Amphibolurus centralis (Loveridge, 1933)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.24199/j.mmv.2018.77.04 |
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publication LSID |
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:22334107-0784-466E-8288-D6E29F87F6E2 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/942187EC-4B62-FF9F-92A8-FA11C0E8FA40 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Amphibolurus centralis |
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Amphibolurus centralis View in CoL
( Figs. 5 View Figure 5 & 8 View Figure 8 )
Physignathus gilberti centralis Loveridge, A. 1933 . New agamid lizards of the genera Amphibolurus and Physignathus from Australia. Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club, Boston 13: 69–72 [71]. Designation that of Wells, R.W. and Wellington, C.R., 1983. A synopsis of the Class Reptilia in Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology 1: 73–129 [80].
Holotype. MCZ 35207 About MCZ , Anningie 30 mi [les] W of Teatree Well, Northern Territory.
Paratype. AM R10993 (formerly MCZ 35208 About MCZ ) , Australia, Northern Territory, Tea Tree Well , (22° 8' S, 133° 24' E). Juvenile. Note: Original GoogleMaps MCZ catalogue lists locality information identical to MCZ 35207 About MCZ .
Diagnosis. Large robust member of the Amphibolurus genus. Large wide head in proportion to body size. Well-developed spinose nuchal and vertebral crest. Scalation on back heterogeneous. Scales on thighs relatively homogeneous, lacking row of large spinose scales. Shades of light to dark brown and grey. Two broad pale dorsolateral stripes running from ear or neck to hip, discontinuous with pale lip scales. Dorsolateral stripes intersected by multiple wedges of brown or grey along their length. Most individuals have a broad pale or white stripe running along extent of the lower lip. Femoral pores 2–6; preanal pores 3–6.
Description of holotype. Adult male. Large robust lizard with large wide head in proportion to body size and well-developed spinose nuchal crest comprising a row of eight enlarged scales. Additional (4–6) enlarged spinose scale protruding from rear of head, posterior to the jaw. Scales on thighs relatively homogeneous, lacking row of large spinose scales. Distinct neck, limbs long and robust; canthus well defined; nasal scale below canthal ridge, nare slightly to the posterior–dorsal section of the nasal scale; visible tympanum. Infralabials 13, supralabials 14. Labials elongate without obvious keels. Scales on dorsal surface of head heterogenous and strongly keeled. Scattered enlarged, keeled mucronate scales present on side of head posterior to the eye. Scales on the dorsal surface of body and tail are strongly keeled and scales on the ventral surface are weakly keeled. Tail long, robust at base, tapering distinctly from approximately one-third along its length to a fine tip. Shades of cream, light to dark brown and grey. Two broad pale dorsolateral stripes running from rear of head to back of rear legs; pale stripes bordered by narrow discontinuous dark brown stripes along entire length and flecks of dark brown within the posterior two-thirds of the pale stripes. Irregular dark brown colouration between the pale dorsolateral stripes on the anterior one-third of the torso. Lacking pale stripe running along the extent of the lower lip.
Variation. Marked variation in colour pattern between individuals. Broad white lip stripe occurs along the upper lip in some individuals, mostly adult males. Alternatively, some individuals do not have a white stripe on either the upper or the lower lips. Diffuse pale stripe between eye and ear in some individuals, but it is not a well-defined stripe bordered dorsally and ventrally by a row of darker scales extending the full span of eye–ear.
Distribution and ecology. Arid northern-central and central Australia, particularly associated with mulga woodlands but also occurring in eucalypt woodlands. Western Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Note: SVL, snout–vent length; HL, head length; HW, head width at widest point; HD, head depth; LegL, hindlimb length.
lacking spinous scales on the thigh and having no enlarged spinous scales along the rear of the thigh.
Genus Gowidon Wells and Wellington, 1984 .
Gowidon Wells, R.W. and Wellington, C.R., 1983 . A synopsis of the Class Reptilia in Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology 1: 73–129. Type-species Gowidon longirostris Boulenger, G.A., 1883 by monotypy.
Diagnosis. A monotypic genus consisting of a large agamid lizard in the subfamily Amphibolurinae with exposed tympanum, gular scales smooth to weakly keeled, ventral scales smooth to weakly keeled. Long-limbed, very long tail, long snout and distinct nuchal crest. Head narrow and shallow in depth compared with length of snout. Dorsal scales uniform, with keels converging posteriorly toward midline. Prominent pale dorsolateral stripes and pale stripe along lower jaw. One to three small white spots on a black background positioned directly posterior to the ear. Preanal pores 4–7; femoral pores range 11–22.
Remarks. As detailed above, the distribution of Amphibolurus centralis potentially overlaps with A. burnsi Wells and Wellington, 1985 , Gowidon longirostris Boulenger, 1883 , Lophognathus gilbert Gray, 1842 and L. horneri sp. nov. DNA sequencing has confirmed that Amphibolurus centralis is unrelated to the Gowidon and Lophognathus species and demonstrates a clear sister-species relationship with A. burnsi . Morphologically, A. centralis can be distinguished from A. burnsi by having mostly homogeneous scales on the thighs, Included species. Gowidon longirostris Boulenger, G.A., 1883 .
Distribution. Arid western interior of Australia. Semi-arboreal, occurring in a broad range of habitats across arid and semi-arid habitats, particularly associated with inland arid watercourses, gorges and river beds.
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Australian Museum |
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