Crenadactylus naso Storr, 1978

Doughty, Paul, Ellis, Ryan J. & Oliver, Paul M., 2016, Many things come in small packages: Revision of the clawless geckos (Crenadactylus: Diplodactylidae) of Australia, Zootaxa 4168 (2), pp. 239-278 : 265-267

Crenadactylus naso Storr, 1978

Crenadactylus naso species complex Northern clawless geckos

Figs. 4 G, 4H, 18, 19

Crenadactylus ocellatus naso Storr, 1978

[‘Kimberley B–G’ of Oliver et al. (2010, 2012b)]

Holotype. WAM R56206, adult male, Crystal Creek , Western Australia (14°30'S, 125°47'E), collected by L.A. Smith and R.E. Johnstone, 2 November 1976. Fixed in 10% formalin, stored in 70% ethanol at WAM.

Paratypes (8). WAM R41373–74, Heywood Island, Bonaparte Archipelago, WA (15°20'S, 124°20'E) ; WAM R43220–21, WAM R43224, Mitchell Plateau, WA (14°57'S, 124°20'E); WAM R56185–87, Crystal Creek , WA (14°30'S, 125°47'E) .

Diagnosis. A small (to 30.7 mm SVL), slender Crenadactylus . Rostral usually in narrow contact with nostril, sometimes excluded (especially in eastern Kimberley), internasals not extending beyond supranasals, gular scales granular, dorsal scales homogeneous and smooth to weakly keeled, 4–8 pre-cloacal pores in contact and forming gradual curve, enlarged tubercles on original tails. Ground colour light grey to dark brown; dorsal pattern consists of weak to well-defined pale and dark longitudinal stripes, dark stripes with scattered single pale scales; lateral zone light grey to tan, ventrum pale grey to off-white, lateral zone and ventrum immaculate to moderately stippled with occasional thin longitudinal lines.

Description of holotype. WAM R56206, adult male with the following meristics (in mm) and counts: SVL 26.8; TailL 22.2 (detached, partially regenerated); HeadL 7.7; HeadW 4.1; HeadD 2.5; SnL 3.3; ILL 11.6; SupLab10 (left), 9 (right); InfLab 9, 9; internasals 3; PCP 6.

A slender, small-bodied gecko; body elongate, oblong in cross section, ~1.5–2.0 times wider than deep; head narrow (HeadW/HeadL 0.53), elongate (HeadL/SVL 0.28), moderately depressed (HeadD/HeadL 0.32); in dorsal view, widest at ear openings, not wider than widest portion of body; head not distinct from neck, neck weakly constricted; loreal region weakly convex, concave around nasal region; snout elongate (SnL 3.3; SnL/HeadL 0.43), rounded tip; eye moderately large; rostral ~3.5 times wider than high, in narrow contact with nostril, dorsal edge faintly scalloped to accommodate first supranasals, rostral groove absent; internasals 3, variable in size, ~0.5–0.75 the size of first supranasals in area; supranasals two per side; supranasals on left side, first oblong, transverselyoriented, wider than long, ~1.5 times wider than long, in broad contact with nostril, second round, ~half the size of first, in broad contact with nostril; supranasals on right side, first oblong, transversely oriented, wider than long, ~1.75 times wider than long, in broad contact with nostril, second oblong, transversely-orientated, equal in size to first, in broad contact with nostril; nostrils small, directed dorsolaterally, in contact with rostral, first and second supranasals, postnasals and first supralabial; postnasals 3, oblong in shape, longer than high; supralabials 10 (left), 9 (right), antero-dorso edge of first supralabial in contact with nostril; second supralabial rectangular, wider than high, slightly longer than first supralabial, supralabials 3–10 (left)/9 (right) smaller than first and second, gradually decreasing in size, all wider than high; scales on crown small and flattened, ~half the size of dorsal scales, increasing in size anteriorly onto snout; scales on snout flat, enlarged, ~2–3 times the size of scales on crown; supraocular scales enlarged; two enlarged conical scales at postero-dorso edge of eye; mental trapezoid-shaped, widest anteriorly, narrowing slightly to concave posterior edge, posterior width ~one-third of anterior width; gulars granular, rounded, ~0.50–0.75 the size of scales on ventrum; infralabials 9 on each side, first largest, squareshaped, gradually decreasing in width and height posteriorly.

Limbs short, distance between limbs nearly half of SVL (ILL/SVL 0.43), slightly over half the length of tail (ILL/TailL 0.52); scales on dorsal surface of forelimbs imbricate, rounded and slightly raised, becoming flatter distally; scales on ventral surface of forelimbs similar to dorsal; scales on dorsal surface of hindlimbs rounded and slightly raised; scales on ventral surface of hind limbs rounded and slightly raised, becoming flatter distally; fingers 5; toes 5; claws absent from all digits; digits moderately long; fourth finger lamellae in 7 rows; fourth toe lamellae 8 rows; in dorsal view, enlarged scale between apical plates ~2 times the size of adjacent lateral scales, apical plates much wider than digit; one pair of ventral apical plates, circular.

Scales on dorsum small and homogeneous, round to oblong, widest at midpoint of scale, becoming flatter and imbricate laterally, juxtaposed; dorsal scales slightly raised, highest point at posterior edge of scale, weakly keeled; scales on ventrum homogeneous, flat, imbricate, equal to 1.5 times the size of dorsal scales in area, widest at midpoint, rounded posteriorly.

