Gehyra barea Kopstein 1926

Oliver, Paul, Sistrom, Mark, Tjaturadi, Burhan, Krey, Keliopas & Richards, Stephen, 2010, On the status and relationships of the gecko species Gehyra barea Kopstein 1926, with description of new specimens and a range extension, Zootaxa 2354, pp. 45-55 : 49-51

Gehyra barea Kopstein 1926

Figures 1 A–D, 2A

Diagnosis. Large (SVL 88–105mm), broad headed (HW/SVL 0.20 (0.23 from Kopstein 1926)) Gehyra with prominent posterior lateral skin fold on hindlimbs, U-shaped rostral, more than four small granular scales between nasals, distal subdigital lamellae (excluding single small terminal lamellae) on fingers and toes divided and deeply grooved, colouration in life reddish brown with lighter orange lateral and dorsal patches.

Description. Large Gehyra (SVL up to 105mm), head robust, not compressed, relatively broad, with prominent enlarged muscles at angle of jaw. Rostral with dorsal concavity containing 1–2 small granular scales, nasals widely divided by 2–3 small granular internasals in series, in total between 7–9 small granular scales in concavity within U shaped rostral-nasal combination. Labials: 11–12 large supralabials, followed by series of small granular supralabials at rictus, 9–10 infralabials. Mental pentagonal, contacting first infralabials and first pair of chinshields, 3 pairs of enlarged chinshields, lateralmost pair less than a quarter size of medial pair. Neck only marginally thinner than head, with numerous fleshy folds. Body very robust, wider and deeper than head and neck, lateral fold extending from axilla to groin in life, sometimes apparent or partially apparent in preservative. Adult males with precloacal and femoral pores in continuous curved series of 28–33, scales around pores with pointed edges, precloacal pore region raised and prominent, scales enlarged; 3–4 postcloacal spines. Dorsal scales small and heterogeneous, ventral scales flat, imbricate and relatively large.

Limbs plump and fleshy. Subdigital lamellae on fingers and toes deeply indented, first small terminal lamellae undivided, followed by series of divided lamellae, fourth finger with 20–21 lamellae (8–11 divided) and fourth toe with 19 lamellae (13 divided). Webbing on hands and feet extending to posterior edge of expanded discs, large claws on all except innermost digits. Original tail thick and fleshy, dorsoventrally flattened, with distinct lateral grooves and single regular row of wide hexagonal subcaudal scales, surrounding scales imbricate and becoming progressively smaller dorsally. Regrown tail much wider than high, dorsal scales small, granular, lateral scales small and pointing backwards, subcaudal scales transversely enlarged, irregularly broken into pairs or trios.

In preservative the types are heavily faded and have lost most original colouration, but RMNH 5093 has light blotches visible in pairs along dorsal midline, on head and on lateral portion of torso. The two recent specimens from Raja Ampats are dark reddish brown on all dorsal surfaces, with scattered slightly lighter blotches just visible, especially on lateral and dorsal surfaces of torso. On recent specimens venter is predominantly light grey, heavily suffused with dark reddish brown, brown pigmentation densest laterally, posterior to precloacal-femoral pore series, on throat, and on underside of digits and tail.

Photographs in life of MZB lace 5364 ( Figure 2 ) show the base colouration of dorsum is much lighter than in preservative, tending more towards red than brown, with numerous white scales in particularly dense patches on neck, head, dorsal surface of body and legs; a series of light terracotta markings in large transverse blotches laterally, smaller blotches in paired series along vertebral line, and forming weak bands on legs and arms. Upper surfaces of digits relatively light compared to remainder of body. Regrown tail same colour as dorsum with very indistinct slightly lighter patches. Eye off-white with extensive brownish reticulation.

Distribution and ecology. Currently known from the south Banda Sea, from the islands of Teun and Serua, and from Batanta and Salawati in the Raja Ampat Achipelago. The specimens from the Raja Ampats were both collected in moderately disturbed lowland rainforest. Specimen MZB lace 5438 was four metres high on the trunk of a large tree on southern Batanta Island, while MZB lace 5364 was in a Pandanus tree on the northern edge of Salawati Island. Gehyra barea were not found in or close to local villages and towns, suggesting that, unlike G. mutilata collected on the same trip, it is not a human commensal. No ecological data accompanied the original description. Both types examined, and the specimens from the Raja Ampats have lost patches of skin on the dorsum and head, a defensive strategy employed by many other Gehyra species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Morphological details of type specimens of Gehyra barea A) Dorsal view of lectotype RMNH 6625 B) Dorsal view of G. b area paralectotype RMNH 5093, note lighter dorsal and lateral blotches faintly visible C) ventral view of tail, hindlimb and lower torso of lectotype RMNH 6625, recurved and deeply divided terminal lamellae just apparent D) frontal view of lectotype RMNH 6625, note notched rostral and widely divided nasals.

FIGURE 2. A) G. barea MZB lace 5364 from Salawati Island in life B) Gehyra baliola SAMA R 64844 from Gobe Ridge, Southern Highlands, PNG, demonstrating distinctive reddish colour of G. b a re a and grey colour of G. b a l i o l a.