Strophurus taenicauda subsp. albiocularis Brown, Wilmer & Macdonald, 2012, ssp. nov.
Creators: name: Brown, Danny
name: Wilmer, Jessica Worthington
name: Macdonald, Stewart
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Diplodactylidae
Strophurus
Strophurus taenicauda
Strophurus taenicauda albiocularis

description: Strophurus taenicauda albiocularis ssp. nov.
Northern Golden-tailed Gecko
Holotype. QMJ4551, male, Castle Ck, Dawson Valley, Qld (-24.83˚, 150.33˚) (Fig. 5 B).
Paratypes. QMJ4546–47, Dawson Valley, Castle Ck (-24.83˚, 150.33˚); QMJ4553, QMJ4556, Dawson Valley, Castle Ck (-24.83˚, 150.33˚); QMJ5063, Bogantungan (-23.65˚, 147.3˚); QMJ13545, Goovigen, via Rockhampton (-24.15˚, 150.28˚); QMJ71454, New Country Creek Rd, Glenhaughton (-25.2˚, 148.9˚); QMJ75155, Lake Nugga Nugga (-25˚, 148.67˚); QMJ83416, Brigalow Research Station, Theodore (-24.8˚, 149.76˚); QMJ4548–50, QMJ4552, QMJ4555, Dawson Valley, Castle Ck (-24.83˚, 150.33˚); QMJ6683, Edungalba (-23.72˚, 149.85˚); QMJ36796, Olivevale (-23.67˚, 148.53˚); QMJ38615, Glenhaughton Ck, Robinson Gorge Rd (-25.23˚, 149.17˚); QMJ61439, Camp Fairbairn (-23.67˚, 148.1˚); QMJ75154, QMJ75156, Lake Nugga Nugga (-25˚, 148.67˚); AMR5400, Dawson River (-23.633˚, 149.767˚). All localities are from Queensland, Australia.
Etymology. From the Latin albus meaning white or pale and from the Latin ocularis meaning "of the eyes"; in reference to the pale or white eyes of this subspecies.
Diagnosis. Strophurus taenicauda albiocularis ssp. nov. is a medium-sized (maximum SVL 69 mm), lightly patterned gecko from central Qld (Fig. 6 B). It is distinguished from its nominate form and congeners by the following combination of character states: small dorsal spots; a single golden tail stripe with straight lateral margins; eye colour white to cream.
Description. SVL 52.2–69.3 mm (mean = 62.08, sd = 4.4875, n = 22); characters as % of SVL: TL = 53.8– 77.8 (mean = 68.1, sd = 5.7); HL = 26–31.3 (mean = 28.5, sd = 1.35); HW = 17.8–20.8 (mean = 19.3, sd = 0.086); SL = 10.9–17.8 (mean = 12.8, sd = 1.38); OD = 5.2–7.7 (mean = 6.79, sd = 0.068); EE = 7.9–13.1 (mean = 9.34, sd = 0.12); FLL = 30.9–43.0 (mean = 37.0, sd = 2.8); HLL = 38.6–45.6 (mean = 41.66, sd = 1.6).
Head: Narrow, elongate, distinct from neck; dorsal and lateral head scalation fine, granular, homogenous and similar to dorsal body; head width 61.6–75.3% of head length (mean = 67.1); head length 26–31.3% of SVL (mean = 28.5); snout length 39.6–51.2% of head length (mean = 44.04); rostrum rectangular to pentagonal with shallow to moderate dorsomedial invagination leading to an incomplete rostral groove 20–70% of rostral height (Fig. 7A); rostral formula 1.69–2.4 (mean = 1.96, sd = 0.173); nostril surrounded by first supralabial, rostral, 1 lateral internasal, 1–2 supranasals (mean = 1.08) and 2 postnasals (mean = 2.0); 0–3 median internasals (mean = 1.28); 10–14 loreals (mean = 12.45); 10–15 supralabials (mean = 11.65); 20–28 interorbitals (mean = 24.32); mental formula 1.2–1.7 (mean = 1.38, sd = 0.152); mental and first infralabials trapezoidal in shape, posterior boundary forming a straight border with minimal interdigitation with the chin scales (Fig. 8B); 14–16 infralabials (mean = 14.7); chin scales granular and homogenous with ventral scales.
Body: Body scales homogenous, moderately flat, juxtapose; dorsal scales equal to or slightly larger than ventral scales; preanal pores present in males, absent in females (Fig. 9 B); 4.5–6 preanal pores (occasionally asymmetrical in both number and positioning), separated medially by 1–3 imperforate scales; cloacal spurs with relatively few, pointed scales (Fig. 10A); original tail cylindrical, 53.8–77.8% of SVL (mean = 68.1), covered in homogenous scales arranged loosely in concentric rings.
