You are here » home › advanced search › Delma petersoni

Delma petersoni SHEA, 1991

iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Delma petersoni?

Add your own observation of
Delma petersoni »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaPygopodidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Painted Delma 
SynonymDelma fraseri petersoni SHEA 1991: 80
Delma petersoni — JENNINGS et al. 2003
Delma petersoni — MARYAN et al. 2007
Delma petersoni — WILSON & SWAN 2010: 134 
DistributionAustralia (SE South Australia, adjacent Western Australia)

Type locality: N end sock route (32° 51’ S, 135° 57’ E), S.A.  
Reproductionoviparous (manual and phylogenetic imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) 
TypesHolotype: SAMA R20804; paratypes (11): SAMA, WAM 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A large Delma (SVL up to 128.5 mm) differing from all other Delma in the combination of two pairs of supranasal scales, a dark head dorsally and laterally followed by a broad, dark nape patch (both reduced in intensity in adults), broad dark throat bands, a mode of 18 midbody scales, and 67-78 ventral scales. (Shea 1991)  
CommentDelma fraseri is not monophyletic according to JENNINGS et al. (2003) who therefore elevated D. f. petersoni to species status.

Limb morphology: Limbless.

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
EtymologyNamed after Magnus Peterson, of Perth, W.A., “who initally prompted my interest in pygopodids, and who has continued to offer much discussion on their systematics and natural history.” (Shea 1991) 
References
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1885. Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. Geckonidae, Eublepharidae, Uroplatidae, Pygopodidae, Agamidae. London: 450 pp. - get paper here
  • 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.
  • Ellis, Ryan J.; Paul Doughty and Aaron M. Bauer 2018. An annotated type catalogue of the geckos and pygopods (Squamata: Gekkota: Carphodactylidae, Diplodactylidae, Gekkonidae, Pygopodidae) in the collection of the Western Australian Museum. Records of the Western Australian Museum 33: 051–094 - get paper here
  • Gray, J. E. 1831. Description of a new genus of ophisaurean animal, discovered by the late James Hunter, Esq., in New Holland. Zoological Miscellany 1: 14. - get paper here
  • Günther, A. 1873. Notes on and descriptions of some lizards with rudimentary limbs, in the British Museum. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 12: 145-148 - get paper here
  • Hall, T.S. 1905. A lizard mimicking a poisonous snake. Victorian Naturalist 22: 74 - get paper here
  • Jennings, W.B.; Pianka, E.R. & Donnellan, S. 2003. Systematics of the lizard family Pygopodidae with implications for the diversification of Australian temperate biotas. Systematic Biology 52: 757-780 - get paper here
  • Kinghorn, J. Roy 1924. Reptiles and batrachians from south and south-west Australia. Rec. Austral. Mus. 14 (3): 163-183 - get paper here
  • Kinghorn, J. Roy 1926. A brief review of the family Pygopodidae. Rec. Austral. Mus. 15 (1): 40-64 - get paper here
  • Kluge, A. G. 1974. A taxonomic revision of the lizard family Pygopodidae. Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, (147): 1-221. - get paper here
  • Kluge, Arnold G. 1976. Phylogenetic relationships in the lizard family Pygopodidae: an evaluation of theory, methods and data. Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan (152): 1-72 - get paper here
  • Longman, H. A. 1916. Snakes and lizards from Queensland and the Northern Territory. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 5: 46-51 - get paper here
  • Maryan,B., Aplin,K., & Adams,M. 2007. Two new species of the Delma tincta group (Squamata: Pygopodidae) from northwestern Australia. Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 23: 273-305 - get paper here
  • Rösler, Herbert 1995. Geckos der Welt - Alle Gattungen. Urania, Leipzig, 256 pp.
  • Shea, G. M. 1991. Revisionary notes on the genus Delma (Squamata: Pygopodidae) in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Rec. South Austral. Mus. 25: 71-90 - get paper here
  • Uetz, P.H.; Patel, M.; Gbadamosi, Z.; Nguyen, A.; Shoope, S. 2024. A Reference Database of Reptile Images. Taxonomy 4: 723–732 - get paper here
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
  • 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
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:


Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator