Amalosia capensis, Hoskin & Couper, 2023

Hoskin, Ad. J. & Couper, Patrick J., 2023, Revision of zigzag geckos (Diplodactylidae: Amalosia) in eastern Australia, with description of five new species, Zootaxa 5343 (4), pp. 301-337 : 329-331

Amalosia capensis sp. nov.

Cape York Zigzag Gecko

( Figures 24 , 25 )

Material examined. Holotype. Male, QM J97595 ( Fig. 24 ), McIlwraith Range (13° 42’ 34” S, 143° 18’ 44” E), field collection code: conx5688, C. J. Hoskin & A. Zimny, 16/9/2014 . Paratypes. (all localities in far northern Queensland) QM J57768 , Captain Billy Landing (11° 37’ S, 142° 51’ E) ; J26207, Cape York, Heathlands (11° 39’ S, 142° 50’ E) ; J58257, Messum Hill, 3 km NNE (11° 42’ S, 142° 52’ E); J54035, Heathlands Junction, 14 km S, on Cape Rd (11° 51’ S, 142° 38’ E); J87962, Coolibah, Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve (12° 22’ 58” S, 142° 10’ 45” E) ; J39662, False Pera Head, ca 35 km NW Aurukun (13° 05’ S, 141° 57’ E) ; J38305, Buthen, 4 km SW (13° 22’ S, 143° 25’ E); J32511, McIlwraith Range, Leo Ck (13° 33’ S, 143° 28’ E); J58229, Rokeby NP, Ironbark Dam (13° 37’ S, 142° 48’ E); J23494, Rokeby Homestead, 4.8–6.4 km W (13° 39’ S, 142° 37’ E); J38304, Coen , 19 km ENE, weather station (13° 42’ S, 143° 18’ E) ; J97594, J97596–97, McIlwraith Range (13° 42’ 34” S, 143° 18’ 44” E); J86896–97, Kulla NP, McIlwraith Range (13° 42’ 39” S, 143° 18’ 38” E); J86895, Kulla NP, McIlwraith Range (13° 42’ 39” S, 143° 18’ 38” E); J38174, Rocky Scrub, 28 km NE of Coen (13° 44’ S, 143° 20’ E) ; J38098, Rocky Ck mouth, 8 km NW (13° 44’ S, 143° 28’ E).

Diagnosis. A small (max. SVL ~ 51 mm), elongate (AG/SVL 0.42–0.52) member of the A. rhombifer group with a pale, dark-edged, zigzag dorsal pattern that is even and continuous (i.e., typically not broken by any narrow, transverse lines from the nape to the hips). Webbing absent, or minimal, between third and fourth toes. Males with 2–4 (typically, 3), pointed, postcloacal spurs (smaller and rounded in females) and 13–25 precloacal pores, with a narrow gap in the series (1–4 scales). The second supralabial is usually taller or equal in height to the first, and wider than the first.

Measurements and scale counts of holotype. SVL 45.4 mm, rTL 34.1 mm, oTW 4.7 mm, oTD 4 mm, HL 10.1 mm, HW 7.6 mm, HD 4.4 mm, S 4.4 mm, AG 21.7 mm, L1 12.2 mm, FL 5.1 mm, L2 17.5 mm, LHL 6.3 mm, BW 7.9 mm, rostral groove 60 %, scales contacting dorsal margin of the rostral 3, scales bordering nasal opening 6, scales contacting posterior margin of mental shield 4, supralabials 10, 1 st or 2 nd supralabial tallest or both subequal, 2 nd supralabial wider than 1 st, infralabials 9, postcloacal spurs 2 left/3 right, precloacal pores 17, pore gap 2, subdigital lamellae 4 th finger 7; subdigital lamellae 4 th toe 7, no webbing between 3 rd and 4 th toes.

