AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

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Australian Biodiversity Record, 2009 (3): 1-96 nematodes. It is known that acanthocephalans are more prevalent in mature water skinks than juveniles. Survival Status: Protected under the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Act (1974) but not listed in that State as a Threatened Species in any of the Schedules of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act (1995). Protected under the Victorian Wildlife Act (1975) but not listed in Schedule 2 of the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988) [or the Threatened Fauna Act (1995)]. Also protected under the Qld Nature Conservation Act (1992) [see also the Qld Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation Act (1994)], the ACT Nature Conservation Act (1980) and the SA National Parks and Wildlife Act (1972). Regarded by some as a species of 'Lower Risk - Near Threatened' in Victoria, but usually common elsewhere. Etymology: The name 'quoyii' honours the French naturalist Jean René Constant Quoy [Born 10 November, 1790-died 4 July, 1869] who served as naturalist aboard La Coquille under Louis Isidore Duperrey during its circumnavigation of the globe (1822-1825), and the Astrolabe (1826-1829) under the command of Jules Dumont d'Urville. Eulamprus tympanum (Lonnberg and Andersson, 1913) Lygosoma tympanum Lönnberg, E. and Andersson, L.G. (1913). Results of Dr. E. Mjöberg's Swedish Scientific Expeditions to Australia 1910-1913. III. Reptiles. K. Sven. Vetensk.-Akad. Handl. 52(3): 1-173 [9]. Type data: Holotype NHRM 3094. Type Locality: '… said to have been collected in the neighbourhood of Melbourne ', Victoria. Sphenomorphus quoyii tympanum Loveridge, 1934 - Aust. Rept. Mus. Comp. Zool., Cambridge [p. 350]. Sphenomorphus tympanus Mittleman, 1952 - Generic Synop.Lygosominae [p. 31] Sphenomorphus tympanum (part) Worrell, 1963 - Rept. Austr. [p. 53] Sphenomorphus tympanum Cool Temperate Form Rawlinson, 1969 - Rept. East Gippsland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., 82: 113-128 [p. 119] Sphenomorphus tympanum Cool Temperate Form Jenkins and Bartell, 1980 - Rept. Austr. High Country [Pp. 187-188] Sphenomorphus tympanum Cogger, Cameron and Cogger, 1983 - Zool. Cat. Austr. 1. Amph. Rept. Eulamprus tympanum Wells and Wellington, 1984 - Synopsis Cl. Rept. Austr. [p. 94]. Eulamprus tympanum Wells and Wellington, 1985 - Classif. Amph. Rept. Aust. Aust. J. Herp. Suppl. Ser. 1: 1-61 [March 1985 on title page, but not published until September, 1985]. Eulamprus tympanum Ehmann, 1992 - Encycl. Austr. Anim. Reptiles. [p. 250] Eulamprus tympanum Griffiths, 1996 - Australia's Reptiles and Frogs [p. 48] Eulamprus tympanum Cogger, 2000 - Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia [Pp. 489] Eulamprus tympanum tympanum Wilson and Swan, 2003 - Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia [p. 222-223] Eulamprus tympanum Swan, Shea and Sadlier, 2004 - Rept. NSW [p. 154] Eulamprus tympanum Wilson and Swan, 2008 - Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia 2 nd Edition [p. 238-239] Description: This is another common lizard of streams and forests in the cooler more elevated areas of Australia’s south-east. It is a medium-sized skink, with a distinctly broader head than other members of the genus Eulamprus, and a moderately long fragile tail that is slightly less compressed distally than in other Eulamprus. The base body colour may be bronze, copperybrown, or olive-brown dorsally. The dorsum is usually plain or immaculate - generally lacking black markings or blotches, although in some areas, some specimens may be heavily speckled, or flecked with black, the black scales being more-or-less longitudinally-aligned. The top of the head has variable black markings on a bronze-green or dark coppery brown base - particularly over the supraoculars, but these black markings are usually far less intense than in Eulamprus heatwolei. There is no trace of the pale dorsolateral line of its congenors, however, there is usually a short thin pale creamish streak that runs from just above and behind the eye, along the nape, to just above the forelimb; in some specimens it is so thin or obscure as to be barely noticeable. There is a broad dark upper lateral zone that extends from behind the eye and along the body to the groin. This zone is usually black and contains scattered pale yellow or creamish speckles or spots that may have an irregular vertical alignment to them; the pale spotting becomes denser on the lower flanks. In some specimens the lower lateral zone is creamish or whitish often with a greenish suffusion, and with dense 16
