Liburnascincus artemis Hoskin & Couper, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Hoskin, Conrad J.
name: Couper, Patrick J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Scincidae
Liburnascincus
Liburnascincus artemis

description: Liburnascincus artemis sp. nov.
Bamboo Range Rock Skink (Figs 2 B, 3, 4, 5A, 6)
Material examined. Holotype: QM J93471, Bamboo Range (14°47'35" S, 143°24'03" E; elevation 200 m; datum WGS 84), Cape York Peninsula, northeast Queensland, C. J. Hoskin & A. Zimny, 31 August 2013. Paratypes: QM J93472, QM J93473, QM J93474, collection details as for holotype; QM J76266, Artemis Station (14°58' S, 143°34' E).
Diagnosis. Liburnascincus artemis sp. nov. is a long-legged, moderate sized skink (SVL 41–58 mm) that is diagnosed from its congeners by the following combination of characters: forelimb length 38–39% SVL; hindlimb length 52–54% SVL; 34–36 midbody scale rows; 52– 53 paravertebral scales; 20–23 lamellae beneath Finger III; 27–30 lamellae beneath Toe IV (Table 1).
Etymology. Named in reference to Artemis Station, the cattle property on which the type series was collected.
Measurements and scalation of holotype (QM J93471) (Figs 3, 4, 5 A): SVL = 47.3 mm, AG = 21.0 mm, TL (original) = 71.1 mm, L1 = 18.1mm, L2 = 25.1 mm, HLL = 8.5 mm, Toe IV length = 6.7 mm, NL = 7.7 mm, NW = 7.1 mm, HL = 12.0 mm, HW = 9.0 mm, HD = 5.4 mm, S = 5.0 mm, EE = 4.2 mm, midbody scale rows = 35, paravertebrals = 52, subdigital lamellae Finger III = 20, subdigital lamellae Toe IV = 27, supralabials = 7, supraciliaries = 7.
Description of type series. Data presented as range followed by mean in brackets (N = 5). Measurements (mm): SVL = 41.7–57.8 (47.4), AG = 17.4–25.6 (20.8), TL (original; holotype and paratype QM J93472 only) = 71.1–78.3 (74.7), L1 = 15.9–22.2 (18.3), L2 = 21.7–30.9 (25.1), HLL = 7.4–11.0 (8.6), Toe IV length = 5.7–8.1 (6.6), NL = 5.5–9.2 (7.3), NW = 6.1–8.2 (6.9), HL = 10.2–13.9 (11.7), HW = 7.5–10.4 (8.7), HD = 5.1–7.3 (5.8), S = 4.3– 5.9 (4.9), EE = 3.6–5.2 (4.2). Proportions (as % SVL): AG = 41.8–46.1 (44.0), TL (original) = 150.3–170.0 (160.1), L1 = 38.0–39.2 (38.6), L2 = 52.0–53.6 (53.0), HLL = 17.6–19.0 (18.1), Toe IV = 13.7–14.5 (14.0), NL = 13.1–16.5 (15.4), NW = 13.9–15.9 (14.7), HL = 24.1–25.3 (24.6), HW = 18.0–19.0 (18.3). General characteristics: Body moderately robust. Head distinct from body due to slight narrowing at neck. Snout rounded in lateral profile. Limbs long and slender; four fingers; five toes. Scalation: Dorsal scales hexagonal, with angular posterior edge; weakly to moderately keeled; predominantly bicarinate (some tricarinate scales usually present). Head shields somewhat rugose, particularly the parietals, frontoparietal and supraoculars. Nasals widely spaced; rostral and frontonasal in very narrow to moderate contact; prefrontals large, moderately to very narrowly separated; frontal contacting frontonasal, prefrontals, first two supraoculars and fused frontoparietals; four supraoculars, second the largest; seven supraciliaries (except for six on left side of QM J76266), first the largest; frontoparietals fused and distinct from interparietal; two nuchals contacting parietals, in broad contact with one another; two temporals contacting parietals (i.e., upper secondary temporal on both sides); two loreal scales, first largest and extending higher dorsally than the upper edge of the nasal scale; two preoculars, the lower being the largest; one presubocular scale; seven supralabials (except for eight on left side of QM J76266); fifth subocular in direct contact with granules of lower eyelid; usually six infralabials (except five on one side only for both QM J93472 and QM J93473). Postmental contacting two infralabials on each side; primary chin shields in contact; secondary chin shields separated by one scale row; tertiary chin shields separated by three scale rows. Palpebral disc transparent; of moderate size and subequal to or larger than ear aperture. Ear opening round, with conspicuous spinose lobules on all margins; lobules largest anteriorly (Fig. 4). Midbody scale rows 34–36 (mean 35.0); paravertebrals 52–53 (mean 52.5). Plantar scales round, dense and cobblestone-like (Fig. 5 A). Subdigital lamellae smooth; 20–23 (mean 21.0) under Finger III; 27–30 (mean 27.6) under Toe IV. Medial pair of precloacal scales larger than more lateral precloacals; inner overlapped by outer. Colour pattern in preservative (Figs 3, 4, 5 A): Body: Dorsal base colour greyish brown; an unmarked continuous vertebral band from nape to base of tail; a paravertebral series of longitudinally aligned blackish spots, each encompassing one to three scales and separated from the next by two to four rows of scales of background colour or a pale spot; a dorsolateral series of similarlysized dark markings interspersed with pale dashes; dark paravertebral and dorsolateral spots merge on neck on some individuals to form transverse bars. Sides of neck and flanks marked with dark and white blotches on a greyish-brown background. Dark and pale dorsal and lateral markings less pronounced on largest individual (QM J93474). Ventral surfaces immaculate white. Head: Dorsal surface coppery brown, with a short pale line extending back from the upper margin of the eye; sometimes a black spot on each parietal (QM J93472); labials barred with overlapping or near non-overlapping ranges; * = large difference in means). Asterisks are not presented for individual measurements other than SVL because these are better assessed as proportions. Dorsal carination and ear lobule descriptions represent the most common state in the specimens examined.
