Carlia bomberai, Zug, George R. & Allison, Allen, 2006

Zug, George R. & Allison, Allen, 2006, New Carlia fusca complex lizards (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from New Guinea, Papua­Indonesia, Zootaxa 1237, pp. 27-44 : 34-38

Carlia bomberai n. sp.

( Fig. 3 )

Type material

Holotype. MZB AA 16285, adult male from Indonesia, Papua Province, Tanah Merah village [2.4382°S 133.1350°E], collected by Allen Allison, 14 March 2002.

Paratypes. BPBM 21315–328, 21330–333, 21335, USNM 562962–963, same collecting locality as holotype; BPBM 21329, Indonesia, Papua Province, Tanah Merah savannah [2.4426°S 133.1402°E]; BPBM 21293–302, 21308, 21312–314, Indonesia, Papua Province, Saengga River, east bank (hill forest behind Saengga Base Camp) [2.4575°S 133.1108°E]; BPBM 21303–307, 21309–311, Indonesia, Papua Province, Saennga village [2.4727°S 133.1104°E].

Diagnosis

Carlia bomberai is a member of the C. fusca complex; adults are unicolored brown, occasionally with persistence of the juvenile dark brown lateral band on neck and anterior trunk thereby differing from adults of the variously striped complex members ( C. aenigma , C. aramia , C. babarensis , C. beccarii , C. caesius , C. digulensis , C. eothen , C. fusca , C. leucotaenia , C. luctuosa , C. mysi , and C. pulla ). Additionally, C. bomberai averages (adult females mean 47 mm, adult males 51 mm SVL) smaller than C. ailanpalai , C. beccarii , C. eothen , C. luctuosa , and C. pulla and larger than C. aramia , C. babarensis , C. leucotaenia , and C. tutela . C. bomberai has fewer average Dorsals (47) than C. fusca , C. leucotaenia , and C. mysi (48).

Description of holotype

An adult male, 45.2 mm SVL, ca. 74 mm tail length (incomplete), 23.7 mm TrunkL, 22.6 mm HindlL, 10.2 mm HeadL, 1.1 mm PalpbD, and 1.2 mm EarD. Scalation right side for bilateral traits: interparietal separate, prefrontals not touching, 4 Supoc, 8 Supcil, 9 E yeld, 2 Temp, 4 loreals, 7 Suplab, 5th BlwEye, 6 Inflab, oblong ear opening, 3 AuricN on anterior border, 47 very weakly tricarinate Dorsal (1 enlarged as nuchals), 32 Midbody, 19 smooth 3FingL (no lamellae clefted), 26 4ToeL (some penultimate lamellae clefted), and precloacal scale slightly enlarged. Coloration in life: monochrome lizard; dorsally uniform medium brown with a coppery sheen from head onto tail, brown grades laterally into a dark lateral band (diffuse edges) extending from loreals to inguen, no dorsolateral or midlateral light stripes evident, and ventrolaterally lighter brown grades into creamy white, immaculate venter; limbs same color as dorsum. Coloration in preservative: a darker brown, monochrome lizard; dorsum dark brown grading to a medium brown on sides with no evidence of lateral band; ventrolaterally brown grades through a bluish tint into a white venter with areas (chin, throat, belly) with bluish tint; laterally cheek to axilla, scales darkedged on their sides (not posterior free edge) creating a pattern of thin, longitudinal stripes on bluish white background.

Description. A moderate­sized Carlia ranging in adult size from 42 to 51 mm SVL (females 42.3–50.2 mm; males 47.8–53.9 mm) with HeadL 9.2–10.8 mm (females) 10.2–12.39 mm (males), PalpbD 0.8–1.4 mm (females) 0.9–1.6 mm (males), EarD 0.9–1.5 mm (females) 1.0– 1.6 mm (males), TrunkL 19.1–26.1 mm (females) 20.2–26.0 mm (males), and HndlL 19.7–24.6 mm (females) 21.7–25.5 mm (males). Only the Saenng sample is large enough to test for dimorphism, and tests indicate sexual dimorphism in SVL, HeadL, PalpbD, and HndlL. Head and nuchal scales smooth; interparietal uncommonly absent; 4 Supoc, 8 Supcil, 7–11 Eyeld, 7 (rarely 6) Suplab, 5th (rarely 4th) BlwEye, and 6 (rarely 5 or 7) Inflab on each side. Ear opening oblong vertical to oblique with 1–5 AuricN, usually pointed, on anterior margin. Trunk scales smooth to weakly tricarinate dorsally and laterally, with 42–50 Dorsal, 29–34 Midbody. Subdigital lamellae undivided, smooth: 16–26 3 FingL (occasionally penultimate few cleft), 24–30 4 ToeL.

