Diplodactylus lateroides DOUGHTY & OLIVER, 2013
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Diplodactylus lateroides?
Diplodactylus lateroides
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Speckled Stone Gecko |
| Synonym | Diplodactylus lateroides DOUGHTY & OLIVER 2013 |
| Distribution | Australia (Western Australia: Darling Range inland and south of Perth) Type locality: Australia: Western Australia: Mount Dale (32.13°S; 116.30°E). |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: WAM R156613, an adult male collected on 4 June 2005 by B. Maryan and P. Orange. Paratypes: Australia: Western Australia: *WAM R117867 (male), Byford (32.217°S; 116.000°E); WAM R121167 (male), Cooliabberra Spring (32.18°S; 116.03°E); WAM R135539 (female), Kingston State Forest (34.0742°S; 116.3286°E); WAM R154719 (male), Dwellingup area (32.7041°S; 116.1103°E); *WAM R156612 (female), as for holotype. |
| Diagnosis | DIAGNOSIS: A relatively small Diplodactylus characterised by flat, triangular head with low labial scales, first supralabial taller than second, rostral in contact with nostril, supranasals usually slightly wider than tall and seperated by internasals or in short contact, 3–6 postnasals, mental similar in length to infralabials, small and similarly sized dorsal and ventral scales and short cylindrical tail. Dorsum with dark-brownish black ground colouration with scattered irregularly shaped and sized lighter blotches, interior of blotches with rusty- brown colouration with paler centres; dorsal blotches usually connecting to form a weakly-defined irregular vertebral stripe or broken series along midline. Diplodactylus lateroides sp. nov. can be differentiatied from all other Diplodactylus as follows; from D. conspicillatus, D. galaxias, D. kenneallyi, D. klugei, D. pulcher and D. savagei in having nostrils in contact with rostral scale (v. widely excluded), large labial scales (v. labials similar to adjacent scales) and mental not longer than adjacent infralabials; from D. mitchelli in having dorsals approximately the same size as ventrals (v. dorsal much larger than ventrals), smaller adult body size (mean SVL: 46 v. 65 mm), different shape (D. mitchelli has a wide, dorsoventrally compressed head and long limbs); from D. calcicolus, D. capensis, D. furcosus, D. granariensis, D. vittatus and D. wiru by labial scales wider than tall (v. approximately square); from D. fulleri and D. tessellatus by possessing a vertebral zone of blotches (v. at most diffuse streaks and scattered markings on dorsum); from D. furcosus and D. galeatus by lacking dark brown borders around dorsal and lateral blotches; from the sympatric D. ornatus by scattered spots on dorsum (v. clearly-demarcated vertebral stripe); and from the similar, closely-related D. polyophthalmus by possessing dark rusty-brown (v. pale brownish-grey) colouration with less contrasting spots on the dorsum and flanks [from DOUGHTY & OLIVER 2013]. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The specific name laterioides means ‘resembles laterite’ in Latin, in reference to the similarity of the colour pattern of many individuals of this species to the lateritic surfaces on which they occur (Figure 2 in Douhgty & Oliver 2013). |
| References |
|
| External links |