Ctenotus inornatus (GRAY, 1845)
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Ctenotus inornatus
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Bar-shouldered Ctenotus |
| Synonym | Hinulia inornata GRAY 1845: 78 Ctenotus inornatus — STORR 1975: 221 Ctenotus inornatus — COGGER 1983: 148 Minervascincus inornatus — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985: 35 Ctenotus inornatus — COGGER 2000: 429 Ctenotus inornatus — WILSON & SWAN 2010 |
| Distribution | Australia (Northern Territory,Queensland,Western Australia) Type locality: Swan River, W. A. (in error) fide Storr (1970) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: BMNH 1946.8.15.45 Holotype: WAM R24239 [saxatilis] Holotype: WAM R25680 [severus] Holotype: WAM R30004 [helenae] Holotype: WAM R33780 [fallens] Holotype: NMV D13944 [brachyonyx] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: in Rabosky et al. 2014. Diagnosis (inornatus): “A member of the lesueurii group, inornatus sub-group, with conspicuous white dorsolateral line but other elements of pattern tending to disappear with age, especially dark vertebral stripe (which may be absent or reduced to a line on nape and fore-back). Further distinguishable from robustus by more numerous labials (usually 8 vs usually 7), fewer nuchals (usually 2 or 3 vs 3 or 4), and third supraciliary usually much smaller than second.”(Storr 1975: 221) Description (inornatus): “Snout-vent length (mm): 29-95 (70.0). Length of appendages (% SVL): foreleg 19-33 (24.4), hindleg 33-54 (42.0), tail 180-298 (231). Nasals usually separated, occasionally in short contact. Prefrontals forming a median suture (occasionally just touching or very narrowly separated). Supraoculars normally 4, first 3 in contact with frontal, first much narrower than second and occasionally fused to it. Supraciliaries 7-11, mostly 8 or 9 (8.8), third (rarely fourth) to penultimate much smaller than others and often hidden by moderately strong brow. Palpebrals 9-14 (11.1). Second loreal 0.8-1.9 (1.24) times as wide as high. Upper labials 8 (rarely 7 or 9). Ear lobules 3-7 (5.2), usually obtuse in juveniles and subacute in adults. Nuchals usually 2 or 3, occasionally 4, rarely 1, mean 2.6. Midbody scale rows 26-35 (31.6). Lamellae under fourth toe 16-26 (20.9), slightly compressed and widely callose. Head and back moderately dark brown or olive brown, becoming pale on distal half of tail. Blackish vertebral stripe variably but usually poorly developed, e.g. absent or represented by a line on nape and fore-back or a faint narrow stripe from nape to base of tail with little or no indication of pale edge. Narrow white dorsolateral stripe extending forward to or nearly to level of ear aperture and backward to base of tail (on which it becomes browner and wider), narrowly and indistinctly margined above with blackish. Indistinct whitish or pale grey midlateral stripe of variable width and discernibility, becoming wider, browner and dark-edged on tail. Remainder of sides brown, flecked or mottled with greyish white and blackish brown.” (Storr 1975: 221) |
| Comment | Synonymy: Rabosky et al. (2014) found no genetic pattern that differentiated inornatus from helenae, saxatilis, serverus, fallens, or brachyonyx and thus synonymized them with inornatus. Similarly, Prates et al. (2023) presented a more detailed genetic analysis within the complex but refrained from taxonomic recommendations, given the frequent paraphylies and thus unresolved taxonomic issues. Habitat: Triodia sandplains and flat rocky areas (Shea et al., 1988). Behavior: The species is active during the day and terrestrial (Shea et al. 1988). NCBI tax IDs: saxatilis = 480777 (Reptile Database ID = 12842), severus = 480783 (12848), helenae = 480746 (12802), fallens = 480739 (12794), brachyonyx = no NCBI (12778). Note that NCBI tax IDs are not preserved once species get synonymized. If any of them get revalidated they will get new NCBI IDs. Limb morphology: 5 digits, 5 toes (Singhal et al. 2018, Cogger 2014) |
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