Tail detached, partially regenerated, last 60% of tail regenerated, slightly shorter than SVL (TailL/SVL 0.82), tapers gradually from widest point posterior to vent; round in cross-section; scales rounded and slightly raised, imbricate, 2 longitudinal rows of enlarged tubercles along dorsolateral edges of tail, similar in area to surrounding scales, but more prominently raised; ventral tail scales flattened and imbricate, ~equal to 1.5 times the size of dorsal tail scales; scales on regenerated portion rounded and slightly raised on dorsal surface, enlarged tubercles absent, ventral tail scales flat and imbricate; single enlarged raised post-cloacal spur on both sides of cloaca, ~1.5– 2 times the size of surrounding scales; pre-cloacal pores 6, arranged in a continuous gradual curve, innermost porebearing scales in contact, pore-bearing scales notched on posterior edge to accommodate pore.

Colouration and pattern. In preservative, colouration faded to medium brown, pattern comprised of alternating pale and dark longitudinal lines; pale vertebral stripe bordered by dark brown; medium brown paravertebral zone; pale dorsolateral stripes bordered with dark brown; pale and brown lateral stripes somewhat discernible; crown of head pale; top of snout dark brown with pale canthal stripe (extension of pale dorsolateral stripe anterior to eye) and dark brown loreal stripe (extension of paravertebral zone); labial scales pale; arms with feint longitudinal lines; hindlimbs with longitudinal dark and pale stripes; ventral surface light brown; original portion of tail with feint dark and pale stripes, ventral surface light brown; regenerated portion uniform light brown.

Variation. The holotype specimen is somewhat faded and shrivelled, whereas more recently-collected material has more vivid colouration and is in better condition. Within the complex, body size to 30.7 mm SVL, ILL/SVL 39–54%; the rostral-nostril contact varies from narrow to point contact and also exclude in some individuals; rostral groove varied from 0–40%, internasals usually 2 or 3 (occasionally 1 or 4), SupLab and InfLab 7–10; precloacal pores usually 6 (occasionally 4 or 8), innermost pore-bearing scales in contact. Dorsal scales homogeneous, smooth to weakly keeled.

In life, light yellowish-grey background colour with alternating pale and dark longitudinal lines; pale vertebral stripe often forks on back of head; pale dorsolateral zone with small spots of 1–2 pale scales dotted at regular intervals and continuing on to tail on enlarged tubercles.

In preservative, pale vertebral stripe, bordered by medium brown paravertebral stripes with a thin dark brown border, pale dorsolateral zone originates on postero-dorsal edge of eye and continues on to tail, below dorso-lateral zone is a brown lateral zone with dark border, greyish-brown weakly defined lateral stripe between limbs, dorsum has variably expressed small isolated scattered pale scales, sometimes bordered by dark brown scales forming small ocelli, limbs dark medium dark brown with scattered groups of pales scales forming spots, snout dark brown, pale canthal and dark loreal stripes prominent; labials heavily stippled; ventrum pale, finely stippled, especially on chest and neck region, medium peppering of dark brown, sometimes forming weak longitudinal lines; pale enlarged tubercles on tail, occasionally with black scales adjacent.

Distribution. As defined here, this species complex occurs throughout most of the Kimberley, except for the Devonian Reef ranges in the south-west which are occupied by C. rostralis , and a small number of other records of uncertain status from the southern Kimberley ( Fig. 2 ). We tentatively assign populations from the Northern Territory and Queensland to this taxon as well.

Habitat. Collected from rocky areas with spinifex, including screes, sandstone outcrops and gorges. Numerous specimens were collected by burning spinifex, with occasional records from vine thickets and more open woodland.

Etymology. The word naso (Latin) means ‘long-nosed’ in reference to the long snout (Storr et al. 1983).

Remarks. Despite extensive searches for diagnostic characters among lineages in the C. naso species complex, we could not find non-overlapping characters amongst the few existing voucher specimens. Rather than delay the resolution of the southern and arid zone taxa, by redescribing C. rostralis we have hopefully isolated the remaining taxonomic issues within Crenadactylus to a monophyletic unit.

The resolution of the C. naso species complex may be possible through examination of internal characters, and would benefit from a larger series of voucher specimens (with photos in life) to better understand patterns of morphological variation in the group.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of the Crenadactylus ocellatus species-group including new species described in this paper. Darker shades denote areas of high topographic complexity, lighter shades lower complexity. Colours for taxa match those in Fig. 1. Questionable type location of Ebenavia horni holotype indicated by ‘? ’.

FIGURE 4. Photographs of Crenadactylus ocellatus species-group members in life (left to right, top to bottom): A) C. ocellatus, Koolyanobbing, WA (photo—R. J. Ellis), B) C. horni, Trephina Gorge, NT (photo—G. M. Shea), C) occidentalis sp. nov., 70 km S Exmouth, WA (photo—G. Gaikhorst), D) C. tuberculatus sp. nov., Cape Range National Park, WA (photo—R. J. Ellis), E) C. pilbarensis sp. nov., Burrup Peninsula, WA (photo—B. Maryan), F) C. rostralis, Geikie Gorge National Park, WA (photo—P. M. Oliver), G) C. naso, Koolan Island, WA (photo—G. Gaikhorst), H) C. naso, Mitchell Plateau, WA (Photo— G. M. Shea).