Lerista cinerea Greer, McDonald and Lawrie, 1983

Couper, Patrick J., Amey, Andrew P. & Wilmer, Jessica Worthington, 2016, Cryptic diversity within the narrowly endemic Lerista wilkinsi group of north Queensland — two new species (Reptilia: Scincidae), Zootaxa 4162 (1), pp. 61-91 : 81-84

Lerista cinerea Greer, McDonald and Lawrie, 1983

Vine-thicket Fine-lined Slider

( Figs. 10–11 )

Holotype. QMJ40097, female, Cardigan Scrub , Warrawee Station, CQ (20° 24' 24" S 146° 40' 12" E), 17 August, 1981.

Paratypes. QMJ40094–40096, Cardigan Scrub , Warrawee Station, CQ (20° 24' 24" S, 146° 40' 12" E), 17 August, 1981 ; QMJ40098, male, Battery Station , 90 km NNW Charters Towers, NEQ (19° 29' 54" S, 145° 39' 30" E), 3 December, 1981 ; QMJ40099, juvenile, Battery Station , 90 km NNW Charters Towers, NEQ (19° 29' 54" S, 145° 39' 30" E), 3 Dec, 1981 ; QMJ40100, Charters Towers , 83 km NNW, NEQ (19° 33' 42" S, 145° 42' 24" E), 4 December, 1981. (QMJ40098–40100 now identified as L. hobsoni sp. nov.). Other material examined is listed in Appendix 1.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other Lerista by its combination of enlarged first supraciliary, monodactyl hindlimb, single loreal, usually single preocular, single presubocular and no broad black lateral band.

Comparisons. Lerista cinerea can only be confused with other Lerista spp. that also possess an enlarged first supraciliary (resulting from the fusion of the first two supraciliaries). These include the Queensland Lerista wilkinsi group ( L. ameles , L. hobsoni sp. nov., L. storri , L. vittata , L. vanderduysi sp. nov. and L. wilkinsi ) and also L. apoda and L. stylis (both of which are no longer considered members of this group). Lerista cinerea is separated from L. ameles and L. apoda by its hindlimbs (vs. totally limbless), from L. storri by having a clawed digit (vs. stylar), from L. vittata and L. vanderduysi sp. nov. in lacking a broad, dark lateral band (vs. dark lateral band present) and from L. wilkinsi by the number of digits (one vs. two toes on the hindlimb). It is closest to L. hobsoni sp. nov. from which it can be distinguished by possessing a single loreal (vs. two loreals). While specimens from the type locality possess a prefrontal scale which distinguishes them from all other members of the L wilkinsi group, other populations now assigned to L. cinerea are lacking this character.

Description of holotype. SVL = 63 mm; HL = 4.9 mm, 7.7% SVL; HW = 2.9 mm, 59% HL; SE = 1.1 mm, 22% HL; eyelid free; EE = 2.5 mm, 51% HL; RL = 0.79 mm, 16% HL; NL = 0.91 mm, 19% HL; IN = 1.0 mm, 21% HL; EN = 1.6 mm, 33% HL; RF = 1.2 mm, 24% HL; E = 0.67 mm, 14% HL; ear minute, smaller than surrounding scales; MW = 4.0 mm, 6.4% SVL; forelimb absent; L2 = 3.6 mm, 5.8% SVL; TL = 71 mm (with regrown tip, determined by eye). Hindlimb with a single clawed digit.

Midbody scale rows 18; NC = 41%; NaL = 13%; NaL = 53%; FW = 82%; IW = 80%; PL = 55%; supraoculars two; supraciliaries four; first supraciliary contacts preocular, prefrontal, frontal, first supraocular and second supraciliary; frontal contacts interparietal, frontoparietal, first supraocular, first supraciliary, prefrontal and frontonasal; interparietal free (not fused to frontoparietals); single loreal; prefrontal present, contacting preocular, loreal, frontonasal, frontal and first supraciliary; single preocular; single presubocular; four palpebrals, single postocular; single postsubocular; five supralabials, third supralabial bordering eye; two postsupralabials; five infralabials, two infralabials contacting postmental; four scales between last infralabial and ear; single pretemporal; temporal contacts fourth and fifth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, second temporal and postsupralabial; three rows of enlarged chin shields; primary chin shields in half contact; secondary chin shields separated by one scale; tertiary chin shields separated by three scales; four enlarged nuchal scales; 90 paravertebrals; midventral scale width 64% paravertebral scale width; two enlarged preanals; L2B = 8; seven subdigital lamellae under single digit; three supradigitals. Presacral vertebrae 49; 3 phalanges.