Australian Biodiversity Record, 2009 (3): 1-96 black flecking which may be transversely-aligned. The upper parts of the limbs are the same colour as the dorsum, but with black flecks and a reticulated pattern of small blotches, and the original tail can be heavily speckled with black laterally, but less so dorsally; regenerated tails are plain brown. The sides of the head can be almost totally black, or the same brown as the dorsum with a pattern of dense black blotching. There is usually a white stripe that runs over the infralabials and under the ear opening to about the forelimb, and a pale streak or a line of pale spots that runs from behind the eye to above the ear. Ventrally, immaculate whitish to creamish, or pale lemon yellow, occasionally with lines of fine dark flecking or smudging; the throat is usually immaculate creamish-white, or finely spotted with black or with a greyish suffusion, but occasionally marked with wide black streaks on grey; the chin shields are white, and are usually edged with black. Some significant features of this species morphology are: body scales smooth in adults and sub adults, but keeled in neonates, 34-44 at mid-body; head shields regular, not fragmented; paravertebral scales 68-89, about the same size as, or only slightly broader than adjacent dorsals; parietals in contact behind the interparietal; prefrontals usually in point contact, but sometimes barely separated; interparietal elongate, about twice as long as wide, and usually not separating parietals; mature specimens have the upper secondary temporals separated across the nape by four or five variable, obliquely aligned scales which contact the posterior margins of the parietals (usually comprised of 1-3 nuchals, plus the upper secondary temporals); supraoculars 4; supranasals absent; nasals separated; supralabials 6-9 (usually 7), with the 4 th , 5 th , or 6 th subocular; infralabials 6-9 (usually 7), with postmental in contact with first two infralabials on each side; lower eyelid movable and scaly; supraciliaries 8-10; ear-opening present and conspicuous (larger than nasal scale); no anterior ear lobules; well-developed pentadactyl limbs that overlap when adpressed; hind limbs much longer than forelimbs; 4th toe much longer than the 3rd; base of 4th toe broad, and most lamellae with a median groove, and mostly divided; 18-29 subdigital lamellae beneath 4th toe. Premaxillary teeth 8-9 (usually 8). Attains a maximum total length of around 240 mm. and a snout-vent length of about 90 mm. Although not reaching the larger overall length of Eulamprus heatwolei, E. tympanum tends to be a heavier and more robust species. Variation in morphology suggests that this species may be composite. Specimens from the isolated population in the Otway Ranges, Victoria differ from topotypic E. tympanum in having distinctly larger body scales, longer tails, black throats and a bright yellow ventral surface with intense black lines and this could indicate that this population may warrant separate taxonomic recognition. Distribution: As presently defined, occurs as a number of isolated populations across southeastern Australia, ranging from the Blue Mountains on the Great Dividing Range of mideastern New South Wales, through the southern tablelands (including parts of the Australian Capital Territory), and into north-eastern and southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. It also occurs on a number of Victorian islands, including the Seal Island Group, and Glennie Island. Habitat: Inhabits cool temperate montane woodland and sclerophyll forest with a dense ground cover of tussock grass and heath, up to the alpine zone. Usually found in association with rock outcroppings and fallen timber along heavily shaded permanent but small freshwater streams, and throughout sclerophyll forests and woodlands in situations well away from any water courses. Biology/Ecology: An abundant, diurnal, terrestrial and semi-aquatic species that lives both along the permanent watercourses in alpine or cool temperate areas, as well as in heavily forested mountain ranges. This species is heliothermic, and has widely variable activity period during the year depending upon the latitude and altitude of the populations. At their higher altitudes (around 1000 to 1500 metres) such as in the Snowy Mountains and the Blue Mountains, this species may be only active for about 6 months of the year, while in the lower altitudes of coastal Victoria (around 500 m.), activity periods lasting around 9 months are more usual. Interestingly, females at higher elevations tend to reach a larger size, despite the limited seasons for activity. This species may also be found in areas distant from obvious water regardless of altitude, but usually the habitat has moist microhabitat refuges such as rocky ridges or outcrops, or the area is shady, well-vegetated and damp. This species generally prefers less exposed, more sheltered and noticeably cooler positions along streams. Females are more often detected fairly close to shelter or basking sites like logs or rock piles, while males tend to range more widely through the habitat being observed actively foraging amongst patchy vegetation some metres from retreat sites. Pregnant females generally allow a closer approach by a potential predator than males, and this is probably 17
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AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

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