Gowidon longirostris

Melville, Jane, Ritchie, Euan G., Chapple, Stephanie N. J., Glor, Richard E. & Schulte, James A., 2018, Diversity in Australia’s tropical savannas: An integrative taxonomic revision of agamid lizards from the genera Amphibolurus and Lophognathus (Lacertilia: Agamidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria (Mem. Mus. Vic.) 77, pp. 41-61 : 51-53

Gowidon longirostris

( Figs. 5 & 8 )

Gowidon longirostris Boulenger, G.A., 1883 . Remarks of the lizards of the genus Lophognathus . Annals and Magazine of Natural History12(5): 225–226 [225].

Physignathus eraduensis Werner, F., 1909 . Reptilia exkl. Geckonidae and Scincidae . In Michaelsen, W. and Hartmeyer, R. (eds.) Die fauna südwest-Australiens. Jena: Gustav Fischer 2: 251–278 [275]. Type data. holotype, status unknown, from Eradu, Western Australia.

Physignathus longirostris quattuorfasciatus Sternfeld, R., 1924 . Beiträge zur herpetology inner-Australiens. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 38: 221–251 [236]. Type data. lectotype SMF 10366 , from Hermannsburg Mission, Northern Territory. Designation by Mertens , R., 1967. Die Herpetologische Section des Natur-Museums und Forschungs- Institutes Senckenberg in Frankfurt-a-M. nebst einem Verzeichnis ihrer Typen. 1. Senckenberg Biology 48: 1–106.

Synonymy that of: Melville, J., this work; Cogger, H.G., 1983, in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E., and Cogger, H.M. Amphibia and Reptiles . Pp. 121–122 in: Walton, D.W. (ed.) Zoological catalogue of Australia. Vol. 1. Netley, South Australia: Griffin Press Ltd. vi 313 pp. [122].

Lectotype. BMNH 1946.8.28.73, Champion Bay, Western Australia. Designation by Wells, R.W. and Wellington, C.R., 1985. A classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology Supplementary Series 1: 1–61. Paralectotypes BMNH 1946.8.12.64-65, Nickol Bay, Western Australia.

Diagnosis. As for genus.

Description of Lectotype. Adult. Moderately sized slender agamid lizard with relatively long snout and dorsoventrally compressed head. A distinct neck, very long limbs and very long whip-like tail; canthus well defined; nasal scale below canthal ridge, nare slightly to the posterior–dorsal section of the nasal scale; visible tympanum. Infralabials 13; supralabials 15. Labials elongate unkeeled. Scales on dorsal surface of head moderately heterogeneous and weakly to moderately keeled. Low nuchal crest of slightly enlarged scales, extending as a row of enlarged vertebral scales down the back to base of tail. Lacking enlarged spinose scales on head or torso. Dorsal scales on body and tail mostly homogeneous and moderately keeled. Scales on thighs homogeneous and strongly keeled. Scales on ventral surface of head strongly keeled and weakly keeled on the body. Colour dorsally is light to dark brown and grey. Broad white lip stripe, widest on lower jaw and narrow on upper lip, extends below ear and as two broad white dorsoventral stripes extending to mid-way down the back. A dark diffuse area of pigmentation behind ear with diffuse pale spot immediately behind the tympanum but the characteristic well-defined white spot or spots on a black background behind the ear is not apparent. Ventral surface of head, throat and upper chest darkly pigmented with the dark pigmentation extending to the lateral surfaces of the throat and up over the shoulders, bordering the white dorsolateral stripes.

Variation. A few specimens examined lack the broad dorsolateral stripes and are a pale grey colour, with a few rust-brown coloured markings between the shoulders. An example of this colour-morph is NMVD74317 collected on the Great Northern Highway , 1 km E of Roebuck Roadhouse, Western Australia (17° 48' 57"S, 122° 40' 44" E). However, these pale colour morphs still retain the white spot or spots on a black background behind the ear .

Distribution and ecology. Arid western interior of Australia. Semi-arboreal, occurring in a broad range of habitats across arid and semi-arid habitats, particularly associated with inland arid watercourses, gorges and river beds.

Remarks. The distribution of Gowidon longirostris overlaps with Amphibolurus centralis and Lophognathus horneri sp. nov. but can be distinguished morphologically by having more than 10 femoral pores, ≥ 1 white spot on a black background behind the ear, a relatively long snout and dorsoventrally compressed head, and a very long whip-like tail.

Figures

Figure 5. Primary type specimens:a,Amphibolurus centralis (MCZ 35207); b, Gowidon longirostris (BMNH 1946.8.28.73); c, Lophognathus gilbert (BMNH1946.8.28.69); d,Tropicagama temporalis (BMNH 1946.8.28.72).

Figure 8. Photos in life of species under revision: a, Lophognathus horneri sp. nov., adult male with breeding colouration, 80 mile beach, Western Australia (photo: R. Glor); b, Lophognathus gilberti, Katherine, Northern Territory (photo: R. Glor); c, Amphibolurus centralis, adult male with breeding colouration, West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory (photo: J. Melville); d, Amphibolurus burnsi, adult male with breeding colouration, Westmar, Queensland (photo: S. Wilson); e, Tropicagama temporalis, Jabiru, Northern Territory (photo: S. Wilson); f, Gowidon longirostris, adult male with breeding colouration, Ormiston Gorge, Northern Territory (photo: R. Glor).