | Cophixalus petrophilus

Photo: Tim Laman

Abstract

In Australia, microhylid frogs are found almost exclusively in the tropical north-east, but in this region diversity is high. Sixteen species occur in the Wet Tropics region and a further six species are found further north on Cape York Peninsula. Most Australian microhylid species belong to the genus Cophixalus (18 species). The majority of these have highly localized distributions, with two-thirds being found on single mountain ranges. While most Cophixalus are small (10–29 mm snout to vent length) rainforest species, four differ dramatically in morphology and ecology, being large (30–53 mm) species that inhabit isolated areas of jumbled boulder-pile habitat. Here I describe a new species of Cophixalus from boulder-pile habitat in the Melville Range on Cape Melville, north-east Cape York Peninsula. Cophixalus petrophilus sp. nov. is highly distinct from all congeners in morphology, colour pattern and mating call. This species is restricted to deeply piled granite boulder habitat that is largely devoid of vegetation. As for the other four boulder-pile Cophixalus, C. petrophilus sp. nov. is large and shows other similar morphological adaptations to this unique habitat (e.g., long limbs, large finger discs). However, it is notable in that it is the smallest of the boulder-pile species (26–32 mm) and it has particularly large eyes. I speculate that the latter trait is an adaptation to dimly lit conditions deep within the boulder-field. Cophixalus petrophilus sp. nov. was only found in exposed boulder habitat, whereas the co-occurring boulder species, C. zweifeli, was found using forested areas on and adjacent to the boulder-fields at night. Cape Melville is the only boulder-field with two co-occurring boulder Cophixalus and it appears that there is habitat partitioning between them. Cophixalus petrophilus sp. nov. has a highly localised distribution but appears common within this and is probably secure.

Keywords: Cophixalus zweifeli, Cophixalus saxatilis, boulder, granite, Cape York

Etymology. From the Latin, petrophilus refers to ‘rock-loving’, in recognition of the restriction of this species to boulder-field habitat. The species epithet is treated as a noun in apposition.

CONRAD J. HOSKIN. 2013. A New Frog Species (Microhylidae: Cophixalus) from Boulder-pile Habitat of Cape Melville, north-east Australia. Zootaxa. 3722(1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3722.1.5

"Lost World" Pictures: New Leaf-Tailed Gecko, More 

Tropical biologist Conrad Hoskin scrambles over massive boulders looking for reptiles and amphibians on the Melville Range, a small mountain range on Cape Melville, part of northeastern Australia's Cape York Peninsula.

http://on.natgeo.com/16wCNfa  via @NatGeo

Gecko that looks like a leaf among new species found in Australia's 'lost world'

http://gu.com/p/3jqmg/tw via @guardian

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/28/world/australia-new-species-found/index.html

[Herpetology • 2013] Saltuarius eximius • A Spectacular new Leaf-tailed Gecko (Carphodactylidae) from the Melville Range, Cape York Peninsula in north-east Queensland, north-east Australia

Saltuarius eximius Hoskin & Couper 2013

Cape Melville Leaf-tailed Gecko

DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.6

Abstract

Leaf-tailed geckos are a distinctive group of carphodactyline geckos of rainforests and rocky habitats of eastern Australia. Three genera are recognized: Phyllurus (9 species), Saltuarius (6 species) and Orraya (1 species). Leaf-tailed geckos have been the subject of much survey and taxonomic work because they are large, impressive geckos and generally have highly localized distributions. The six species comprising Saltuarius are distributed in rock outcrops and rainforests along the ranges from northern New South Wales to the Wet Tropics region of north-east Queensland. Here we report the discovery of a new Saltuarius species at Cape Melville, a rainforest outlier on Cape York Peninsula in north-east Queensland.

 The new species is assigned to Saltuarius based on morphological and genetic data. Saltuarius eximius sp. nov. is highly distinct from all congeners in many aspects of morphology. It has a very long slender form, with relatively longer limbs, longer body, narrower body and narrower neck than all congeners. It also has a highly distinct head that is relatively smaller than that of all other Saltuarius, with very large eyes that are grey rather than patterned. The tail is large but with a relatively short attenuated tip. Saltuarius eximius sp. nov. appears to be highly localized to upland rainforest associated with boulder habitat in the Cape Melville Range. The unusual elongate form and large eyes of S. eximius sp. nov. likely reflect adaptation to deep boulder habitat. Two other new vertebrate species (a skink and a frog) were discovered in the rainforest 

and boulder-fields of Cape Melville during recent surveys, bringing the number of vertebrates known to be endemic to the Cape Melville Range to six (three frogs, two skinks and one gecko).

Key words: Saltuarius eximius, Orraya, Cape York, boulder-field, rainforest, lithorefugia

Etymology. Eximius; from the Latin meaning exceptional, extraordinary, exquisite. In recognition of the particularly fine form and distinctiveness of this species. The species epithet is treated as a noun in apposition.

Conrad J. Hoskin & Patrick Couper. 2013. A Spectacular new Leaf-tailed Gecko (Carphodactylidae: Saltuarius) from the Melville Range, north-east Australia. Zootaxa. 3717(4): 543–558.

DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.6

http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/zt03717p558.pdf