Phyllurus ossa ossa Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993

Couper, Patrick & Hoskin, Conrad J., 2013, Two new subspecies of the leaf-tailed gecko Phyllurus ossa (Lacertilia: Carphodactylidae) from mid-eastern Queensland, Australia, Zootaxa 3664 (4), pp. 537-553 : 547-550

Phyllurus ossa ossa Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993 Figs 4 B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9C, 13

Material examined. QMJ53444 (holotype, male), Mt Ossa / Ossa Ck, via Mirani (20°56ˏS, 148°49ˏE). QMJ53443, QMJ53445–47, QMJ53507, Mt Ossa / Ossa Ck via Mirani (20°56ˏS, 148°49ˏE); QMJ53426–28, St Helens Gap, via Mt Charlton (21°00ˏS, 148°43ˏE); QMJ53389–90, QMJ53391 (alizarin preparation), QMJ53392–93, QMJ53414, QMJ56311, Mt Charlton foothills, via Mt Charlton (21°01ˏS, 148°44ˏE).

Diagnosis. A medium-sized Phyllurus (SVL to 89 mm) with a flared original tail. Phyllurus ossa ossa can be distinguished from its congeners by the following suite of characters: rostral partially divided by two or three deep grooves; axilla deeply invaginated; throat without scattered tubercles ( Fig. 4 B); subinfralabial scales homogeneous, merging gradually with smaller throat granules ( Fig. 5 B); pectoral region lacking small granules that extend medially from limb insertion ( Fig. 6 B); lower forelimb with large sharply pointed dorsal tubercles extending to wrist (7B); dorsal surface of foot with enlarged, spinose tubercles; first phalanx of each toe generally bearing a series of sharply pointed tubercles along dorsal surface ( Fig. 8 B); original tail with tall, spinose tubercles on outer edges of flared portion ( Fig. 9 C).

Measurements and scale counts of holotype. SVL = 83.56 mm, T (original) = 78.08 mm, HL = 25.01 mm, HW = 20.91 mm, HD = 7.14 mm, S = 9.90 mm, EE = 7.97 mm, NL = 18.72 mm, L1 = 39.57 mm, L2 = 48.85 mm, AG = 34.58 mm, lamellae 4th finger 19, lamellae 4th toe 17, supralabials 14, infralabials 15, subdigital scales from tip of 4th finger to junction of 3rd and 4th fingers 20, subdigital scales from tip of 4th toe to junction of 3rd and 4th toes 20.

Description. SVL (mm): 35.58–89.19 (n = 16, mean = 73.8, SD = 17.39). Proportions as % SVL: T = 78.68– 93.03 (n = 6, mean = 86.4, SD = 4.68); HL = 27.48–32.63 (n = 16, mean = 30.0, SD = 1.52); HW = 23.12–25.87 (n = 16, mean = 24.6, SD = 0.81); S = 11.71–13.42 (n = 16, mean = 12.3, SD = 0.51); EE = 7.95–10.35 (n = 14 mean = 9.4, SD = 0.68); NL = 17.18–23.57 (n = 14, mean = 20.2, SD = 1.80); AG = 34.98–47.99 (n = 14, mean = 43.0, SD = 3.64); L1 = 40.65–45.69 (n = 9, mean = 42.8, SD = 1.80); L2 = 48.41–57.30 (n = 10, mean = 53.9, SD = 2.83). Head. Large, depressed, triangular, distinct from neck; head depth 34.15–39.09% head width (n = 14, mean = 36.4, SD = 1.62); covered in small granules which are intermixed with larger conical tubercles; skin of head coossified with skull; two (n = 3) or three (n = 12) deep vertical grooves penetrate dorsal edge of rostral scale; rostral shield not in contact with nostril (n = 14); scales bordering dorsal edge of rostral scale 8–11 (n = 15, mode = 10, mean = 9.6, SD =.83); ear opening elliptical, vertical, much less than half as large as eye; supralabials 13–18 (n = 16, mode = 16, mean = 15.4, SD = 1.26); infralabials 13–16 (n = 16, mode = 15, mean = 14.4, SD = 0.89). Neck. Broad. Body. Moderate, depressed, covered in small granules; dorsal granules intermixed with larger conical tubercles; tubercles moderate on back but increasingly pronounced on flanks and sides of neck; basal scales surrounding upper flank and back tubercles not, or slightly, larger than adjacent granules; a patch of enlarged, centrally placed scales is present ventrally in pelvic region. Pectoral region without a scattering of small pale granules on ventral surface extending medially from limb insertion ( Fig. 6 B). Preanal pores absent. Axilla moderately to deeply invaginated. Limbs. Long, covered in pronounced pointed tubercles dorsally; enlarged, rounded or bluntly-tipped tubercles sparsely scattered on ventral surfaces of upper fore and hindlimbs; digits strongly compressed distally; enlarged subdigital lamellae 4th finger 17–20 (n = 14, mode = 18, mean = 18.2, SD = 0.80); dorsal surface of fingers with (n = 7) or without (n = 7) enlarged conical tubercles (when present, on first phalanx of fingers 2–5, or knuckles only); enlarged subdigital lamellae 4th toe 17–20 (n = 16, mode = 18, mean = 18.4, SD = 0.89); dorsal surface of toes with enlarged conical tubercles (n = 14), generally on first phalanx of toes 2–5 ( Fig. 8 B); subdigital scales from tip of 4th finger to junction of 3rd and 4th fingers 17–20 (n = 14, mean = 18.6; SD = 1.02); subdigital scales from tip of 4th toe to junction of 3rd and 4th toes 18–21 (n = 14, mean = 19.6; SD = 1.02). Original tail. Flared, carrot-shaped, tapering to a fine attenuated tip and terminating in small knob. Dorsal surface of flared portion covered with enlarged conical to spinose tubercles; sharp, spinose tubercles present along outer edges ( Fig. 9 C); very small spinose tubercles on edges of basal portion of attenuated tip (along ~3/4 of attenuated portion). Regenerated tail. Leaf-shaped with slightly bulbous tip; dorsal surface covered in minute spinose scales. Pattern in spirit. Dorsal surface of head and body greyish/brown with numerous irregular dark blotches; a longitudinal row of larger blotches along either side of back and although these do not meet across the vertebral line, this zone does not remain well defined. Flanks speckled with numerous, smaller dark blotches; ventral surface of body pale, unpatterned. Limbs. Marked with irregular dark mottling. Original tail (n = 6). Greyish brown above with six narrow cream bands (numbered 1–6 from base to tip), two on flared portion, four on attenuated tip; bands 1–2 irregular and broken, bands 3–6 continuous and encircling attenuated tail tip; ventral surface of flared portion greyish with pale mottling at edges and a paler centre. Regenerated tail (n = 8). Fawn to brown, heavily marbled with dark brown to black blotches above and below. Pattern in life. As above.

