AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Australian Biodiversity Record, 2009 (3): 1-96 Distribution: Confined to a few scattered areas of north-eastern Queensland, between the McIlwraith Range on Cape York Peninsula, Cooktown and the Atherton Tablelands west of Cairns. Habitat: Inhabits monsoon vine forest, lowland tropical rainforest and montane rainforest, from about 40 to 1160 m altitude. Biology/Ecology: An essentially diurnal, terrestrial and crepuscular species that forages amongst leaf-litter in rainforest clearings, or along ecotonal forest boundaries. It shelters beneath rotting logs and piles of ground debris and is insectivorous in dietary habits, probably taking a wide range of rainforest invertebrates. Oviparous, producing up to 4 eggs in a clutch, which are probably laid early in the Wet Season (November-December), as gravid females with advanced oviducal eggs have been found in November. Survival Status: Protected under the Qld Nature Conservation Act (1992) [see also the Qld Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation Act (1994)]. Regarded as locally common. Etymology: The name 'fuscicaudis' means ‘dark tail’, and refers to the colour pattern of the species. Serenitas nigricaudis (Macleay, 1877) comb. nov. Mocoa nigricaudis Macleay, W. (1877). The lizards of the Chevert Expedition. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 2: 60-69 [63] [1878 on title page]. Type data: Lectotype AM R31840. Subsequent designation: Copland, S.J. (1946). Catalogue of reptiles in the Macleay Museum I. Sphenomorphus pardalis (Macleay) and Sphenomorphus nigricaudis nigricaudis (Macleay). Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 70: 291-311. Type locality: Darnley Is., Torres Strait, Qld. Lygosoma (Hinulia) elegantulum Peters, W. and Doria, G. (1878). Catalogo dei Rettili e dei Batraci raccolti da O. Beccari, L.M. d'Albertis A.A. Bruijn nella sotto-regione Austro-Malese. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova 13: 323-450 [344]. Type data: Syntypes MCG C.E.27864, whereabouts unknown remaining syntypes. Type Locality: Somerset, Cape York Peninsula, Qld. Lygosoma elegantulum Boulenger, 1887 - Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. [p.235] Lygosoma elegantulum Oudemans, 1894 - Denksch. med-naturwiss.Gesell.Jena, 8: 127-146 [p.140] Lygosoma elegantulum Boulenger, 1895 - Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (6) 16: 28-32 [p.29] Lygosoma elegantulum Broom, 1898 - Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 22 (3): 639-645 [p.643] Hinulia pardalis Boulenger, 1904 - Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (7) 14: 80 Lygosoma elegantulum De Rooij, 1915 - Rept. Indo Austr. Arch. [p.182] Lygosoma (Hinulia) elegantulum Zietz, 1920 - Cat. Aust. Liz. [p.208] Lygosoma (Hinulia) elegantulum Kinghorn, 1931 - Rec. Aust. Mus. 18 (3): 85-91 [p.89] Sphenomorphus pardalis Loveridge, 1934 - Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harv. 77 (6): 243-383 [p.352] Sphenomorphus nigricaudis nigricaudis Copland, 1946 - Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 70: 291-311 [Pp. 299-305] Sphenomorphus nigricaudis elegantulus Copland, 1946 - Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 70: 291- 311 [Pp. 305-310] Glaphyromorphus nigricaudis Wells and Wellington, 1984 - Synopsis Cl. Rept. Austr. [p. 95]. Glaphyromorphus nigricaudis Wells and Wellington, 1985 - Classif. Amph. Rept. Aust. Aust. J. Herp. Suppl. Ser. 1: 1-61 [p. 30] [March 1985 on title page, but not published until September, 1985]. Sphenomorphus nigricaudis Ehmann, 1992 - Encycl. Austr. Anim. Reptiles. [p. 332] Glaphyromorphus nigricaudis Cogger, 2000 - Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia [p. 495, 496] Glaphyromorphus nigricaudis Wilson and Swan, 2003 - Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia [p. 228-229] Glaphyromorphus nigricaudis Wilson, 2005 - Field Guide Rept. Qld [p.129] Glaphyromorphus nigricaudis Wilson and Swan, 2008 - Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia 2 nd Edition [p. 244-245] Description: A slightly smaller member of the genus than the preceding species, the body form is nevertheless similar to its congenors with its elongate but robust build, small limbs and pointed snout. The tail is similarly moderately long, thick and fragile, round in section and tapering. The base colour is reddish-brown, and a pattern of darker spotting may be present or absent. with the proximal part of the tail being noticeably darker in some specimens. When 42
