Phyllurus ossa tamoya, Couper, Patrick & Hoskin, Conrad J., 2013

Couper, Patrick & Hoskin, Conrad J., 2013, Two new subspecies of the leaf-tailed gecko Phyllurus ossa (Lacertilia: Carphodactylidae) from mid-eastern Queensland, Australia, Zootaxa 3664 (4), pp. 537-553 : 540-544

Phyllurus ossa tamoya subsp. nov. Figs 3 , 4 A, 5A, 6A, 8A, 9A

Material examined. Holotype. QMJ89139, Sawmill Bay, Whitsunday Island (20° 15ˏ30˝S, 148° 57ˏ12˝E), 20 October, 2010. Paratypes. QMJ89129–89131, QMJ89154. Details as for holotype, except QMJ89154 was collected 21 October, 2010.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized Phyllurus (SVL to 89 mm) with a flared original tail. Phyllurus ossa tamoya subsp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following suite of characters: rostral partially divided by two or three deep grooves; axilla deeply invaginated; throat tuberculate with larger tubercles interspersed amongst smaller throat scales ( Fig. 4 A); subinfralabial scales distinctly heterogeneous, not merging gradually with smaller throat granules ( Fig. 5 A); pectoral region of venter with scattered small granules extending medially from limb insertion ( Fig. 6 A); enlarged dorsal tubercles of reduced spinosity on distal portion of forelimb (see Fig. 7 A); dorsal surface of toes without enlarged conical tubercles ( Fig. 8 A); original tail lacking tall, spinose tubercles on outer edges of flared portion ( Fig. 9 A); dorsal pattern consists of indistinct ocelli ( Fig. 3 ).

Etymology. The subspecific name recognises the contribution of Marine Parks staff in facilitating the field surveys undertaken on Whitsunday Island. Tamoya is the name of the Marine Parks vessel based at Airlie Beach that services the islands of the Cumberland Group.

Measurements and scale counts of holotype. SVL = 59.94 mm, T (original) = 49.74 mm, HL = 17.04 mm, HW = 14.30 mm, HD = 6.01 mm, S = 7.13 mm, EE = 5.91 mm, NL = 11.45 mm, L1 = 29.08 mm, L2 = 32.09 mm, AG = 27.47 mm, lamellae 4th finger 20, lamellae 4th toe 21, supralabials 15, infralabials 13, subdigital scales from tip of 4th finger to junction of 3rd and 4th fingers 20, subdigital scales from tip of 4th toe to junction of 3rd and 4th toes 21.

Description. SVL (mm): 59.94 – 89.03 (n = 5, mean = 76.4, SD = 11.01). Proportions as % SVL: T = 83 (n = 1); HL = 27.10–28.43 (n = 5, mean = 27.8, SD = 0.61); HW = 23.43–24.65 (n = 5, mean = 23.9, SD = 0.47); S = 11.83–12.54 (n = 5, mean = 12.2, SD = 0.32); EE = 8.72–9.86 (n = 6, mean = 9.3, SD = 0.51); NL = 19.10–23.42 (n = 5, mean = 22.0, SD = 1.70); AG = 40.33–45.83 (n = 5, mean = 42.7, SD = 2.10); L1 = 44.66–48.52 (n = 5, mean = 47.6, SD = 1.63); L2 = 53.54– 57.58 (n = 5, mean = 55.8, SD = 1.57). Head. Large, depressed, triangular, distinct from neck; head depth 37.39–42.03% of head width (n = 5, mean = 39.32, SD = 1.95); covered in small granules which are intermixed with larger conical tubercles; skin of head co-ossified with skull; two (n = 3) or three (n = 2) deep vertical grooves penetrate dorsal edge of rostral scale (in QMJ89154 the groove on the right side forms an inverted Y); rostral shield not in contact with nostril (n = 5); 9–11 scales bordering dorsal edge of rostral scale (n = 5, mode = 9, mean = 9.6, SD = 0.90); ear opening elliptical, vertical, much less than half as large as eye; supralabials 14–20 (n = 5, mode = 15, mean = 16.4, SD = 2.51), infralabials 12–15 (n = 5, mode = 13, mean = 13.4, SD = 1.14); throat tuberculate with larger tubercles interspersed amongst smaller throat scales ( Fig. 4 A); subinfralabial scales distinctly heterogeneous, not merging gradually with smaller throat granules ( Fig. 5 A). Neck. Broad. Body. Moderate, depressed, covered in small granules; dorsal granules intermixed with larger conical tubercles; tubercles moderate on back but increasingly pronounced on flanks and sides of neck; basal scales surrounding upper flank and dorsal tubercles not, or slightly, larger than adjacent granules; a patch of enlarged, centrally placed scales is present ventrally in pelvic region; a scattering of small pale granules is present ventrally in pectoral region, extending medially from limb insertion ( Fig. 6 A). Preanal pores absent. Axilla deeply invaginated. Limbs. Long, covered in pronounced pointed tubercles dorsally; enlarged dorsal tubercles of reduced spinosity on distal portion of forelimb (see Fig. 7 A); enlarged tubercles present on ventral surfaces of upper fore and hindlimbs (densely packed on forelimb); digits strongly compressed distally; enlarged subdigital lamellae 4th finger 19–21 (n = 5, mean = 19.8, SD = 0.84); dorsal surface of fingers without enlarged conical tubercles; enlarged subdigital lamellae 4th toe 17–20 (n = 5, mode = 18, mean = 18.4, SD = 0.89); dorsal surface of toes without enlarged conical tubercles ( Fig. 8 A); subdigital scales from tip of 4th finger to junction of 3rd and 4th fingers 20– 21 (n = 5, mean = 20.2, SD = 0.45); subdigital scales from tip of 4th toe to junction of 3rd and 4th toes 20–23 (n = 5, mean = 21.6, SD = 0.89). Original tail. Flared, carrot-shaped, tapering to a fine attenuated tip and terminating in small knob. Dorsal surface of flared portion covered with enlarged conical tubercles: edges folded but largely devoid of fringing spines ( Fig. 9 A); very small spinose tubercles on edges of basal portion of attenuated tip (along ~3/4 of attenuated portion). Regenerated tail. Leaf-shaped with slightly bulbous tip; dorsal surface covered in minute spinose scales.

