Lucasium iris VANDERDUYS, HOSKIN, KUTT, WRIGHT & ZOZAYA, 2020
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Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Gilbert Ground Gecko |
Synonym | Lucasium iris VANDERDUYS, HOSKIN, KUTT, WRIGHT & ZOZAYA 2020 |
Distribution | Australia (N Queensland) Type locality: Gilberton Station, c. 100 km south of Georgetown, north Queensland, Australia (143°40’ E, 19°12’ S) |
Reproduction | |
Types | Holotype: QM J96406, female, collected by S.M. Zozaya, 9 April 2018. Paratypes: all collected within 4 km of the above location: QM J88147, subadult male collected by A. Kutt and E. Vanderduys, 12 October 2008; QM J95526, female collected by J.M. Wright and E. Vanderduys, 7 June 2015; QM J96407, male collected by S.M. Zozaya, 9 April 2018. None of the pre-existing specimens of Lucasium or Diplodactylus vittatus held at the Queensland Museum resembled L. iris sp. nov. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Lucasium iris sp. nov. is a large (adult SVL range 53.7–62.8 mm) Lucasium from central north Queensland, Australia (Figure 1). Lucasium iris sp. nov. is morphologically distinct from all other Lucasium and easily distinguished from congeners by the following set of characters: large size; moderately long and narrow tail (TL/SVL 0.73–0.79; TW/TL 0.10–0.11); nares in contact with rostral scale; dorsal and lateral body scales homogeneous; pattern consisting of a broad pale vertebral stripe running from the snout to the base of the tail, and bordered laterally by small pale spots; paired, enlarged apical lamellae present under all digits (Vanderduys et al. 2020). Additional details (7169 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | Sympatry: L. steindachneri, Diplodactylus platyurus, Heteronotia binoei, Lucasium immaculatum, Diplodactylus vittatus, Nephrurus asper, Amalosia rhombifer, Oedura castelnaui, O. argentea, Strophurus taeniatus, Gehyra dubia, G. einasleighensis. |
Etymology | The specific epithet iris is in reference to the goddess Iris in Greek mythology. Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and was beautiful. The association with this gecko is that it too is beautiful. The name is used as a noun in apposition. Informally, the name is also a reference to the beautiful iris of this species. The common name of Gilbert Ground Gecko is chosen because of its location in the Gilbert Range, its proximity to the Gilbert River, and in reference to Gilberton Station, where it occurs |
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