Amphibolurus burnsi

Melville, Jane, Ritchie, Euan G., Chapple, Stephanie N. J., Glor, Richard E. & Schulte, James A., 2018, Diversity in Australia’s tropical savannas: An integrative taxonomic revision of agamid lizards from the genera Amphibolurus and Lophognathus (Lacertilia: Agamidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria (Mem. Mus. Vic.) 77, pp. 41-61 : 47

Amphibolurus burnsi

(fig. 8)

Amphibolurus burnsi Wells, R.W. and Wellington, C.R., 1985 . A classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology Supplementary Series 1: 1–61 [18]. Designation that of Melville, J., this work.

Holotype. AM R116981 (previously AMF 28917 ), Collarenebri , New South Wales.

Diagnosis. Large robust member of the Amphibolurus genus. Large wide head with extensive covering of spinose scales. Posterior ventral portion of head heavily covered with spinose scales. Well-developed spinose nuchal and vertebral crest, which continues down back to hips. At least two more spinose dorsal crests on each side of vertebral crest. Scalation on back strongly heterogeneous, with two dorsolateral rows of spinose scales running from shoulders to hips. Scales on thighs strongly heterogeneous with scattered spinose scales. Prominent row of spinose scales running along the posterior edge of thighs. Shades of brown, grey to almost black. Two broad pale dorsolateral stripes running from ear or neck to the hip, discontinuous with lip scales. Dorsolateral stripes intersected by multiple wedges of brown or grey along their length. Femoral pores 3–5; preanal pores 4–6.

Description of holotype. Adult. Large robust lizard with 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 12; supralabials 13. Labials elongate somewhat keeled. Scales on dorsal surface of head heterogenous and strongly keeled. Well-developed spinose nuchal crest. Posterior portion of head heavily covered with spinose scales. Well-developed vertebral crest, which continues down back to hips. Two paravertebral rows of enlarged and prominent spinose scales on each side of vertebral crest, running from shoulders to hips. Scales on thighs strongly heterogeneous with scattered spinose scales. Row of enlarged spinose scales running along posterior edge of thighs. Scales on the dorsal surface of body and tail are strongly keeled and scales on the ventral surface are weakly keeled. Colour dorsally is light to dark brown and grey, with scattered black markings.

Variation. Considerable variation in the number and size of spinose scales between males, females and juveniles. In adult males there are numerous long spines (> 2 mm) and the spinose scales are dense across the back of the head, nuchal and ventral crests, and rear of the thighs. In females and juveniles, spinose scales are still present and diagnostic but they are smaller and less dense, providing an overall appearance of the lizards being less spiny. Some individuals, particularly adult males, have a broad pale stripe running along the full extent of the lower lip. However, a white stripe along the upper lip is not present and a well-defined pale stripe between the eyes and ears is not present.

Distribution and ecology. Occurs in dry woodlands and associated with eucalypts along inland watercourses. Distributed across southern and central-western Queensland and northern inland New South Wales.

Remarks. The distribution of Amphibolurus burnsi potentially overlaps with A. centralis and A. muricatus . A. burnsi has been included in the genus Lophognathus but DNA sequencing has confirmed that it is unrelated to Lophognathus species and demonstrates a clear sister-species relationship with A. centralis . Morphologically, A. centralis and A. burnsi can be distinguished by the latter having heterogeneous scales on the thighs, spinous scales on the thigh and enlarged spinous scales along the rear of the thigh.