Rhodona karlschmidti Marx and Hosmer, 1959

Couper, Patrick J. & Amey, Andrew P., 2009, Lerista karlschmidti (Marx and Hosmer, 1959) (Sauria: Scincidae): re-examination of the type series, reassignment of a paratype and distribution notes, Zootaxa 2312, pp. 39-48 : 41-43

Rhodona karlschmidti Marx and Hosmer, 1959 = Lerista karlschmidti ( Marx and Hosmer, 1959)

Holotype: Chicago Field Museum of Natural History No. 97957; Woodstock, 36 km S of Townsville, NEQ; A. Johnson, 1952.

Measurements: SVL 66.2 mm; HL 5.2 mm; HW 3.8 mm; MBW 4.6 mm; L2 2.4 mm; TL 60.2 mm.

Head indistinct from neck; snout obtusely angular in profile. Rostral crescent-shaped, with a posteromedial projection partially separating the nasals. Nasals large, in contact for approximately 34% of their maximum length. Nostrils positioned anteriorly in nasals. Frontonasal 1.9 times wider than long. Prefrontals absent (possibly subsumed into the posterior loreals). Frontal slightly wider than long. Frontoparietals distinct and widely separated. Interparietal 1.2 times wider than long (medial length) and appreciably larger than a single frontoparietal. Parietal eyespot located centrally in interparietal. Parietals in broad contact behind interparietal, each in contact with primary temporal, upper secondary temporal and a nuchal along posterolateral margin. Transversely enlarged nuchals two pairs. Loreals two. Preocular single. Presubocular single. Supraoculars three, first two in contact with frontal. Supraciliaries absent (supraoculars bordering upper ciliaries). Postoculars two. Lower eyelid movable with clear window. Pretemporal single.

Primary temporal large. Secondary temporals two, lower smallest and overlapping upper. External ear opening small, barely discernible. Supralabials five, third below eye. Infralabials five. Mental 1.7 times wider than long (medial length). Postmental 1.6 times wider than long, in contact with first two infralabials on each side. Three pairs of enlarged chin shields; first pair in narrow contact, second pair separated by one longitudinal ventral scale row, third pair separated by three longitudinal ventral scale rows.

Body elongate, with smooth scalation. Midbody scale rows 16. Paravertebral scales, from anterior-most nuchal to posterior margin of hindlimb 110. Number of scales in a direct line between mental and preanal scales 113. Midbody width 7.0% of SVL. Medial pair of preanal scales enlarged, left overlapping right. Forelimbs absent. Hindlimbs monodactyl, 3.5% SVL. Subdigital lamellae four. Tail 90.9% SVL.

Colour (in alcohol preservative):

Pale brown above, with ground colour confined to the first four scale rows on either side. Cream below. No sharp demarcation between dorsal and ventral surfaces. Each body scale is marked with a median dark brown streak, forming 16 broken, longitudinal stripes, which become obscure on the lower flanks and ventral surface. The stripes centred on the two mid-ventral scale rows are barely discernible and only present on the posterior two thirds of the body. Body stripes extending to tail, where they remain bold on both dorsal and ventral surfaces. Dorsal head shields with irregular dark brown mottling. Pigment most intense in zone between nasal and primary temporal, particularly along the dorsal half of the first two supralabials. Infralabials two to five with diffuse dark pigment, which is also present along the edges of the postmental scale and chin shields.

Paratype: Chicago Field Museum of Natural History No. 97958; data as for holotype.

Measurements: SVL 69.8 mm (measured along string line); HL 5.4 mm; HW 3.7 mm; MBW 5.0 mm; L2 2.6 mm; tail 30.2 mm (re-grown).

Although the scalation of specimen FMNH 97958 is generally consistent with the holotype, the following differences were recorded: anterior chin shields narrowly separated (almost in point contact); transversely enlarged nuchals five (two on right side, three on left); paravertebral scales 104.

Colour (in alcohol preservative):

Colour pattern as for holotype but with the two mid-ventral stripes being more prominent and extending further forward.

Paratype: Chicago Field Museum of Natural History No. 97741; Woodstock, 36 km S of Townsville, NEQ; A. Johnson, 1954.

Measurements: SVL 51.2 mm; HL 4.5 mm; HW 2.9 mm; MBW 3.1 mm; L2 (right side only) 3.8 mm; TL 47.4 mm (original).

Transversely enlarged nuchals five (left - three, right - two); supraoculars two, first only in contact with frontal; supraciliaries four (first and second scales composite), 1–3 form a continuous series, fourth separated by a continuation of the second supraocular to the edge of the supraocular shelf; loreal single; supralabials five, third below eye; infralabials five; postmental in contact with two infralabials on each side; three pairs of enlarged chin shields; first and second pairs separated by one longitudinal scale row, third pair separated by three longitudinal scale rows; midbody scale rows 18, paravertebral scales 105; subdigital lamellae seven (right side only).

Colour (in alcohol preservative):

Medium brown with dark longitudinal dashes on body and tail (absent on four ventral scale rows).