In life, most adult males are fairly similar in coloration to the holotype. BPBM 21296 had slightly darker flanks and a dull iridescent rust­reddish sheen on the lower flanks and belly and a bright rust­reddish sheen on the underside of the tail. BPBM 21333 had a slightly darker brown dorsum and darker flanks than the holotype and unlike that specimen had a parasagittal line of sparse white specks between the midline and flanks, a pale whitish dorsolateral line extending from the eye to inguen, and ventral coloration similar to that of BPBM 21296. An adult female (BPBM 21297) had a brown to dark olive­brown dorsum and flanks and a whitish to pearl venter lacking the rust­reddish tinge on the lower flanks and venter. Another adult female (BPBM 21293) was similar in all respects to 21297, but the dorsum had a reddish iridescent sheen and the venter was pale pearl with a slight reddish tinge.

In preservative, the color of all life stages are muted. The dorsal and lateral surfaces darken; nonetheless, the dark lateral band remains evident on the neck and trunk of most adults, and the venter becomes cream to glossy white, remaining immaculate. The juvenile pattern ( Fig. 4 ) is either a uniform or nearly uniform brown from head through base of tail or olive­brown with a middorsal narrow black stripe on trunk accompanied by a light peppering of single scaled white and black spots; brown, of variable darkness, lateral band runs from cheek to inguen, and bordered by distinct dorsolateral white stripe from eye to inguen or lighter area of brown rather than a distinct stripe; a midlateral white stripe is absent although that area beneath is lighter is some individuals; predominantly a grading of brown to white from beneath the lateral band to venter. In adults, the juvenile pattern disappears in most adult females and males, yielding unicolor brown or with the persistence of the darker lateral band without the lighter areas above and below it. The venter is immaculate and cream to white.

Distribution

Carlia bomberai is known with certainty only from the lowlands of Tangguh area along the northern part of the Bomberai Peninsula along the margins of Bintuni Bay ( Fig. 5 ). There are, however, no barriers to faunal dispersion throughout most of the Bomberai Peninsula, and it is probable that this species occurs through much of the peninsula.

Etymology

The specific name derives from the origin (occurrence) of these populations on the Bomberai Peninsula. It is proposed as a noun in apposition.

Intraspecific variation

Most mensural traits and two scalation ones are summarized in Table 1 for the two populations/samples recognized as C. bomberai . There is a slight suggestion that the Saennga population may have a slightly smaller adult size, but the sample sizes are inadequate to confirm this difference. Scalation shows the limited variation observed in most other Carlia fusca complex species and offers no striking differences between these two samples. The species as described is limited to two samples, Saennga and Tanah Merah. There is a strong likelihood that the populations in Fak­Fak and Mandiwa are also C. bomberai ; that topic is examined below in the Morphological variation section.

Natural history

Carlia bomberai inhabits leaf litter on the floor of primary and secondary hill forest, mostly in areas receiving abundant direct sunlight. It also occurs in open areas, such as garden clearings and village margins and patches of natural savanna woodland (probably the result of poor drainage and low soil fertility) that are scattered throughout the hill forests of the Tangguh area and cover extensive areas south of Tangguh.

Locally dominant tree species comprising the hill forest habitat include Agathis labillardieri (Araucariaceae) , Pometia pinnata (Sapindaceae) and Acronychia dimorphocalyx (Rutaceae) . The savanna areas are dominated by grasses, with patches of ferns such as Dicranopteris linearis (Gleicheniaceae) , Nephrolepis hirsutula (Nephrolepidaceae) , and Pteridium aquilinum (Dennstaedtiaceae) ; scattered small, myrtaceous, shrubs such as Tristaniopsis macrosperma , Lophostemon suaveolens , Decaspermum bracteatum , and Octamyrtus insignis ; and trees, particularly Melaleuca leucadendron (Myrtaceae) and Acacia mangium (Fabaciae) .

The herpetofauna of Tangguh is depauperate compared to most other areas of lowland New Guinea and is dominated by a relatively small number of lizard species. Carlia bomberai is the most abundant lizard in the area. The only other common ground­dwelling lizards encountered in ten days of field surveys were all skinks and included Emoia cf. physicae , E. cf. pallidiceps , and Sphenomorphus simus , all of which are similar in size to C. bomberai . The two species of Emoia tend to co­occur with C. bomberai in relatively open, sunny areas of the forest, whereas S. simus generally prefers relatively closed, dark forest. Another ground­dwelling species of skink, Lygisaurus [ Carlia ] novaeguineae, which has similar ecological preferences to Sphenomorphus simus and is somewhat smaller than C. bomberai , was also present but uncommon in the Tangguh area. A third species of Emoia , E. caeruleocauda , is similar in size to C. bomberai and is often found in the same habitat, but is semi­arboreal, inhabiting shrubs, fallen trees and other areas within a meter or so of the ground.

