Systematics of the Carlia ‘ fusca’ complex (Reptilia: Scincidae) from northern Australia
Author
Donnellan, S. C.
Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, 5000, Australia & Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, University of Adelaide 5005 Australia
Author
Couper, P. J.
Queensland Museum, PO Box 3300, South Bank, Brisbane, 4101, Australia
Author
Saint, K. M.
Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, 5000, Australia
Author
Wheaton, L.
Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, 5000, Australia
text
Zootaxa
2009
2009-09-10
2227
1
1
31
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2227.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.2227.1.1
1175-5326
5322567
Carlia quinquecarinata
(Macleay)
Fig. 12
,
Tables 3
&
4
1877
Heteropus quinquecarinatus
Macleay
Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W
.
2: 67.
Darnley Island
, north-eastern
Queensland
.
Lectotype
AMS
R
31873.
Material examined:
Lectotype
:
AMS
R
31873.
Darnley Island
, north-eastern
Queensland
(
9°35'S
,
143°46'E
).
Paralectotypes
:
AMS
R31871-2
, AMS
R31874-5
, as for
lectotype
. AMS
R
31872 excluded from measurements (see discussion below)
.
Other material
:
QM
J68354
,
J68359
,
Darnley Island
(
9°35'S
,
143°46'E
)
.
QMJ52427, a specimen from
Murray Island
exhibits pattern characteristics similar to those of the
Darnley Island
specimens
.
Distribution:
Darnley Island [= Erub Island] (
9°35'S
,
143°46'E
) Torres Strait and probably also Murray Island (
9°56'S
,
144°04'E
). This taxon may also occur in New
Guinea
(see comments below).
Diagnosis:
A large, heavy-bodied member of the
C. fusca
group usually possessing large, longitudinally aligned, dark- edged, pale dashes on the dorsum and a midlateral line (where present) broken into a series of dashes anterior to the forelimb - a pattern not seen in
C. longipes
or
C. sexdentata
.
Description:
SVL (mm) 56.96–65.68, n = 4. Proportions as %SVL (mean ± standard deviation): not available; AG 42.80–50.54 (48.32 ± 3.71, n = 4); L1 32.13–36.73 (34.88 ± 1.95, n = 4); L2 49.43–50.05 (49.66 ± 0.27, n = 4); HL 21.09–22.26 (21.79 ± 0.50, n = 4); Eye – ear 7.23–7.89 (7.57 ± 0.27, n = 4); Snout 7.80– 8.71 (8.40 ± 0.42, n = 4). Body robust. Head barely distinct from neck. HW 65.92–70.65% HL (68.34 ± 1.97, n = 4). Limbs moderate. L1 64.19–74.29% L2 (70.26 ± 4.29, n = 4).
Raw measurements and scale counts of
lectotype
:
AMS R31873. SVL
60.91 mm
; AG
30.19 mm
; L1
22.37 mm
; L2
30.11 mm
; HL
13.56 mm
; HW
9.58 mm
; Eye – ear 4.60; Snout 5.14: midbody scale rows 38; paravertebral scale rows 47; supraciliaries 8 left, 7 right; supralabials 7; fifth supralabial below eye; infralabials 6; subdigital lamellae beneath 3
rd
finger 23; subdigital lamellae beneath 4
th
toe 32; enlarged nuchals 2; preoculars 2; presuboculars 1; postsupralabial divided; temporals – 1 primary, 2 secondary; ear vertical with sharp lobules on all edges—those along posterior margin small and deeply recessed (
Fig. 12b
); palpebral disc larger than ear opening. The scales of the dorsal and lateral surfaces are weakly carinated and some have an indication of a smaller point at the lateral edges, producing five carinations. The scale characters of AMS R31871, AMS R31874-5 are less well preserved but suggest the same general effect. The scales of AMS R31872 are largely smooth.
FIGURE 12.
(a) AMS R31873, Lectotype of
H. quinquecarinatus
Macleay 1877
Darnley
Island, north-eastern Torres Strait (image: J. Wright). (b) Ear lobules, left side of AMS R31873. Note that the lobules on the posterior margin are small and deeply recessed, hence not clearly discernible. (image: G. Thompson). (c) QM
J86354
from Darnley Island, see Comments in
C. quinquecarinata
species account (image: J. Wright).
Pattern:
AMS
R31871-5
are badly faded but still show traces of a dark upper lateral zone extending beyond the forelimb and bordered above by a narrow, pale dorsolateral stripe. AMS
R
31874 shows traces of dark-edged dorsal dashes the full extent of this pattern is clearly seen in
QM
J86354
, a fresh specimen from
Darnley Island
, collected in
November 2007
(
Fig. 12c
)
.
Comments:
C
.
quinquecarinata
is a large, heavy-bodied
Carlia
that is readily separated from the sympatric, slender-bodied
H. variegatus
by both pattern and scalation differences. Specimen AMS R31872 is not considered as conspecific with the other specimens in the
type
series. Its colour pattern and scalation characters fit more closely with
H. variegatus
. (Pale dorsolateral and mid lateral stripes present, midbody scale count = 33, lamellae under 3
rd
finger = 19, lamellae under 4
th
toe = 25). The scale characteristics of the other
H
.
quinquecarinatus
types
appear to be consistent with recently collected, genetically typed, specimens from Darnley Island (QM
J68354
,
J68359
) that possess prominent longitudinally aligned, dark- edged, pale flecks on the dorsum and broken midlateral stripes. A similar pattern was observed in a specimen from Murray Island (QM
J52427
). The mitochondrial DNA phylogeny (
Fig. 2
) places the Darnley Island specimens with AMS R122702, a specimen from Waro,
Southern Highlands Province
,
PNG
(
6°32'S
,
143°11'E
) that
Zug (2004)
was not able to assign to any named taxon with confidence. AMS R122702 does not have the pattern of Darnley Island
C
.
quinquecarinata
and for the present we do not include it in
C
.
quinquecarinata
until the extent of morphological variation in
C
.
quinquecarinata
is assessed across the region.