Description of type series. Measurements ( Table 2). SVL (mm): 40.2–50.7 (n = 15, mean = 45.0). Proportions as % SVL: oTL = 87–91 (n = 3, mean = 89); HL = 19–23 (n = 15, mean = 22); HW = 15–18 (n = 15, mean = 16); HD = 7.4–10.2 (n = 15, mean = 8.7); S = 8.7–10.3 (n = 15, mean = 9.3); AG = 42–52 (n = 15, mean = 47); L1 = 22–29 (n = 15, mean = 26); L2 = 29–39 (n = 15, mean = 34); FL = 10–12 (n = 15, mean = 11); LHL = 12–14 (n = 15, mean = 13); BW = 14–22 (n = 15, mean = 17). Head. Narrow, elongate, distinct from neck; head width 69–90% head length (n = 15, mean = 75); head depth 46–62% head width (n = 15, mean = 54); snout length 40%–47% head length (n = 15, mean = 43); covered in small granules with slightly larger granules on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the snout; rostral approximately twice as wide as deep, partially divided vertically by a medial groove extending 35–65% rostral height; 2–3 scales contacting dorsal margin of the rostral, lying between the nostrils (n = 20, mode = 3, mean = 2.6); 5–6 scales bordering nasal opening (n = 20, mode = 6, mean = 5.6); supralabials 8–11 (n = 20, mode = 11, mean = 9.7), 2 nd supralabial usually widest; 1 st or 2 nd supralabial tallest or both subequal in height; infralabials 7–11 (n = 20, mode = 10, mean = 9.4); 3–5 scales contacting posterior margin of mental shield, between 1 st infralabials (n = 20, mode = 3, mean = 3.8). Neck. Broad. Body. Slender, slightly depressed, covered in small granules; granules on ventral surface noticeably larger than those on dorsum; a row of enlarged postcloacal spurs (2–4, n = 20, mode = 3, mean = 3.0) behind the lower posterior margin of the thigh in both sexes (larger in males and usually with a rounded margin). 13–25 (n = 15, mode = 15, mean = 17.1) precloacal pores present in mature males, extending to underside of thigh, and divided medially by 1–4 granular scales without pores (n = 15, mode = 2, mean 1.9). Limbs. Moderate length; digits dorsoventrally compressed and expanded distally; an enlarged pair of apical lamellae followed by a transverse series, divided distally, single proximally; forelimb with 5–7 enlarged lamellae on 4 th finger (n = 20, mode = 5, mean = 6), 2–4 split or deeply grooved (n = 20, mode = 3, mean = 3); hindlimb with 5–8 enlarged lamellae on 4 th toe (n = 20, mode = 6, mean = 6.7), 3–4 split or deeply grooved (n = 20, mode = 4, mean = 3.6); webbing present between 3 rd and 4 th toes variable (typically absent or minimal, but occasionally moderate). Original tail. Moderately long (87–91% SVL), narrow (oTW/oTL = 9–11%), tapered, and slightly to moderately flattened (oTW/oTD = 104–155%) ( Table 2); scales arranged in concentric rings, larger on ventral surface. Pattern in spirit. Dorsal view. Grey to mid- brown with a pale vertebral zone and a dark chocolate brown, zigzag pattern. An obscure dark patch is centred on the crown and usually followed by several small dark blotches extending down the pale vertebral zone. Some indication of a central stripe or blotch on the dorsal surface of the snout. A dark facial stripe, beginning on snout and continuing behind eye, joins the dark zigzag dorsolateral zone, which has a narrow, dark upper edge and extends to the tip of the tail (original). No dark band is present on the nape. The zigzag pattern consists of dark points extending into the pale vertebral zone (seven to nine between, and including, the pectoral and pelvic girdles). These may be either aligned or misaligned, so that the tip of each point aligns with the pale, point interspace on the opposite side. The zigzag points do not connect across the pale vertebral zone. The vertebral zone is pale and relatively clean but sometimes obscurely mottled or marked by several small dark blotches. Flanks. Dark but often mottled on lower zone. Original Tail. Pattern as for dorsum. Limbs. Variegated. Ventral surface. Pale, unpatterned, off-white. Colour pattern in life ( Fig. 25 ). As described above but paler markings usually light grey or white (vs cream coloured or more brownish in preservative) and darker markings generally shades of grey (vs often brown in preservative). White flecks and markings more obvious in life. Original tail usually has a yellow wash in life, particularly on terminal half. Iris copper coloured or brown.

