Cyclodomorphus praealtus, Shea, 1995

Shea, Glenn M., 1995, A taxonomic revision of the Cyclodomorphus casuarinae complex (Squamata: Scincidae), Records of the Australian Museum 47 (1), pp. 83-115 : 105-109

Cyclodomorphus praealtus n.sp.

Figs 17-19

Type material. HOLOTYPE: MV D39I48, Three Mile Dam, Kiandra, collected by W.A. Rawlinson on 3 November, 1967. PARATYPES: AM R57876, R64896 , ANWC R5127-28, MV D8937, D39130 , D39I32, D39134 -37, D39147 , D39149 -50, D39194 -95, D50053, D56467 , D56483 .

Diagnosis. A small Cyclodomorphus (maximum SVL 114 mm), differing from all other species in the combination of prefrontals usually contacting, postnarial groove absent, postmental usually contacting two infralabials on each side, subcaudal scales 48-57, midbody scales 24-26, supraciliaries modally five and adult dorsal colour pattern complex, including dark edges to scales and scattered paler scales.

Description. Nasals usually in point to broad contact (80.0%, n = 20), rarely narrowly to moderately separated (20.0%); prefrontals usually in moderate to broad contact (75.0%, n = 20), less commonly in narrow contact (20.0%), rarely moderately separated (5.0%); transversely enlarged nuchals 2-5 on each side (51: = 2.9, sd = 0.70, n = 40), usually three (57.5%); loreals usually two bilaterally (90.0%, n = 20), rarely one unilaterally (10.0%); rarely rostral loreal double unilaterally (n = 1); supraoculars three bilaterally, rostral two in contact with frontal, second largest; supraciliaries 4-6 (51: = 5.3, sd = 0.53, n = 40), usually five (62.5%); presuboculars 2-3, usually two (71.8%, n = 39); postsuboculars 2-4 (51: = 3.2, sd = 0.45, n = 40), usually three (77.5%); upper palpebrals 6-8 (51: = 7.3, sd = 0.57, n = 18); lower palpebrals 7-9 (51: = 8.1, sd = 0.70, n = 17); secondary temporals usually in a-configuration bilaterally, rarely (n = 1) in {3-configuration unilaterally, or with only a single lower secondary temporal bilaterally (n = 1); supralabials 6-8 (51: = 7.0, sd = 0.39, n = 40), usually seven (85.0%), third-last below centre of eye, separating pre- and postsuboculars; infralabials 6-8 (51: = 7.2, sd = 0.68, n = 38), usually seven (50.0%) or eight (34.2%); usually first two infralabials contacting postmental, rarely first only unilaterally (n = 1); ear very small, usually with a single small lobule along rostral margin (76.3%, n = 38), rarely two (10.5%) or three (2.6%) or lobules absent (10.5%).

Body scales in 24-26 (51: = 25.0, sd = 0.97, n = 20) longitudinal rows at midbody; scales in paravertebral rows not or only slightly broader than adjacent scales, 62-75 (x = 68.9, sd = 3.58, n = 20); subcaudal scales 48-57 (x = 53.1, sd = 2.34, n = 11); lamellae below fourth toe 8-12 (x = 10.1, sd = 0.92, n = 40).

SVL 44-119 mm (n = 20); AGL/SVL 59.1-68.5% (x = 64.1%, n = 20); TL/SVL 47.7-77.6% (x = 67.3%, n = 11); FLL/SVL 12.3-16.7% (x = 13.8%, n = 20); HLL/SVL 15.5-22.7% (x = 18.5%, n = 20); FLL/HLL 69.8-81.3% (x = 74.7%, n = 20); HL/SVL 14.3-20.5% (x = 15.6%, n = 20); HW/HL 64.0-74.0% (x = 68.2%, n = 19); HD/HL 50.9-61.2% (x = 55.4%, n = 19).

Coloration (in preservative). Dorsal ground color yellow-brown to dull olive-green or grey. On body and tail, centres of individual scales a little darker, often with very fine mid-brown streaks, lateral parts of scales paler, sometimes cream; extreme lateral margins of most dorsal body and basal tail scales with dark brown to black edges, producing a series of weak, irregularly defined, often broken, narrow dark longitudinal stripes, extending onto base of tail, often continued by pale stripes distally as dark margins are reduced and disappear. On body, some transverse rows of scales (generally alternate) may be paler.