Australian Biodiversity Record, 2009 (3): 1-96 present, the dorsal pattern mainly comprises scattered darker brown flecks or spots over the anterior part of the body, with those on the shoulders and neck being darker, denser and transversely aligned to form an obscure series of broken bands. The lateral of the body may be slightly lighter in base colour than the dorsum, and the pattern similarly sparse, with just a few scattered dark flecks and spots being present and no dark dorsolateral region. The proximal part of the tail may be sparsely flecked with glossy black or dark brown, particularly towards the end where the spotting can be so dense as to give the tail a prominent black or dark brown ending in some individuals. The hind limbs are similar in colour to the body and tail, but with obscure darker variegations, and the labials are distinctly barred with creamish and dark brown. Ventrally, creamish to white under the body, with a few darker brown streaks, spots or flecks beneath the throat. Some significant features of this species' morphology are: body scales smooth, and shiny (glossy), in 26-28 rows at mid-body; parietals in contact behind the interparietal; prefrontals usually separated, but occasionally in narrow contact; prefrontal not contacting first preocular; supranasals absent; nasals separated; supraoculars 4; ear-opening present and conspicuous, about as large as the nasal scale; ear lobules absent; lower eyelid movable and scaly; supralabials 7; postmental contacting two infralabials on each side; well-developed but small pentadactyl limbs, that just fail to overlap when adpressed (separated by the length of a forelimb); 4th toe much longer than 3rd; subdigital lamellae beneath 4th toe 18-24, smooth or bluntly keeled and entire. I have collected this species at various locations in the past on Cape York Peninsula and am of the belief that nigricaudis is likely composite owing to the morphological variation observed. Attains a maximum total length of around 180 mm. and a snout-vent length of about 75 mm. Distribution: Restricted to Cape York Peninsula and some of the islands in Torres Strait, in north-eastern Queensland, and a small area in north-eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Also occurs in New Guinea. Habitat: Known from various types of tropical savanna woodland habitats adjacent to wet forest conditions, such as ecotones between savanna or eucalypt woodland and various vine forests, monsoon rainforest and tropical lowland rainforest habitats. Also occurs in wellvegetated coastal dune habitats on Cape York Peninsula. Prefers areas that are well-drained and slightly elevated. Biology/Ecology: This is a secretive, burrowing and largely nocturnal species that shelters in cool shaded or protected situations in gullies, amongst rock outcrops and in patches of remnant monsoon rainforest, dry open savanna woodland, and other tropical forest communities. Specimens have been discovered sheltering under deep leaf-litter, beneath flat rocks on loamy soil, and under rotting logs - particularly in the moister or more protected parts of drier woodland habitats adjacent to rainforest areas or around rocky outcrops. During warm evenings it can be nocturnal in habits, although it readily basks in forest clearings on warm cloudy days. Oviparous, but a population on southern Cape York Peninsula has been reported to be ‘live-bearing’ but this has yet to be confirmed. Feeds on small invertebrates. Survival Status: Protected under the Qld Nature Conservation Act (1992) [see also the Qld Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation Act (1994)] and the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (2007). Regarded as common. Etymology: The name 'nigricaudis' means 'black tail', referring to the proximal part of the tail being black in some specimens. Serenitas pardalis (Macleay, 1877) comb. nov. Hinulia pardalis Macleay, W. (1877). The lizards of the Chevert Expedition. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 2: 60-69 [63] [1878 on title page]. Type data: holotype AM R31837. Type Locality: Barrow Is., Qld. Hinulia pardalis Boulenger, 1887 - Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. [p.209] Lygosoma atromaculatum Garman, S. (1901). Some reptiles and batrachians from Australasia. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 39: 1-14 [8]. Type data: Syntypes MCZ 6475 (2 specimens), MCZ 6478 (3 specimens), FMNH 73374. Type Locality: Queensland and Great Barrier Reef, Qld, Qld - Cooktown Lygosoma pardalis Zietz, 1920 - Cat. Aust. Liz. [p. 208] Sphenomorphus pardalis Loveridge, 1934 - Australian reptiles in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 77: 243-383 [p.352]. Sphenomorphus atromaculatus Loveridge, 1934 - Australian reptiles in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 77: 243-383 [p.353]. 43
Page 1 and 2: AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD ____
Page 3 and 4: Australian Biodiversity Record, 200
Page 41: Australian Biodiversity Record, 200
Page 93 and 94:
Australian Biodiversity Record, 200
Page 95 and 96:
Australian Biodiversity Record, 200
show all

AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?