Gehyra pseudopunctata, Doughty & Bourke & Tedeschi & Pratt & Oliver & Palmer & Moritz, 2018

Doughty, Paul, Bourke, Gayleen, Tedeschi, Leonardo G., Pratt, Renae C., Oliver, Paul M., Palmer, Russell A. & Moritz, Craig, 2018, Species delimitation in the Gehyra nana (Squamata: Gekkonidae) complex: cryptic and divergent morphological evolution in the Australian Monsoonal Tropics, with the description of four new species, Zootaxa 4403 (2), pp. 201-244 : 217-220

Gehyra pseudopunctata sp. nov. Doughty, Bourke, Tedeschi, Oliver, & Moritz

Southern Kimberley spotted gecko

(lineage nana 5)

Figs. 5 , 10 , 11

Holotype. WAM R164776, an adult male collected from Mt Nyulasy , Western Australia (16.74527°S; 128.28250°E) on 17 January 2008 by P. Doughty, P.M. Oliver and D. Moore.

Paratypes (9). All from Western Australia: WAM R70554 (male), 9 km south-south-east of Mt Amy (17°15'S; 124°55'E); WAM R132856 (female), 10 km south Bow River Station (16°57'59"S; 128°13'58"E); WAM R 151018 (male), Mt Nyulasy (16°45'03"S; 128°17'12"E); WAM R164777 (male) and WAM R164778 (male), as for holotype; WAM R172099 (DEC BP02080) (male), Windjana Gorge (17.2272°S; 124.8958°E); WAM R176238 ( CCM 1440) (male), Sir John Gorge, Mornington (17.52933°S; 126.21127°E); WAM R176242 ( CCM 1464) (female), Teronis Gorge, Tablelands (17.29564°S; 127.25612°E); WAM R176304 ( CCM 3085) (female), Mt Nyulasy (16.74565°S; 128.28288°E); NMV D77003 (female), King Leopold Ranges, Gibb River Road (17.1164°S; 125.13335°E).

Diagnosis. A Gehyra with moderate body size (average 54 mm, range 47–58 mm SVL), no flap of skin between limbs, dorsal half of rostral deeply furrowed with groove, internasal usually absent, 2 postnasals similar in size, first supralabial taller and narrower than second, 2 pairs of chin shields, snout moderately long and straight or slightly convex in lateral view, first digit of manus and pes without protruding claw, 7 or 8 divided subdigital lamellae on fourth toe, mode of 8 (range 7–11) pre-cloacal pores in males arranged in short shallow curve pointing anteriorly. Background colouration in life dull tan to pinkish-brown with scattered large pale squarish spots and more irregular dark blotches, post-temporal and canthal streaks sometimes present.

Description. Body size moderately small (mean 54.3 mm, range 47.4–57.8 mm SVL), body shape robust and dorsoventrally flattened, moderately depressed head (mean HD/HL 0.39, range 0.34–0.45), with moderately long snout (SnEye/HL 0.44, 0.38–0.48), snout straight to slightly convex in lateral view, shallow depression between curved poorly-defined canthal ridges; eyes large (OrbL/SnEye 0.48–0.56); neck wide with only slight constriction. Limbs of moderate length (ArmL/SVL 0.11, 0.08–0.14; HindL/SVL 0.13, 0.11–0.16); digits short; claw protruding from dorsal surface of expanded circular terminal toepad, no claws on anteriormost digit of manus and pes; typically 6 or 7 subdigital lamellae on fourth finger, typically 7 or 8 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; no granules between proximal lamellae.

Nostrils rounded, directed laterally and dorsally, contacted by rostral, supranasal, two postnasals and first supralabial; supralabials 7–9; infralabials 6–9; rostral ~1.7 x wider than high with a deep furrow ~60% of rostral height, a fine medial groove extends 40–70% of the height of the scale from dorsal edge; supranasals rounded or rectangular, dorsal edge curved or straight, ventral edge flat or slightly curved to contact rostral, supranasals usually in contact, but occasionally separated medially by a single small internarial scale along dorsal edge of rostral (2 of 15 specimens); 2 postnasals (one individual with 3) of similar size; mental narrow, usually angling inwards posterior to infralabials to terminate in triangular point from 1/4 to 2/5 height of inner chin shields; smaller (~1/2 length) outer pair of chin shields present with rounded lateral-posterior edges, smaller irregular-sized granular scales lateral to outer chin shields; inner chin shields in contact with second infralabial; first scale of parainfralabial row of scales usually positioned in a notch on postero-ventral edge of third (second in one individual) infralabial, with granular scales often extending to contact second infralabial.

Scales on dorsum small, non-overlapping; scales on crown reduce then become larger near eyes, scales on snout large and rounded; slightly enlarged row of scales above supralabials; scales on ventrum flat and ~6– 8 x larger than those on dorsum, becoming granular anterior to arms; granular scales on gular region, gradually increasing in size towards parainfralabial row and infralabials; scales on ventral surface of thighs and anterior to cloaca enlarged and flat; medial row of scales on tail greatly enlarged and much wider than long, bordered laterally by a row of moderately enlarged scales, scales on dorsal and lateral surfaces of tail slightly enlarged and tending to be arranged in regular rows; regenerated tails with flattened scales in less regular rows.