Comparisons. Amalosia capensis sp. nov. is one of the smaller (max. SVL ~ 51 mm), more elongate (AG/SVL mean 0.47) members of the A. rhombifer group, which separates it from the larger, more robust species ( A. saxicola sp. nov., A. nebula sp. nov., A. hinesi sp. nov., A. jacovae and A. lesueurii ; Tables 1 , 2). It is also separated from these species by its fairly uniform, continuous dorsal zigzag pattern (vs typically more irregular, and deeply notched or discontinuous in those species). For detailed comparisons to A. hinesi sp. nov., A. saxicola sp. nov. and A. nebula sp. nov., see species descriptions above. Further differs from A. jacovae in having no or minimal webbing between toes 3 and 4 (vs obvious webbing in A. jacovae ). Further distinguished from A. lesueurii by longer, more rounded tail ( Tables 1 , 2), lower number of postcloacal spurs (2–4 vs 4–6 in A. lesueurii ), higher pore count in males (13–25 vs 7–13 in A. lesueurii ), and by having minimal spotting on flanks and limbs (vs obvious spotting in A. lesueurii ). Most similar to A. queenslandia sp. nov. and A. cf. rhombifer , which are also small and elongate species ( Table 2), and have a fairly even, continuous, dorsal zigzag pattern. For comparison with A. queenslandia sp. nov. see that species description. Differs from A. cf. rhombifer in having a relatively shorter tail (oTL/SVL 0.87–0.91 vs A. cf. rhombifer 0.94–1.00), in the number of postcloacal spurs (typically 3, rarely 2 or 4 vs 1 or 2 in A. cf. rhombifer ), and in that the second supralabial is typically taller or equal in height to the first, and wider than the first (vs the first supralabial typically taller, and often wider, in A. cf. rhombifer ). Amalosia capensis sp. nov. also tends to have a yellowish tinge to the original tail in life, which is not seen in other Amalosia species.

Genetic data. Two ND 4 sequences deposited on GenBank: OM523365 (specimen: QM J97595 ; holotype; genetic sample code: conx5688; McIlwraith Range) and OM523366 (no specimen; genetic sample code: conx5692; Pajinka, tip of Cape York) .

Etymology. Named for its occurrence on Cape York Peninsula, far northern Queensland.

Distribution. Restricted to the northern portion of Cape York Peninsula, with records extending south to the Coen area ( Figs. 3 , 5 ).

Natural history. Most records of A. capensis sp. nov. come from mixed tropical woodlands, typically sclerophyll (rather than rainforest), dominated by eucalyptus or paperbarks (e.g., Fig. 26 ). Also found in coastal and upland heathy woodland habitats. Typically found at night on shrubs and other low vegetation, but also on tree trunks, fallen logs and sticks. A nocturnal, arthropod feeder. Not known to occur with any other Amalosia . May co-occur with A. queenslandia sp. nov. between Coen and Yarraden but this area remains poorly surveyed.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Map of occurrence records of Amalosia species in Queensland and north-east New South Wales. For each species, individuals included in the ND4 sequencing (Fig. 2) are shown as triangles whereas specimen and sighting records are shown as circles. Records of A. robusta are not shown because the copious records obscure presentation of the focal species.

FIGURE 5. Map of occurrence records of Amalosia species in north-east Queensland. For each species, individuals included in the ND4 sequencing (Fig. 2) are shown as triangles whereas specimen and sighting records are shown as circles.

FIGURE 24. Holotype of A. capensis sp. nov. (QM J97595); McIlwraith Range. Photo: Conrad Hoskin.

FIGURE 25. Amalosia capensis sp. nov. in life: (A) Iron Range; (B) Pajinka, tip of Cape York; (C) Steve Irwin Reserve, north of Weipa; (D) McIlwraith Range Photos: (A, C) Stephen Zozaya; (B) Anders Zimny; (D) Conrad Hoskin.

FIGURE 26. Habitat of A. capensis sp. nov. in McIlwraith Range. Photo: Conrad Hoskin.