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Oedura luritja OLIVER & MCDONALD, 2016

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Higher TaxaDiplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Mereenie velvet gecko 
SynonymOedura luritja OLIVER & MCDONALD 2016 
DistributionAustralia (Northern Territory)

Type locality: Gorge 300 m east of north end of Boggy Hole (−24.13455°, 132.86574°), Finke Gorge National Park, Northern Territory, collected 5 October 2015 by P.J.M. and P.M.O.  
Reproductionoviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) 
TypesHolotype: NTM R37528, field number CCM5974, adult male with regrown tail, and liver samples stored in ethanol. Paratypes: All from Northern Territory (n = 11). NTM R37529 (CCM5975) near Boggy Hole (−24.1351, 132.86351), Finke Gorge National Park, collected 5 October 2015; NTM R37531 (CCM5979) Palm Creek (−24.05449, 132.74246), Finke Gorge National Park; NTM R37530 (CCM5978) Palm Creek (−24.0584, 132.76151), Finke Gorge National Park, collected 6 October 2015; AMS R52143 Kings Canyon (−24.27, 131.57), Watarka National Park, collected 28 July 1975; AMS R52144–50 Reedy Springs (−24.30, 131.58), Watarka National Park, collected 28 July 1975. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A moderately large (to 99 mm SVL) species of Oedura with a moderately wide (HW/SVL 0.17–0.20) and flat head (HD/SVL 0.072–0.091), tail moderately long (original TL/SVL 0.65–0.87), narrow (TW/SVL 0.07–0.11), distinctly narrower than head and body and tapering gradually to a tip, rostral less than 50% divided, postcloacal spur usually single (22 out of 23 specimens), 10–16 precloacal pores in adult males, dorsal scales small (less than 0.5 mm in diameter), head brown with light flecking but with no trace of a light canthal stripe or dark-brown postorbital or nuchal stripes, and dorsal coloration of adults usually including five to six moderately well-defined light bands or transverse blotches (yellow in life) on a purplish brown background.


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CommentHabitat: sandstone ranges of the southern MRB, generally found in association with deep but tight cracks under exfoliating sandstone, often near exposed vertical faces, and retreat into these if threatened.

Sympatry: Gehyra moritzi, Gehyra versicolor, Heteronotia binoei and Nephrurus amyae. 
EtymologyLuritja is a collective name for people speaking several dialects of the Aboriginal Western Desert language. The western parts of the distribution of Oedura luritja (including Watarrka National Park) are in Luritja lands. Luritja is also believed to be derived from the Arrernte word ‘Ulerenye’ meaning foreigner or stranger, and is therefore further appropriate for such a deeply divergent lineage. Used as a noun in apposition. 
References
  • HOSKIN, CONRAD J.; STEPHEN M. ZOZAYA, ERIC VANDERDUYS 2018. A new species of velvet gecko (Diplodactylidae: Oedura) from sandstone habitats of inland north Queensland, Australia. Zootaxa 4486 (2): 101–114 - get paper here
  • Oliver PM, McDonald PJ. 2016. Young relicts and old relicts: a novel palaeoendemic vertebrate from the Australian Central Uplands. R. Soc. open sci. 3: 160018 - get paper here
  • Zimin, A., Zimin, S. V., Shine, R., Avila, L., Bauer, A., Böhm, M., Brown, R., Barki, G., de Oliveira Caetano, G. H., Castro Herrera, F., Chapple, D. G., Chirio, L., Colli, G. R., Doan, T. M., Glaw, F., Grismer, L. L., Itescu, Y., Kraus, F., LeBreton 2022. A global analysis of viviparity in squamates highlights its prevalence in cold climates. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 00, 1–16 - get paper here
 
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