dark centers and pale sutures (Fig. 4); rostral with dark smudges at lateral edges and a short dark bar extending down from the central dorsal margin. Original tail: Greyish brown with dark and pale blotches and mottling; posterior half or third pale brown. Regenerated tail: greyish brown. Limbs: Heavily mottled with dark and pale blotches on a greyish brown background; dark markings sometimes forming irregular transverse bands. Palmar and plantar scales white, cream or pale brown; subdigital lamellae brown to black (Fig. 5 A).
Colour pattern in life (Figs 2 B, 6). Head and front half of body copper coloured, grading to grey on posterior body; an unpatterned grey dorsal midline; paired paravertebral series of dark and pale spots down back; white line from behind eye over temporal region, then continuing from neck and along body as a dorsolateral series of white dashes or spots and small black spots. Lateral surfaces marked with black and white blotches. Some large individuals have a greenish wash to the flanks. Black and white dorsal and lateral markings less pronounced on largest individuals. Original tail heavily blotched and spotted with black and white on a grey background; regenerated tail evenly pale brown or greyish. Limbs heavily mottled with dark and pale markings on a grey background. Labials barred dark brown and white. Ventral surfaces immaculate white; peach flush under tail on some large individuals. Plantar and palmer surfaces pale grey; underside of digits black.
Comparison with similar species. Liburnascincus artemis sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from L. coensis and L. scirtetis by its lower midbody scale count (≤ 36 vs. ≥ 42 in L. scirtetis and ≥ 37 in L. coensis), lower paravertebral count (52–53 vs. ≥ 64 in L. scirtetis and ≥ 59 in L. coensis), and fewer subdigital lamellae beneath Toe IV (27–30 vs. 30–34 in L. scirtetis and 29–36 in L. coensis) (Table 1). Further distinguished from these species by smaller body size, proportionally wider head, and other traits marked in Table 1. Further distinguished by colour pattern: black and pale spots on a copper to greyish background in L. artemis sp. nov. (Figs 2 B, 6) vs. fairly uniform black in L. scirtetis (Fig. 2 C) and variable in L. coensis (uniform black or brown; black with series of white blotches; brownish with pale blotches, Fig. 2 A).
Liburnascincus artemis sp. nov. is most similar to L. mundivensis but is distinguished from that species based on the following aspects of morphology, scalation, and colour pattern. Liburnascincus artemis sp. nov. has longer limbs (L1 38–39% SVL, L2 52–54% SVL) than L. mundivensis (L 1 28–37 % SVL, L2 39–51% SVL). It also has, on average, fewer midbody scale rows (mean 35 vs. 38 in L. mundivensis), and more subdigital lamellae beneath Toe IV (mean 28 vs. 24 in L. mundivensis) and Finger III (mean 21 vs. 19 in L. mundivensis) (Table 1). Liburnascincus artemis sp. nov. also has a more defined neck (see HW/NW and NW/SVL in Table 1). The typical plantar scalation of L. artemis sp. nov. and L. mundivensis differs. In L. artemis sp. nov. it consists of an inner row of large block-like scales that are about twice the size of the small, evenly sized, densely packed plantar scales (Fig. 5 A). The typical state in L. mundivensis is a fairly even gradation from larger inner to smaller outer plantar scales (Fig. 5 B). Further distinguished by the dark and light spots in the colour pattern of L. artemis sp. nov. (vs. dark mottling, bars or blotches in L. mundivensis) (Figs 6, 7).
Genetics. For a 900 base pair section of the ND4 region of mtDNA, L. artemis sp. nov. is approximately 15% divergent from sequences of L. mundivensis (uncorrected pairwise patristic distances), 21% divergent from L. scirtetis, and 21% divergent from L. coensis (CH, unpub. data). ND4 sequences for two individuals of L. artemis sp. nov. were deposited in GenBank (QM J93471 = KP714394, QM J93473 = KP714395).
Distribution. Known only from Bamboo Range, central-eastern Cape York Peninsula (Fig. 1). Has been sighted at two sites: one about 10 km west of Musgrave roadhouse (14°47'35" S, 143°24'03" E), and the other about 17 km north of Musgrave (14°37'51" S, 143°27'43" E). The species is no doubt more extensively distributed along the fairly connected low rocky hills forming the Great Dividing Range in this area. Based on the extent of potentially suitable habitat, the total distribution may extend about 75 km south to north along the range from about 14°56' S, 143°31' E to about 14°15' S, 143°23' E.
Habitat and habits. Known from a low rocky range of about 200 m elevation. The habitat consists of open woodland with patches of exposed granite rocks (Fig. 8) and small areas of vine scrub in gullies. The basic ecology of L. artemis sp. nov. appears very similar to that of other Liburnascincus. The skinks are restricted to rock; are most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon; and retreat to crevices during hotter parts of the day. The skinks are very alert and allow close approach before retreating to a crevice. As for other Liburnascincus, they soon reappear to observe the threat from a safe distance. No other skinks were observed co-occurring on the rocks with L. artemis sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Hoskin, Conrad J. & Couper, Patrick J., 2015, A new skink (Scincidae: Liburnascincus) from rocky habitat on Cape York, northeast Australia, pp. 222-234 in Zootaxa 3994 (3) on pages 225-231, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3994.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/240443