Pattern in spirit. Dorsal surface of head and body greyish/brown with numerous black blotches; body blotches partially enclose a pale central patch which may form an irregular ocellus (more prominent in life); ventral surface pale, unpatterned. Original tail (n = 2). Black above with seven narrow cream bands (numbered 1–7 from base to tip), three on flared portion, four on attenuated tip; band one continuous, band two obscure and broken, band three incomplete and running diagonally, band four continuous and diagonal, bands five and six reduced to blotches, band seven continuous; tail bands extend to ventral surface only on attenuated portion; ventral surface of flared portion greyish with pale blotching but paler towards centre. Limbs. Marked with irregular dark mottling. Regenerated tail (n = 4). Heavily marbled with grey and black above and below (the dominant colour varying between individuals). Pattern in life. As above but base colour distinctly tan.

Comparison. Phyllurus ossa tamoya subsp. nov. only be confused with congeners that have broadly-flared original tails (hence P. caudiannulatus , P. gulbaru and P. kabikabi are excluded from further consideration). Of the broad-tailed species, only P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov., P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. and P. ossa ossa possess more than one central groove on the rostral shield (usually two or three grooves present). Phyllurus ossa tamoya subsp. nov. is separated from P.ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. and P. ossa ossa by its tuberculate throat scalation (vs nontuberculate, Fig. 4 ), its heterogeneous subinfralabial scales (vs homogeneous, Fig. 5 ), the arrangement of tubercles on the ventral surface of the distal portion of the forelimb (densely packed vs moderate to sparse; Fig. 7 ), and its original tail which is largely devoid of spinose tubercles along the outer edges of the flared portion (vs tubercles present on tail edges; Fig. 9 ).

Genetics. Approximately 6.7% divergent from P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. and 5.8% divergent from P. ossa ossa for cyt- b mtDNA ( Fig. 2 ).

Distribution. Only known from Whitsunday Island (20° 15ˏS, 148° 57ˏE) in the Cumberland Group on the mid-eastern Queensland coast ( Fig. 10 ) but suitable habitat is also present on neighbouring Hook Island. Whitsunday Island is separated from the adjacent mainland by the approximately 10 km wide Hillsborough Channel.

Habitat and habits. Low to mid-elevation vine forests growing on rocky slopes ( Fig. 11 C). The rock is dracitic lava tuffs (A. Ewart pers. comm.) from the Lower Cretaceous Whitsunday/Proserpine Volcanics. Nocturnal; largely saxicolous.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Neighbour-joining tree of P. ossa subspecies. Numbers on branches are Kimura two-parameter distance estimates. AJ numbers are GenBank accession numbers; QMJ numbers are Queensland Museum registration numbers.

FIGURE 3. Phyllurus ossa tamoya subsp. nov. in life; Whitsunday Island (image: G. Cranitch).

FIGURE 4. Condition of throat scales for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89131) with fine widely scattered tubercles; B) P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. and P. ossa ossa (QMJ 54327) without fine widely scattered throat tubercles.

FIGURE 5. Condition of subinfralabial scales (ventrolateral view) for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89131) – heterogeneous; B) P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53427) — homogeneous.

FIGURE 6. Condition of pectoral area (ventral view) for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89154) and P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (excluding Mt Dryander population) — with scattered granules extending towards midline; B) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428) — granules confined to lateral areas.

FIGURE 7. Condition of spinosity of antebrachium (dorsal view) for: A) P. o s sa t a m oy a subsp. nov. and P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (QMJ 56773) — reduced spinosity; B) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428) — spinose.

FIGURE 8. Condition of first phalanx (dorsal view of hindlimb) for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89154) without enlarged, spinose tubercles; B) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428) — with enlarged spinose tubercles.

FIGURE 9. Original tails (dorsal view) of: A) P. o s sa t am o y a subsp. nov. (QMJ 89139); B) P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (QMJ 56773); C) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428).

FIGURE 10. Distribution map of the three subspecies of P. ossa, showing locality records for: P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (square), P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (bulls-eyes) and P. ossa ossa (triangles). The towns of Mackay and Proserpine are shown (Google © 2010; Image NASA © 2012 Cnes / Spot Image Data S 10, NOAA, U. S. Navy, NGA, CEBCO). The inset shows the position in Australia.

FIGURE 11. Typical rocky rainforest habitat of P. o s s a subspecies: A) Mt Dryander; B) Conway Range; C) Whitsunday Is.; D) Mt Ossa / Ossa Ck (images A, B & D: P. Couper; image C: A. Amey).