AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

Australian Biodiversity Record, 2009 (3): 1-96
Sphenomorphus pardalis pardalis Copland, 1946 - Proc. Linn. Soc. NSW, 70: 291-311 [p.292]
Sphenomorphus pardalis erro Copland, S.J. 1946. Catalogue of reptiles in the Macleay
Museum I. Sphenomorphus pardalis (Macleay) and Sphenomorphus nigricaudis nigricaudis
(Macleay). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 70: 291-311 [298, pl. 11
fig. 2]. Type data: Holotype AM R6352, locality unknown.
Glaphyromorphus erro Wells and Wellington, 1984 - Synopsis Cl. Rept. Austr. [p. 95].
Glaphyromorphus pardalis Wells and Wellington, 1984 - Synopsis Cl. Rept. Austr. [p. 95].
Glaphyromorphus erro 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].
Glaphyromorphus pardalis 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 pardalis Ehmann, 1992 - Encycl. Austr. Anim. Reptiles. [p. 332]
Glaphyromorphus pardalis Cogger, 2000 - Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia [Pp. 496-
498]
Glaphyromorphus pardalis Wilson and Swan, 2003 - Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia
[p. 228-229]
Glaphyromorphus pardalis Wilson, 2005 - Field Guide Rept. Qld [Pp.129-130]
Glaphyromorphus pardalis Wilson and Swan, 2008 - Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia
2 nd Edition [p. 244-245]
Description: This is a somewhat elongate, but solidly-built skink with a moderately long
tapering tail that is round in section. The base body colour is dark chocolate-brown, goldenbrown
to pale brown over the head, body and tail. Pattern may be absent on the dorsum, or
be restricted to the mid-dorsal scales being flecked with blackish or darker brown in two thin
rows down the body, or consist of numerous dark brown scales scattered over the entire body
and tail. There is usually a narrow blackish temporal line that progressively widens along the
upper neck then onto the body, where it forms a series of vertically-aligned short bars that
tend to create a streak along the whole dorsolateral line of the body. The upper lateral zone is
heavily spotted or blotched with blackish or dark brown. The lower lateral part of the body is
paler brown than the dorsum, and includes a lower density of black or brown spotting and
flecking, but the sides of the tail are densely flecked and variegated with brown. The sides of
the head are also paler brown, and the labials are boldly edged with brown, which may extend
onto the chin and throat as short bars. Ventrally, whitish or creamish to pale lemon-yellow.
Some significant features of this species' morphology are: body scales smooth and shiny, in
22-26 (usually 24) rows at mid-body; mid-dorsal scales conspicuously broader much larger
than mid-ventral scales; prefrontals separated; prefrontal not contacting first preocular;
supranasals absent; nasals separated; supraoculars 4; parietals in contact behind the
interparietal; ear-opening present but small, not as large as the nasal scale; ear lobules
absent; lower eyelid movable and scaly; supralabials 7; infralabials 5; postmental contacting a
single infralabial on each side; well-developed pentadactyl limbs, that fail to overlap when
adpressed; 4th toe much longer than 3rd; subdigital lamellae beneath 4th toe 17-24 smooth
and entire. Attains a maximum total length of around 180 mm. and a snout-vent length of
about 70 mm. While there appears to be some morphological differences between various
populations of pardalis, it is clear to me that there is inadequate material available to
determine the precise boundaries of this species. Copland’s (1946) description of
Sphenomorphus pardalis erro certainly suggested that another taxon also existed along with
pardalis, and erro was previously resurrected by Wells and Wellington (1984) as a separate
species to pardalis on the basis of Copland’s original description and an inspection of the
Holotype at the Australian Museum. However, it is my opinion that its validity or otherwise
should be firmly established by a thorough morphological study of Serenitas pardalis from
across its entire range. Such a study has yet to be carried out and published, so until that
occurs, I prefer to refrain from any further use of Copland’s Sphenomorphus pardalis erro.
Distribution: Known only from scattered locations on Cape York Peninsula, south to about
Cairns, Queensland.
Habitat: Inhabits a variety of vegetation types and conditions, ranging from denser stands of
tropical savanna woodland, tropical rainforest or to monsoon rainforest. Usually found in
association with rock outcroppings in undulating terrain, or open plains subjected to seasonal
inundation from wet season rains.
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