From 7 to 11 pre-cloacal pores in males; pores penetrating scales and forming a shallow chevron with central pores anteriormost; 1–2 enlarged protruding cloacal spurs to either side of cloaca (females with only slightly enlarged analogous scales); two gravid females at 46.8 mm and 57.4 mm SVL with a single large egg. Tail cylindrical and moderately long, tapering gradually to fine point.

Colouration. In life, background colour of dorsal surfaces light to dark tan with pinkish to reddish hues; large pale spots scattered on dorsum, round to squarish in shape; dark blotches or spots of similar to smaller size, more irregularly-shaped; pale and dark spots largest in paravertebral zone, usually not in contact and tending to form transverse rows; if spots in contact or nearly so, then dark spots are anterior to pale spots; on nape, pale and dark spots form more conspicuous transverse rows; most individuals with a lightening of the background colour along midline; scattered small pale spots and dark spots or short bars on head and snout; dark post-temporal, canthal and pre-orbital streaks present in some individuals; supralabials lightly to darkly stippled with maculated appearance formed by hiatus of pigment near sutures; infralabials, mental, chin shields and gulars with light to heavy dark stippling; upper surfaces of limbs with small pale spots and dark spots or short bars, continuing to dorsal surfaces of digits; ventrum pale off-white, immaculate in centre but with stippling towards lateral edges; dorsal and lateral surfaces of original tails with alternating pale and dark rows of spots; regenerated tails with an admixture of dark and pale scales; ventral surface of tail as for ventrum. In preservative, most reddish hues are lost, resulting in a background colour of light to medium brown, with spots less clearly defined.

Habitat. Gehyra pseudopunctata sp. nov. has mostly been collected from around large boulders, rock walls, platforms and associated crevices among large sandstone or granite rock formations, similar habitats to the largebodied G. occidentalis and G. koira from the same region. It is sympatric with the G. nana complex, G. occidentalis and G. granulum sp. nov., and in the west of its range with G. kimberleyi . The species has often been observed running upside down beneath rock overhangs. This habitat differs from the small rock ‘rubble’ habitat typically associated with the smaller-bodied G. nana and G. granulum sp. nov. in the Kimberley.

Distribution. Gehyra pseudopunctata sp. nov. has been recorded across the King Leopold and Durack Ranges of the southern Kimberley, a straight line distance of 350 km from west to east. The westernmost record is from just west of the southern portion of Willinggin National Park on the Gibb River Road, and the easternmost records occur at Mt Nyulasy on the Great Northern Highway (the type location).

Etymology. The specific name pseudopunctata refers to the long-standing attribution of this species to the Pilbara species G. punctata . Hence “false [= pseudo, Latin] punctata ”.

Comparisons with other species. Gehyra pseudopunctata sp. nov. is distinctive in the Kimberley region, owing to its moderately large body size (47–58 mm SVL), divided lamellae lacking granules, relatively few precloacal pores in males and a dorsal pattern of large pale and dark spots on a reddish-brown background. Largerbodied species of the G. australis species-group possess undivided lamellae. Most smaller-bodied species have fewer subdigital lamellae (typically 5 or 6) and numerous small dark and pale spots ( G. nana , G. granulum sp. nov.) and/or more diffuse markings ( G. girloorloo , G. spheniscus , G. pluraporosa sp. nov.), whereas G. pseudopunctata sp. nov. typically have 7 or 8 lamellae and much larger and well-defined spots. Species of moderate body size such as G. kimberleyi , G. multiporosa and G. occidentalis tend to have more diffuse markings on the dorsum, smaller spots and more numerous pre-cloacal pores in males (11 or fewer in G. pseudopunctata sp. nov.; most small-bodied species have numerous pre-cloacal pores as well). The most similar Kimberley Gehyra in patterning is G. xenopus that occurs allopatrically in the northwest Kimberley which also possesses large pale and dark spots; however, this species has a distinctive large wedge of granules that divides the proximal lamellae on the undersides of the digits and reaches larger body sizes (62–79 mm SVL).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Photos in life of the species described herein. A) Gehyra nana (lineage nana2) (NTM R37597) from Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT (S. Mahony), B) G.nana (nanamulti) (WAM R174051) from Drysdale River National Park, WA (R.J. Ellis), C) G. paranana sp. nov. (NTM R37601) from Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT (S. Mahony), D) G. pseudopunctata sp. nov. (not collected) from near Halls Ck, WA (S. Zozaya), E) G. granulum sp. nov. (WAM R171403) from Prince Regent River National Park,WA (P.Doughty), F) G.granulum sp.nov. (WAMR168561) from Byam Martin Island(P.Doughty), G)G. pluraporosasp. nov. (WAM R174024) from Theda Station, WA (R.J. Ellis).

FIGURE 10. Holotype of Gehyra pseudopunctata sp. nov. (WAM R164776) from Mt Nyulasy, WA, in dorsal, ventral and lateral views (scale bar = 10 mm).

FIGURE 11. Variation within Gehyra pseudopunctata sp. nov. (scale bar = 10 mm).