AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

Australian Biodiversity Record, 2009 (3): 1-96
Description: This is a relatively large and rather solidly-built skink, with a somewhat short,
depressed head, a pointed snout, and a medium-length fragile tail that is round in section.
The base body colour is a dark olive-brown dorsally. There are scattered paler creamish or
lemon-yellow coloured scales over the dorsum, and these paler scales are usually
transversely-aligned in thin wavy rows over the body and original tail, but these 'bands' are
much less distinct laterally, and much more so on the tail. The lateral of the body is a paler
brown than the dorsum and is profusely flecked or peppered with darker greyish and lighter
yellowish marks. There is a distinctive blackish patch above the forelimbs, and the sides of
the neck are bluish-grey. The limbs are the same colour as the dorsum, but are thinly marked
with obscure pale creamish bands. Ventrally, the body is whitish to creamish or bright lemonyellow
with the labials and chin bluish-grey or pale lemon yellow, with each scale being edged
with dark brown, resulting in a weak barring to the lips. Some significant features of this
species’ morphology are: body scales smooth and glossy in 40-52 rows at mid-body; parietals
in contact behind the interparietal; prefrontals in contact; supraoculars 5; pair of supranasals;
nasals separated by either 1 or 2 pairs of supranasals; supralabials 7; lower eyelid movable
and scaly; ear-opening present and conspicuous (much larger than nasal scale); no anterior
ear lobules; first infralabial contacts postmental on each side; 3 rd pair of enlarged chin shields
separated by 3 smaller scale rows; 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, with most lamellae divided; 22-26 subdigital lamellae beneath 4th toe. Attains a
maximum total length of around 260 mm. and a snout-vent length of about 115 mm.
Distribution: Known only from isolated populations in a small part of central east coastal
Queensland, between Proserpine and Mackay. Known localities are mainly around Finch
Hatton, Mt Blackwood, Eungella National Park, and Conway State Forest.
Habitat: Inhabits isolated montane closed tropical rainforests in mountainous areas, mostly
between 300 and 900 metres altitude. It is usually found in association with rock outcrops and
boulders near streams in more elevated sites, but in rainforest at lower altitudes, where it can
be found living in cracks, crevices and cavities of tree trunks - such as the buttress roots of
Fig Trees.
Biology/Ecology: A diurnal, terrestrial, arboreal and saxatile species that forages amongst
rocks, logs and ground litter along the margins or clearings of dense rainforest and in
particular along the boulder-covered verges of creeks and waterfalls; it usually shelters
beneath rocks and logs. This is a robust-bodied skink that will try to bite vigorously when
seized. It can also vocalise by emitting a high pitched squeak if attacked during a territorial
dispute, or if seized by a potential predator. Ovoviviparous, producing up to 5 live young at
the end of summer. Feeds on small invertebrates.
Survival Status: Protected under the Qld Nature Conservation Act (1992) [see also the Qld
Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation Act (1994)]. Status unknown, but this species may
be considered as potentially vulnerable due to its limited and fragmented distribution, and
specialised habitat requirements. It is generally considered to be a rare species because of its
extremely small known range, although it is known to locally common at the few sites where it
has been located.
Etymology: The name 'amplus' means 'large', and refers to the larger size attained by this
species.
Magmellia gen. nov.
Type Species: Sphenomorphus luteilateralis Covacevich, J. and McDonald, K.R. (1980). Two
new species of skinks from mid-eastern Queensland rainforest. Mem. Qld Mus. 20: 95-101
[96, pl. 1a]. Type data: Holotype QM J31685. Type Locality: Eungella National Park, QLD
[21º03'S 148º359'E].
Diagnosis: A genus of somewhat robust, solidly-built lizards with a solid tapering tail, of the
family Scincidae and restricted to north-east Australian rainforests, and readily separated
from all other genera by the following combination of characters: body scales smooth and
glossy, in 36-42 rows at mid-body; head shields regular, not fragmented; parietals in contact
behind the interparietal; prefrontals usually separated or in point contact (vs prefrontals in
broad contact in Edenia gen. nov.); supranasals absent (vs present in Deloidiogenes); nasals
separated; supraoculars 4 (vs 5 in Deloidiogenes); ear-opening present and conspicuous, and
larger than nasal scale (vs ear-opening only about as large as nasal scale in Edenia gen.
nov.); ear lobules absent; lower eyelid movable and scaly; 6 supralabials (vs 7 in Concinnia,
36