Variation. Sample size is 25 unless otherwise noted: SVL = 39–71 mm (59 ± 7 mm); HL = 7–10% SVL (8 ± 1%); HW = 56–69% HL (65 ± 3%); SE = 19–32% HL (25 ± 3%); EE = 44–55% HL (50 ± 2%); RL =14–21 % HL (17 ± 1%); NL = 16–24% HL (19 ± 1%); IN = 19-25% HL (22 ± 1%); EN = 29–37% HL (32 ± 2%); RF = 21–29% HL (24 ± 2%); E = 12–19% HL (15 ± 2%); MW = 5–8% SVL (6 ± 1%); L2 = 5–8% SVL (7 ± 1%); TL = 92–106% SVL (101 ± 5%, n = 6 original tails, all others regrown).

Midbody scale rows 18 (n = 19) or 20 (n = 6); NC = 28–51% (38 ± 6%); NaL = 13–25% (19 ± 3%); FN = 43– 111% (60 ± 20%); FW = 79–117% (96 ± 10%); IW = 70–121% (82 ± 11%); PL = 34–81% (58 ± 9%); MW = 53– 90% (76 ± 10%); prefrontal present (n = 15) or absent (n = 10) – when present, usually contacts preocular, second loreal, frontonasal, frontal and first supraciliary (fails to contact the preocular, n = 2); first supraciliary usually contacts preocular, loreal, prefrontal (when present, frontonasal when absent), frontal, first supraocular and second supraciliary (fails to contact loreal, n = 9); frontal contacts interparietal, frontoparietal, first supraocular, first supraciliary, prefrontal (when present) and frontonasal; preocular usually single (occasionally two, n = 3); 4–5 palpebrals (mode = 4); single postocular (or two, n = 3); single postsubocular (or absent, n = 7); usually two infralabials contacting postmental (n = 10), rarely one (n = 2); 4–5 scales between last infralabial and ear (mode = 4); temporal contacts fourth and fifth supralabials, postocular, pretemporal, second temporal and postsupralabial (sometimes fails to contact postocular, n = 4; sometimes point contact with parietal, n = 5); primary chin shields narrowly separated (n = 16) or in contact (n = 8); 2–8 enlarged nuchal scales (mode = 4), 86–113 paravertebrals (mode = 99); L2B = 7–14 (mode = 9); 6–8 subdigital lamellae under single digit (mode = 7), 3–8 supradigitals (mode = 4), 75–97 subcaudals (mode = 83, n = 6). Presacral vertebrae 47–49 (mode = 48, n = 9); 3 phalanges (n = 6); 45–49 caudal vertebrae (n = 3).

Colouration in preservative. See Greer et al. (1983).

Colouration in life (as different from colouration in preservative) ( Fig. 10 ). As for spirit specimens but the base colour is silvery grey (fades to pale brown in spirit).

Distribution and habitat ( Figs. 1 and 12 ). The distribution of L. cinerea is centred on the Charters Towers region on the division between the Suttor and Lower Burdekin River drainage sub-basins. Most records are associated with semi-evergreen vine thickets.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of collection localities for Lerista cinerea (red), Lerista hobsoni sp. nov. (orange), Lerista vanderduysi sp. nov. (aqua) and Lerista vittata (dark blue). Large symbols indicate type localities; symbols with a dark centre indicate genetic samples as well as voucher specimens. Inset, map of Australia showing study area (Google © 2016; Image Landsat Data S 10, NOAA, U. S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO).

FIGURE 10. Lerista cinerea in life (QMJ 93647, photo by S. K. Wilson).

FIGURE 11. (A) Lerista cinerea preserved (QMJ 40097, holotype), (B) dorsal view of head, (C) lateral view of head (photos by P. Waddington, QM).

FIGURE 12. Lerista cinerea type locality, Cardigan Scrub, Warrawee Station, CQ (photo by A. Amey).