Head dorsum immaculate or (more commonly) with black flecks and spots along shield margins, tending to coalesce into dark margins to some shields.

Laterally, body and tail with dorsal ground color, gradually replaced ventrally by paler ventral ground colour. Many scales in alternate transverse scale rows largely black, especially centrally and apically, these dark macules often with cream edges laterally or basally, producing a series of roughly parallel, irregular, narrow dark bars, separated by one to three rows of unspotted scales.

Face with dorsal ground color, individual shields margined by black spots and flecks, especially around eye and adjacent supralabial shields.

Venter blue-grey to yellow, immaculate or with varying density and contrast of dark margins and central dark flecks to scales, leading to an often irregular pattern of narrow dark stripes or variegations on at least body, less commonly on throat and tail.

Limbs yellow-brown to green-grey above, grey-blue to yellow below, with fine dark streaks and spots. Soles yellow-brown, sometimes with slightly darker calli on granules and lamellae.

Juvenile coloration similar to adults, but with more prominent and contrasting dark and light markings on head, especially on face and sides of neck.

Coloration (in life ) ( Fig. 17 ). I have not examined any live individuals of this taxon. However, AM R57876 was reported to have had "much bright red, practically vermillion" ventrally (S.l. Copland field notes, on file in AM), a coloration not now present in this specimen. Colour transparencies of live individuals taken by W. Osborne show orange-red irides, and a dorsal and lateral ground colour suffused with red, particularly on a subadult.

Allometry ( Table 7 ). With respect to SVL, AGL and TL show positive allometry, while FLL, HLL and HL show negative allometry. Neither HW and HD (with respect to HL) nor FLL (with respect to HLL) show significant departures from isometry.

Sexual dimorphism. Sample sizes for males are too small to adequately test for sexual dimorphism. In most cases, the magnitude and direction of difference between the mean values for males and females is similar to that seen in C. casuarinae and C. michaeli .

Distribution. Australian Alps, above 1500 m, from Kiandra in the north to Mount Hotham in the south ( Fig. 1 ). In addition to the localities cited below, there are several literature records of C. casuarinae from the Australian Alps that are probably based on this species: Daner's Gap ( Loveridge, 1934; see also Copland, 1947); Mount Buffalo National Park (lenkins & Bartell, 1980) and Mount Higginbotham (Norris et ai., 1983). P. Harlow (pers. comm.) observed an individual of this species at 200 m east of Valentine Hut, on the banks of Valentine Creek at 1680 m in February 1990. This locality is about 10 km north of Guthega Power Station, NSW. W. Osborne (pers. comm.) has recorded the species from Smiggin Holes, Daner's Gap, Mount Blue Cow (36°23'S 148°23'E, 1550 m), Mount Gutherie (36°25'S 148°20'E, 1800 m) and Etheridge Range (36°27'S 148°16'E, 2020 m).

Details of holotype. The holotype ( Figs 18 , 19 ) is a gravid female with the following combination of character states: nasals in broad contact; prefrontals in moderate contact; presuboculars two; postsuboculars three; supraciliaries five; supralabials seven; infralabials seven; rostral ear lobules one; nuchals three; upper palpebrals 7/8; lower palpebrals 9/8; midbody scales 24; paravertebral scales 73; subcaudal scales 52; subdigital lamellae ten; SVL 93 mm; AGL 61 mm; TL 57 mm; FLL 11.5 mm; HLL 16 mm; HL 14.2 mm; HW 9.2 mm; HD 7.7 mm. There are 2L/ 3R oviducal egg masses .

Etymology. The specific epithet is from the Latin praeaitus, very high, and alludes to the high altitudes inhabited by this species.

