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Ctenotus xenopleura STORR, 1981

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Wide-striped Ctenotus 
SynonymCtenotus xenopleura STORR 1981: 135
Ctenotus xenopleura — COGGER 2000: 450
Ctenotus xenopleura — WILSON & SWAN 2010 
DistributionAustralia (Western Australia)

Type locality: 15 km NE Bungalbin Hill, in 30° 17’ S, 119° 44’ E, W. A.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: WAM R72212 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: “A small member of the C. atlas group with 10 pale stripes on a black ground and upper lateral zone spotted. Most like C. alacer Storr of east Kimberley and Central Australia, but smaller and having fewer upper labials, midbody scale rows and subdigital lamellae.” (Storr 1981)

Description: “Snout-vent length (mm): 27-49 (N 24, mean 38.4). Length of appendages (% SVL): foreleg 26-33 (N 24, mean 29.6), hindleg 43-51 (N 24, mean 45.8), tail 145-195 (N 12, mean 171.8). Nasals separated (usually narrowly). Prefrontals narrowly separated or in contact (usually short). Supraoculars 4, first 3 in contact with frontal. Supra-ciliaries 6 (N 1) or 7 (23), fourth to penultimate considerably smaller than others. Upper ciliaries 7-11 (N 23, mean 8.7). Second loreal1.1-1.8 times as wide as high (N 22, mean 1.50). Presuboculars 1 (N 2) or 2 (22). Upper labials 6-8 (7 except in 2 specimens). Ear lobules 2-6 (N 23, mean 4.6), obtuse or subacute. Nuchals 2-4 (N 22, mean 2.9). Midbody scale rows 26-30 (N 24, mean 27.6). Lamellae under fourth toe 20-26 (N 24, mean 22.9), each with a weak obtuse keel.” (Storr 1981)

Coloration: “Head pale brown, pale olive or brownish-white, spotted (sparsely towards snout) with blackish-brown; narrow black stripe through lore. Back and sides black, marked with white (pale coppery in life) as follows: on each side a narrow paravertebral, dorsal and dorsolatelal stripe, 1 (occasionally 2) upper lateral series of small, usually elongate spots, a wide midlateral (which passes over top of ear aperture) and ventrolateral stripe; white stripes suffused with brown on nape and foreback. Tail brownish-white (pale coppery in life) with some indication (especially anteriorly) of dark hollow vertebral, laterodorsal and upper lateral stripes. Upper surface of limbs brownish-white (pale coppery-brown in life) with 3 black stripes.” (Storr 1981) 
CommentLimb morphology: 5 digits, 5 toes (Singhal et al. 2018, Cogger 2014) 
EtymologyNamed after Greek for 'strange-sided', in allusion to the pale upper lateral spots, rare in the C. atlas group. 
References
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Couper, P., Covacevich, J., Amey, A. & Baker, A. 2006. The genera of skinks (Family Scincidae) of Australia and its island territories: diversity, distribution and identification. in: Merrick, J.R., Archer, M., Hickey, G.M. & Lee, M.S.Y. (eds.). Evolution and Zoogeography of Australasian Vertebrates. Australian Scientific Publishing, Sydney, pp. 367-384
  • Singhal, Sonal; Huateng Huang, Maggie R. Grundler, María R. Marchán-Rivadeneira, Iris Holmes, Pascal O. Title, Stephen C. Donnellan, and Daniel L. Rabosky 2018. Does Population Structure Predict the Rate of Speciation? A Comparative Test across Australia’s Most Diverse Vertebrate Radiation. The American Naturalist - get paper here
  • Storr G M 1981. Ten new Ctenotus (Lacertilia: Scincidae) from Australia. Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 9 (2): 125-146 - get paper here
  • Storr, G. M.; L. A. Smith, and R. E. Johnstone 1999. Lizards of Western Australia. I. Skinks. Revised Edition. Western Australian Museum
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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