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| Oedura atra Hoskin, 2025 |
Abstract
Many Oedura geckos are saxicoline, and a number of these species are restricted to outcropping of a particular rock type. Most commonly this is sandstone, but some species primarily occur on other rock types, such as granite or limestone. There are few areas of extensive basalt outcropping in Australia, and these are typically of young age. Here I describe a new species of Oedura discovered in the Sturgeon Basalt outcropping of inland north-east Queensland, an extensive outcropping of deep age. Oedura atra sp. nov. is readily distinguished from congeners by its relatively dark colouration, with pattern restricted to narrow, pale bands, and other morphological features such as a short, broad tail, and a relatively wide head. It is genetically divergent from, but allied to, several Oedura species in inland north Queensland, with the ND4 mtDNA phylogeny suggesting closest relationship to O. argentea Hoskin, Zozaya & Vanderduys, 2018. Oedura atra sp. nov. appears to be restricted to basalt rocks and is only known from a localised area. However, it is likely to be more widely distributed along the extensive basalt outcropping in this region. Oedura atra sp. nov. best fits a conservation status of Data Deficient, pending further surveys and assessment of potential threats.
Reptilia, colour pattern, Oedura argentea, Oedura atra sp. nov., saxicoline, Sturgeon Basalt
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| Oedura atra sp. nov. in life: (A, B) adults with original tails, (C) ventral surface of adult with an original tail (note egg visible through ventral surface), (D) adult with regrown tail, (E) subadult with original tail (note skin about to shed), (F) juvenile with original tail. Panel D shows QM J98082 in life; the other individuals were photographed in the wild and not collected. |
Oedura atra sp. nov.
Basalt Velvet Gecko
Diagnosis. Oedura atra sp. nov. is a medium-sized Oedura with a body pattern of narrow, pale bands on a dark background; a tail that is relatively short (original TL/SVL 0.55–0.58; regrown TL/SVL 0.46–0.47) and wide (original TW/TL 0.24–0.30; regrown TW/TL 0.34–0.35); a relatively wide head (HW/SVL 0.20–0.21); a pale nuchal band that is narrowly continuous with the pale line along the mouth to the snout; a single cloacal spur on each side; a dark brown/copper iris; and a rostral scale only partially divided by a medial vertical groove.
Etymology. From the Latin adjective atra, meaning black or dark, in reference to the dark colouration of this species. The name is used here as an adjective.
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| Comparison of Oedura atra sp. nov. (A) with nearby Oedura species with body pattern of bands or elongate blotches: O. argentea (B), O. monilis (C), O. castelnaui (D). Photos: Scott Macor (A), Stephen Zozaya (C), Conrad Hoskin (B, D). |
Conrad J. HOSKIN. 2025. A New Species of Velvet Gecko (Diplodactylidae: Oedura) from basalt habitat of inland north Queensland, Australia. Zootaxa. 5583(3); 549-559. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5583.3.7