Limbs: Forelimb length 30.9–43% of SVL (mean = 44.04); hindlimb length 38.6–45.6% of SVL (mean = 41.66); digits wide and depressed; paired apical plates large (as wide or slightly narrower than distal tip of digit); fourth finger subdigital lamellae 5–8, primary lamellae absent, secondary lamellae 4–5 (mean = 4.7), 1–3 pairs of tertiary lamellae (mean = 1.7) (Fig. 11 A); fourth toe subdigital lamellae 4–9, primary lamellae absent, 3–6 secondary lamellae (mean = 4.45), 1–3 pairs of tertiary lamellae (mean = 1.8); 2 distal indentations in fourth finger secondary subdigital lamellae (mean = 2.0), 2 distal indentations in fourth toe secondary subdigital lamellae (mean = 2.0).
Colouration. Dorsal ground colour brown-grey; dorsal surfaces of head, body and limbs covered with irregularly shaped black spots (Fig. 12 C); black spots comprised of 1–8 scales often forming elongated bands; individual spots separated by bands of dorsal ground colour 1–8 scales wide; venter white with scattered black spots (1 scale wide).
Tail with dorsal golden yellow stripe (Fig. 13 B); stripe 3–8 scales wide at the narrowest point; stripe most commonly ceases at the level of the hips but may extend to the nape; stripe may be discontinuous when extending anterior of the hips; distal tip of tail golden both dorsally and ventrally; proximally, stripe margins are straightedged; adjacent to the straight margins is a black lateral stripe (3–4 scales wide) that is variably spotted with white; at the cranial end of the tail stripe, the lateral black bands extend variably in a cranial direction as a blotchy black vertebral stripe spotted with white; ventral tail grey-brown with scattered black spots (1 scale wide); mouth colour blue; eye colour generally pale, ranging from white to white with pale cream or yellow surrounding the iris. In spirit, body colouration is similar but tail stripe is yellow to tan and eye colour is cream to pale grey with mustard yellow surrounding the iris.
Details of holotype. SVL 61.8 mm, TL 69.4%, HL 29%, HW 19.6%, SL 12.5%, NL 23%, OD 6.73%, EE 8.4%, FLL 38.8%, HLL 39.3%, FFL 6.9%, FTL 7.6%, DS 6.15%, RWH 1.73, RGH 60%, MWH 1.35, UL 12, LL 15, IO 23, LS 14, RM 1.38, LI 1, MI 0, SN 2, PN 2.
Genetics. Strophurus t. albiocularis ssp. nov. differs in ND2 sequences from the other S. taenicauda subspecies at 5.87%–6.90% of sites (Table 2). Only one specimen for this morphotype was available for genetic analysis, so no estimate of intrasubspecific divergence is available.
Habitat. Strophurus t. albiocularis ssp. nov. occurs in a wider range of habitats than does S. t. taenicauda. It is noticeably less reliant on brigalow for its survival although it will utilise this habitat if available (Fig. 14 B). Habitat types (and status) recorded for this species (according to Regional Ecosystem Listings code) are listed in Appendix 1. The Regional Ecosystems listed in Appendix 1 (some of which are listed as endangered or "of concern") support an association with Eucalyptus and Corymbia spp. in open woodlands with a shrubby understorey.
The microhabitat preferences of this subspecies are similar to those of S. t. taenicauda. In rainy or windy weather, S. t. albiocularis ssp. nov. has been observed to move into the higher branches of adjacent trees and shrubs (D Brown pers. obs. 2009). In some areas it has been found in high abundance (19 specimens in approximately ¼ ha. of appropriate habitat) (M. Ebert pers. comm.). The subspecies has been observed to co-occur with the following gecko species: S. williamsi, Gehyra variegata, G. catenata, G. dubia, Nebulifera robusta, O. monilis, O. tryoni and Amalosia rhombifer.
Distribution. Strophurus t. albiocularis ssp. nov. occurs south from Castle Creek east of Taroom, and west to the area from Injune to Lake Nuga Nuga (Fig. 15). In the north it is found from southwest of Rockhampton, westwards to Alpha. It is absent from the central eastern Brigalow Belt bioregion where it is replaced by S. t. triaureus ssp. nov.
description: Published as part of Brown, Danny, Wilmer, Jessica Worthington & Macdonald, Stewart, 2012, A revision of Strophurus taenicauda (Squamata; Diplodactylidae) with the description of two new subspecies from central Queensland and a southerly range extension, pp. 1-28 in Zootaxa 3243 on pages 18-22, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.215367