Locality SVL TrunkL HindL HeadL Dorsal M

Saennga Female [10] 45.8±2.3 21.2±2.1 21.8±1.2 9.6±0.6 47±1.2 32±0.8

( bomberai ) 42.3–50.2 19.1–26.1 20.0–24.0 9.2–10.6 44–47 30–33

Male [1] 52.3 24.3 23.7 11.9 46 32

Tanah Merah Female [5] 47.2±2.* 22.0±0.8 20.9±1.1* 10.3±0.2* 46±1.3 32±0.4

( bomberai ) 44.9–49.9 20.8–22.9 20.3–23.2 10.1–10.5 45–48 31–32

Male [7] 49.9±1.1* 22.3±1.3 24.6±0.9* 11.9±0.7* 46±1.3 32±1.0

48.1–51.6 20.2–23.7 22.6–25.5 10.2–12.3 44–48 31–34

Ajamura Female [13] 48.5±3.2 22.2±2.1 22.5±1.6 10.5±0.6 48±0.8 33±1.1

(unassigned) 43.9–53.2 19.6–26.8 20.2–25.0 9.7–11.5 47–50 31–34

Male [17] 51.5±2.6 23.9±1.1 24.0±1.8 12.1±0.5 47±1.4 33±1.0

43.1–54.7 21.9–25.4 22.5–28.2 11.1–12.7 45–49 31–34

Manokwari Female [10] 49.2±3.9 23.0±2.1 22.5±1.2* 11.0±0.6* 49±1.5 33.5±1.5

( fusca ) 44.0–57.4 21.1–28.1 21.4–25.7 10.0–11.9 46–51 31–36

Male [6] 51.0±2.2 25.4±2.4 26.2±1.1* 12.4±0.5* 48±0.6 34±1.4

Figures

FIGURE 3. The holotype of Carlia bomberai n. sp., dorsolateral aspect, male in life, MZB AA 16285.

FIGURE 4. Juveniles of Carlia bomberai (BPBM 21315 [left], BPBM 21325 [right]), dorsolateral aspect, preserved.

FIGURE 5. Distribution of sample localities [left] and Carlia fusca complex species [right] in Papua­Indonesia. Sample localities: 1, Ayamaru; 2, Manokwari; 3, Fak­Fak; 4, Tanah Merak; 5, Saengga; 6, Mandiwa; 7, Yeretina; 8, Gariau; 9, Unipo; 10, Uta; 11, Freeport; 12, Lorentz River; 13, Agats; 14, Bayum.

Tables

TABLE 1. Summary of variation in select characters in the larger samples of the Carlia “ fusca ” group from southern and western Papua­Indonesia. Median ± 1 standard deviation, range, and * sexually dimorphic; sample size in brackets; species assignment in parentheses.

Locality SVL	TrunkL	HindL	HeadL	Dorsal	M
Agats Female [8] 47.8±1.8*	22.5±1.4*	23.8±0.7*	10.5±0.4*	45.5±1.7	34±0.7
( caesius ) 45.1–50.0	20.5–24.9	22.7–24.4	10.2–11.3	44–49	33–35
Male [8] 55.3±2.0*	26.7±3.1*	26.7±0.7*	12.6±0.5*	45±1.1	34±0.9
52.0–58.0	22.3–31.4	25.5–27.9	12.1–13.5	45–48	32–34
Freeport Female [27] 49.6±2.7*	22.7±1.4*	25.4±1.8	11.2±0.7*	46±1.1*	33±1.0
( caesius ) 45.2–55.2	18.8–24.8	21.4–29.5	10.0–13.0	43–48	31–34
Male [22] 51.5±5.1*	22.5±3.0*	26.6±2.3	12.4±1.3*	45±1.6*	33±1.0
45.7–64.5	18.6–28.8	25.0–32.7	10.8–15.9	42–48	32–35
Gariau Female [10] 50.2±2.0	23.2±1.7	23.4±1.1*	11.5±0.2*	47±0.9*	34±1.1*
( caesius ) 45.1–51.8	20.4–26.3	22.4–25.8	11.2–11.9	45–48	32–36
Male [10] 50.2±1.7	21.3±1.7	26.1±0.4*	12.2±0.3*	46±0.8*	33±0.9*
47.9–52.5	19.8–25.9	25.7–26.8	11.8–13.0	45–48	32–35
Mandiwa Female [9] 50.3±2.4*	22.6±1.6*	22.1±0.8*	10.7±0.4*	48±1.5	32±1.0*
(unassigned) 46.4–53.0	21.2–25.7	20.7–23.4	10.2–11.2	45–50	32–34
Male [9] 52.8±2.1*	25.3±1.7*	24.1±0.8*	12.5±0.7*	48±1.2	34±0.8*
51.0–56.5	23.5–28.1	22.2–24.6	11.3–13.5	46–50	32–35
continued.