Tympanocryptis diabolicus DOUGHTY, KEALLEY, SHOO & MELVILLE, 2015
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Tympanocryptis diabolicus
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Amphibolurinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Hamersley pebble-mimic dragon |
| Synonym | Tympanocryptis diabolicus DOUGHTY, KEALLEY, SHOO & MELVILLE 2015 Tympanocryptis diabolicus — CHAPPLE et al. 2019: 93 |
| Distribution | Australia (Western Australia: Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region) Type locality: Mount Brockman (22°17'31"S, 117°16'23"E), Western Australia |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: WAM R135413, an adult male collected on 20 November 1998 by S. Anstee (Fig. 10). Paratypes. WAM R135411 (male), Mount Brockman (22°17'31"S, 117°16'23"E); WAM R135412 (male), Mount Brockman (22°17'31"S, 117°16'23"E), WAM R135454 (male), Mount Brockman (22°17'31"S, 117°16'23"E), WAM R170204 (male), 53 km north-north-west of Tom Price (22°18'21"S, 117°28'47"E); WAM R170281 (male), 51 km east-south-east of Paraburdoo (23°17'33"S, 118°09'23"E) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. Distinguished from other Tympanocryptis by the following combination of character states: presence of two pre-cloacal pores, lack of longitudinal stripes on the dorsum, presence of enlarged scales with raised spines arranged in transverse rows of 2–5 scales or scattered on dorsum, snout straight or concave, scales on snout smooth to rugose with feeble keels, rostral width ~2–3 times height, keels on scales of upper arm aligned, well-defined row of enlarged scales at anterior and dorsal edge of thigh forming conspicuous ridge, scales on dorsal surface of thigh aligned, ventrals with low keels, and rich reddish-brown ground coloration with some irregular dark blotching along midline of dorsum. Comparisons with other species. Based on its central location relative to the distribution of the other taxa treated here, we provide comparisons of T. diabolicus sp. nov. to all of these species. Tympanocryptis diabolicus sp. nov. is distinguished from T. cephalus by possessing enlarged dorsal scales in short transverse rows in rows of 2–5 scales (versus 5–7), scales on snout rugose with feeble keels (versus with low keels), enlarged row of scales forming ridge on leading edge of thigh (versus poorly defined), and rich reddish-brown coloration with only weak blotching along midline (versus brown with dark blotches). Tympanocryptis diabolicus sp. nov. is distinguished from T. gigas by smaller body size, more rotund body shape, enlarged scales on dorsum arranged in short transverse rows (versus slightly enlarged scales scattered on dorsum), keels on dorsal surface of upper arm aligned, conspicuous ridge on front of thigh formed by enlarged row of scales, scales on top of thigh homogeneous with keels forming lines, ventrals with low keels (versus smooth), and rich reddish-brown coloration with only weak blotching along midline (versus light brown with dark blotches in center of dorsum and anterior to legs). Tympanocryptis diabolicus sp. nov. is distinguished T. pseudopsephos sp. nov. by rostral scale 3 times wider than high (versus 2 times), keels on dorsal surface of upper arm aligned, keels of scales on top of thigh aligned, and ventrals with low keels (versus smooth or slightly raised). Tympanocryptis diabolicus sp. nov. is distinguished from the closely-related T. fortescuensis sp. nov. by scales on snout rugose with feeble keels (versus with low keels) and ground color a rich reddish-brown with some evidence of blotching along midline of dorsum (versus light brown rarely with blotching along midline). |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | ‘diabolicus’ means ‘devil’ in Latin, in reference to the rich red coloration possessed by most individuals of this species. Used as a noun in apposition. |
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