Comparison. Phyllurus ossa ossa can only be confused with congeners that have broadly-flared original tails (hence P. caudiannulatus , P. gulbaru and P. kabikabi are are excluded from further consideration). Of the broad tailed species, P. ossa ossa , P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. and P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. are the only three that possess more than one central groove on the rostral shield (usually 2–3 grooves present). Phyllurus ossa ossa is separated from P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. by its throat scalation (non-tuberculate, throat granules uniformly small vs throat scales interspersed with larger tubercles; Fig. 4 ), the state of its subinfralabial scales (homogeneous vs heterogeneous; Fig. 5 ), the arrangement of tubercles on the ventral surface of the upper forelimb (moderate to sparse vs densely packed), and its original tail which has spinose tubercles along the outer edges of the flared portion (vs tail largely devoid of spinose tubercles on edges; Fig. 9 ). It is separated from P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. in lacking small granules in the pectoral region that extend medially from limb insertion (vs a scattering of small granules in the pectoral region that extend medially from limb insertion; Fig. 6 ), by having large sharply pointed tubercles on the dorsal surface of the lower forearm that extend to the wrist (vs dorsal tubercles decrease in size and spinosity on lower forelimb above wrist; Fig. 7 ), and spinosity of the first phalanx of the toe (first phalanx of toe generally bearing a series of sharply pointed tubercles along dorsal surface vs first phalanx of toe lacking spinose tubercles on dorsal surface; Fig. 8 ).

Genetics. Approximately 5.9% divergent from P. ossa hobsoni sub sp. nov. and 5.8% divergent from P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. cyt- b mtDNA ( Fig. 2 ).

Distribution. Narrowly restricted to the Mirani area of the central Queensland coast ( Fig. 10 ), with populations occurring in disjunct patches of habitat at Mt Pelion (20°57’S, 148°48’E; Stuart-Fox et al., 2001), Mt Ossa (20°58’S, 148°19’E), St Helen’s Gap (21°00’S, 148°42’E) and Mt Charlton (Mt Charlton (21°00’S, 148°43’E). Phyllurus ossa populations recently found to the north of these sites, at Mt Macartney (Cathu SF) and Mt Hector, appear to conform to P. ossa ossa but these need to be assessed in more detail.

Habitat and habits. Low to mid-elevation vine forests associated with rocky gullies and slopes ( Fig. 11 D). Rock at the sites is acid to intermediate volcanics from the Late Carboniferous to Middle Triassic period (Henderson & Johnson, 1985). Nocturnal; largely saxicolous.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Neighbour-joining tree of P. ossa subspecies. Numbers on branches are Kimura two-parameter distance estimates. AJ numbers are GenBank accession numbers; QMJ numbers are Queensland Museum registration numbers.

FIGURE 4. Condition of throat scales for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89131) with fine widely scattered tubercles; B) P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. and P. ossa ossa (QMJ 54327) without fine widely scattered throat tubercles.

FIGURE 5. Condition of subinfralabial scales (ventrolateral view) for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89131) – heterogeneous; B) P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53427) — homogeneous.

FIGURE 6. Condition of pectoral area (ventral view) for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89154) and P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (excluding Mt Dryander population) — with scattered granules extending towards midline; B) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428) — granules confined to lateral areas.

FIGURE 7. Condition of spinosity of antebrachium (dorsal view) for: A) P. o s sa t a m oy a subsp. nov. and P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (QMJ 56773) — reduced spinosity; B) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428) — spinose.

FIGURE 8. Condition of first phalanx (dorsal view of hindlimb) for: A) P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (QMJ 89154) without enlarged, spinose tubercles; B) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428) — with enlarged spinose tubercles.

FIGURE 9. Original tails (dorsal view) of: A) P. o s sa t am o y a subsp. nov. (QMJ 89139); B) P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (QMJ 56773); C) P. ossa ossa (QMJ 53428).

FIGURE 10. Distribution map of the three subspecies of P. ossa, showing locality records for: P. ossa tamoya subsp. nov. (square), P. ossa hobsoni subsp. nov. (bulls-eyes) and P. ossa ossa (triangles). The towns of Mackay and Proserpine are shown (Google © 2010; Image NASA © 2012 Cnes / Spot Image Data S 10, NOAA, U. S. Navy, NGA, CEBCO). The inset shows the position in Australia.

FIGURE 11. Typical rocky rainforest habitat of P. o s s a subspecies: A) Mt Dryander; B) Conway Range; C) Whitsunday Is.; D) Mt Ossa / Ossa Ck (images A, B & D: P. Couper; image C: A. Amey).