Habitat and habits. Little is known of the habitat preferences and habits of this species. The specimen from Daner's Gap reported by Loveridge (1934) was taken from a Myrmecia nest, the Mount Higginbotham record was found amongst ground litter in subalpine woodland (Norris et ai., 1983), the Lankey Plain specimen (MV D50053) was found frozen in snow (Cherry et ai., 1987; note, however, that the specimen is a neonate, not an adult as reported by Cherry et ai.) in an alpine herbfield ( Norris et al., 1983) and AM R57876 was found under stones in grass (SJ. Copland field notes), while the individual observed by Harlow was basking in a grass tussock by day.

W. Osborne (pers. comm.) has field data on six individuals: one from Mount Blue Cow disturbed from grass cover in open shrubland of Grevillea australis , Prostanthera cuneata and Orites lancifolia over Poa ; one from Mount Gutherie captured in a small mammal trap in open shrubland with grassy ground cover; a subadult from Etheridge Range collected in a tall alpine herbfield dominated by Poa ; a subadult from Daner's Gap was found active, moving over sod tussock grassland with scattered emergent shrubs; a gravid female from Smiggin Holes basking on grass surface in Poa grassland clearing in Bossiae foliosa open shrubland, and a second animal from the same locality disturbed from within a grass tussock in Poa tussock grassland in an area disturbed by clearing of trees and taller shrubs at the edge of a ski run. On the basis of his experience, Osborne considers the preferred habitat to be open shrubland with a thick ground cover of snow grasses ( Poa spp.). The species appears to be absent from many alpine habitats, including snow gum forest, wet heath, bog, rock outcrops or wet grassland (yV. Osborne, pers. comm.).

Preferred body temperatures of 27.8-33.0°C (x = 31.2°C) have been reported for a single animal from Kosciusko National Park ( Bennett & John-Alder, 1986).

Reproduction. Of the 20 specimens examined, one was a neonate, three (SVL 89-97.5 mm) were mature males, and the remainder (81-119 mm; x = 102.9 mm, sd = 9.51, n = 16) were mature females. The two males for which dates of collection were known were collected 9- 28 March, and had grossly enlarged, turgid testes 14 mm long. Of the females, 13 ( SVL 81-119 , x = 101.9 mm, sd = 10.32), collected 3 November (n = 4), 2- 4 January (n = 5), 3 February (n = 2) and 2 March (n = 2) were gravid, with 2-9 (x = 4.9, sd = 1.97) oviducal embryos, those collected in March being fully scaled and pigmented. All of the three non-gravid mature females (SVL 105-108 mm) were collected in January, although two were held in captivity for varying periods before death. Two gravid females collected by W. Osborne gave birth to litters of two and five young at the end of February.

There is a positive correlation between litter size and maternal SVL (litter = 0.126SVL - 7.96; r = 0.6595').

Sex ratio. The adult sex ratio is heavily skewed towards females (3:16; XI= 7.58'*). A similar seasonal pattern to that seen in other species was apparent, with only females found between November and 2 March, during the gestation period, and two males collected on 9 and 28 March.

Specimens examined. AM R57876, MV D8937, Mount Hotham ; AM R64896, ANWC R5127-28, MV D39130 , D39132 , D39134 --37, Smiggin Holes ; MV D39147 -50, Three Mile Dam , Kiandra ; D39194 , Mount Hotham Hotel (top) ; D39195 , Mount Hotham Ski Lodges (top) ; D50053, Lankey Plain ; D56467 , 0.7 km south-west Mount Loch ; D56483, 0.3 km north Loch car park, Mount Hotham .

Figures

Fig. 17. A live individual of Cyclodomorphus praealtus from Smiggin Holes (photograph by W. Osborne).

Fig. 1. Distribution of members of the C. casuarinae complex on mainland Australia. Dots are C. michaeli, triangles are C. praealtus. Dashed lines and numbers indicate populations of C. michaeli used for analysing geographic variation, as follows: 1, Eden; 2, Illawarra; 3, Central Coast; 4, Blue Mountains; 5, Barrington Tops. Thin solid lines represent 1000 m contour; thicker solid lines represent 1500 m contour.

Fig. 18. Holotype of Cyclodomorphus praealtus n.sp. (MY D39148).

Fig. 19. Dorsal and lateral views of head shields of holotype of Cyclodomorphus praealtus.