Strophurus spinula SADLIER, BEATSON, BRENNAN, & BAUER, 2023
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Strophurus spinula
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| Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Lesser Thorn-tailed Gecko |
| Synonym | Strophurus spinula SADLIER, BEATSON, BRENNAN, & BAUER 2023: 16 |
| Distribution | Australia: Western Australia Type locality: Rosemont (27.9308°S, 122.3181°E), Western Australia. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: WAM R135136, collected by Paul West (HGM Environmental Services), 15–22 September 1998. Paratypes: Australia: Western Australia: WAM R112107 Paynes Find, 20 km SW (29.2858°S, 117.4808°E), G. Harold, 10 October 2003; WAM R144778 Bungalbin Hill area (30.3333°S, 119.6833°E), Ecologia, 11 December 2000; WAM R144779 Bungalbin Hill area (30.3333°S, 119.6833°E), Ecologia, 11 December 2000; WAM R136609, R136610 Lake Mason Station (27.5650°S, 119.4297°E), M.A. Cowan, 15 September 2004; WAM R136771 Lake Mason Station (27.5275°S, 119.4722°E) M.A. Cowan, 28 November 2004; AMS R150638 Menzies, 7 km NE of Menzies (29.65°S, 121.05°E); WAM R117157 Dead Horse Rocks, 6.5 km N Menzies (29.3666°S, 121.2833°E), G. Thomson, 20 July 1993; WAM R140417 Leinster Downs Station (28.1561°S, 120.6931°E), G. Harold and R. Hart, October 1999. |
| Diagnosis | DIAGNOSIS: Strophurus spinula sp. nov. can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: a relatively straight and discontinuous row of enlarged unicoloured tubercles along the dorsolateral margin of the body; tail with a single row of enlarged unicoloured spines on either side of the original tail, progressively decreasing in size towards the distal part of the tail; scales in a transverse line across the tail between longitudinal rows of enlarged caudal spines scales 2–3 in number at mid-tail and larger than surrounding tail scales. Of the species likely to be confused with Strophurus spinula sp. nov. only Strophurus assimilis and some populations of Strophurus ciliaris have a single row of enlarged, unicoloured, spines on either side of the tail. Strophurus spinula sp. nov. can be distinguished from populations of S. ciliaris with unicolored, spines on either side of the tail (those listed as S. ciliaris ‘population 7’ — Sadlier et al. 2005), in having 2–3 intervening scales in a transverse line across the tail between longitudinal rows of enlarged caudal spines at mid-tail vs 4–7, and in these being larger vs similar in size to the surrounding tail scales. Strophurus spinula sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. assimilis in having the distal tail spines reducing in size towards the tail tip, whereas S. assimilis has the distal tail spines increasing in size towards the tail tip. Strophurus spinula sp. nov. can be further distinguished from S. assimilis in having the enlarged tubercles along the dorsolateral margin of the body present as a straight, but discontinuous, row vs a more or less continuous wavy row of enlarged tubercles down the body. (Sadlier et al. 2023) Additional details (3318 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | The species name ‘spinula’ is the Latin for ‘little thorn’ in reference to the comparatively small size of the tail spines, a feature which distinguishes it from regionally parapatric Strophurus assimilis which has more pronounced spines on the tail and bears the common name the ‘Thorn-tailed Gecko’. The specific epithet is constructed as a noun in apposition. |
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