Diplodactylus granariensis granariensis Storr, 1979

Hutchinson, Mark N., Doughty, Paul & Oliver, Paul M., 2009, Taxonomic revision of the stone geckos (Squamata: Diplodactylidae: Diplodactylus) of southern Australia, Zootaxa 2167, pp. 25-46 : 34-35

Diplodactylus granariensis granariensis Storr, 1979

Western Stone Gecko

Figs. 6 , 7, 14 C.

Diplodactylus granariensis, Storr 1979: 397 . Holotype WAM R54239 from Walyahmoning Rock, WA.

Diagnosis. A moderate-sized member of the D. vittatus complex, with strongly-developed, wavy-edged to almost straight dorsal stripe, extending on to the head as a very broad bifurcate pale stripe to each eye. Flanks unmarked or with only small and poorly defined pale spots.

Description (figs 6, 7 14C). SVL 44.0–62.0 mm (mean 54.3, n=32); tailL 22.0–39.0 mm, mean 33.0, (48.6–71.2 %SVL, mean 62.3) (n=29). Supralabials 10–15 (mean 11.9, n=32), relative height of first and second supralabial generally subequal or the second slightly higher than the first. Infralabials 10–15 (mean 11.9, n=32). Apex of rostral scale with median division descending to about the mid-height of the scale. Supranasals usually in contact; a single internarial present in 4 of 32 examined. 2–3 postnasals (mean 3.1, n=32).

Dorsal colour medium to dark brown, greyish-brown or tan. Beige vertebral stripe continuous, with margins that are almost straight, or no more than moderately scalloped. Vertebral stripe bifurcates on the nape to form two very wide stripes ending at the eyes. Inner margins of these stripes define a relatively small inverted triangle of the dorsal body colour confined to the parietal region. Blackish paravertebral margins of vertebral stripe strongly developed, tending to merge gradually with the colouring of the upper lateral zone, but sometimes forming a broad blackish dorsolateral stripe, well demarcated from both the vertebral and lateral colours. Upper lateral zone usually immaculate and uniformly coloured, without a peppering of lighter or darker scales. At most, lateral patterning consists only of scattered small lighter spots that lack obvious dark margins.

Karyotype. 2n=36; a submetacentric pair 1 is the presumed fusion product of pairs 1+3 of the 2n=38 all acrocentric karyotype. All other chromosomes acrocentric ( King 1977).

Distribution. Southwestern interior of Western Australia, east to Zanthus, but absent from the coastal plain and high rainfall southwestern forests and coasts ( Figs. 1 , 15 ).

Similar species. Distinguished from D. g. rex by lack of a dark upper lateral stripe, presence of a rostral crease and smaller size. Distinguished from sympatric and parapatric species as follows: from D. ornatus and D. calcicolus sp. nov. by lack of complex lateral pattern of intermixed dark and light scales and more continuous and straighter-edged dorsal pale stripe; from D. wiru sp. nov. by bifurcate occipital marking, rather than pale cap, and absent or weak pale lateral spots which, when present, lack dark borders.

Remarks. When Storr (1979) described D. granariensis as distinct from D. vittatus in the east, he did not make use of the chromosome data of King (1977) who showed that there were different chromosomal races of ‘ D. vittatus ’ across southern Australia. Perhaps owing to the wide overlap of distributions of D. granariensis s.s. and D. calcicolus sp. nov., and the similarity in scalation and (sometimes) dorsal pattern, he conservatively pooled both taxa for his description of D. g. granariensis . However, the type population of D. granariensis , morphologically indistinguishable from nearby animals known to have a 2n=36 karyotype ( King 1977), is strongly genetically divergent ( Oliver et al. 2007a) from more southerly populations that include animals with a 2n=38 karyotype. Our study shows that the two genetic and karyotypically distinct groups are also distinct morphologically, and the southern populations that have much more broken and spotted colour patterns are described below as a new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of southern Australia showing the distribution of the members of the Diplodactylus vittatus species complex described or re-described in the present study. Insets shows details of species distributions in overlap areas in Western Australia and South Australia (See Figs 15 and 16). Diplodactylus vittatus, square; D. furcosus, black cross, D. g. granariensis, circle; D. g. rex, circle with central dot, D. calcicolus sp. nov., grey cross, D. wiru sp. nov., triangle.

FIGURE 6. Holotype of Diplodactylus granariensis, WAM R 54239.

FIGURE 14. Species of the Diplodactylus vittatus complex in life. A, D. vittatus, Warrumbungle Range, NSW, (M. Hutchinson); B, D. furcosus, Whyalla, South Australia (T. Peters, SA Museum); C, D. g. granariensis, Newman Rock, WA (B. Maryan); D, D. g. rex, Wildara Pinnacle, WA (B. Maryan); E, D. calcicolus sp. nov., vicinity of the WA-SA border (G. Harold); F, D. wiru sp. nov. Lake Ifould, SA (P. Oliver).

FIGURE 15. Detail of distribution of D. vittatus complex in Western Australia. Note significant range overlap of D. granariensis and D. calcicolus sp. nov. in the southwest. Symbols as in Fig. 1.