Gehyra minuta King, 1982

Hutchinson, Mark N., Sistrom, Mark J., Donnellan, Stephen C. & Hutchinson, Rhonda G., 2014, Taxonomic revision of the Australian arid zone lizards Gehyra variegata and G. montium (Squamata, Gekkonidae) with description of three new species, Zootaxa 3814 (2), pp. 221-241 : 235

Gehyra minuta King, 1982

Fig. 3 .

Distinguished from other Australian Gehyra by a combination of modally 7 divided scansors under the expanded portion of the fourth toe, generally two pairs of enlarged chin shields, with the median (postmental) pair being relatively small, second infralabial notched and often in contact with postmental, low numbers of labial scales (nine or fewer supralabials, eight or fewer infralabials), a dorsal colour pattern combining pinkish brown to rufous colouring (in life) patterned by circular whitish spots and irregular short black flecks, and a karyotype of 2n=42a ( King 1982).

This diagnosis applies to populations of Gehyra genetically assignable to the “ minuta clade” of Sistrom et al. (2013).

Comments. King described his new species from a small number of localities and more recent knowledge has not suggested any broader distribution for this species. We did not have significant sampling of this species and so suggest that until further data prove the contrary, it should be regarded as an endemic inhabitant of the scattered rocky ranges centred around Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. King’s description reveals this species as very short-faced compared to the other species described here, with a reduced labial count (as few as six and not exceeding nine) and relatively small chin shields crowded by the short snout so that the postmentals are often in contact with the second infralabials (a very rare exception among the other species treated here). In colour pattern it is most similar to G. pulingka sp. nov. of the Central Ranges around Northern Territory-South Australia-Western Australia border region. That species is further distinguished from G. minuta in generally having three pairs of enlarged chin shields and the third infralabial notched. Nearby populations of G. moritzi sp. nov. can be distinguished by their finely spotted colour pattern (both black and white markings in the form of small circular spots),

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution of the species of the Gehyra montium - variegata complex, based on populations identified from DNA sequences. Inset shows the detailed distributions of species in the Central Ranges area.