Diplodactylus galeatus KLUGE, 1963
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Diplodactylus galeatus
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| Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Helmeted Gecko |
| Synonym | Diplodactylus galeatus KLUGE 1963 Diplodactylus galeatus — KLUGE 1993 Diplodactylus galeatus — COGGER 2000: 218 Diplodactylus galeatus — WILSON & SWAN 2010 Diplodactylus galeatus — MCDONALD et al. 2024 |
| Distribution | Australia (mountainous areas of S Northern Territory and N South Australia) Type locality: Stuart Range, S. A. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: SAMA R973 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (Diplodactylus galeatus species complex). All three species in the D. galeatus complex can be differentiated from all other Diplodactylus by the following combination of characters: medium size (to 56 mm); robust build and relatively short (44–60% of SVL) thick tail with regular annuli of slightly enlarged tubercles separated by rows of smaller scales; enlarged dorsal scales up to twice diameter of ventral scales; snout rounded in profile; supralabials and infralabials much larger than bordering loreals; rostral scale in contact with nostril; expanded apical lamellae on all digits; top of head pale yellowish-brown and bordered posteriorly by a rounded dark line; dorsum of body pinkish red to dark red with three to eight dark-edged pale yellowish-brown blotches; and ventral surface uniform white without any pattern. Species in D. galeatus complex specifically differ from other Australian Diplodactylus as follows: from D. ameyi, D. barraganae, D. bilybara, D. calcicolus, D. capensis, D. conspicillatus, D. custos, D. fuller, D. furcosus, D. galaxias, D. granariensis, D. hillii, D. kenneallyi, D. laevis, D. lateroides, D. mitchelli, D. nebulosus, D. ornatus, D. platyurus, D. polyophthalmus, D. savage, D. tessellatus, D. vittatus, and D. wiru by the presence of a series of pale yellowish-brown, dark-edged dorsal blotches on the body and tail; from the eight species in the D. conspicillatus complex (D. ameyi, D. barraganae, D. bilybara, D. conspicillatus, D. custos, D. hillii, D. laevis, and D. platyurus) by the presence of enlarged supralabials (versus absent) and terminal lamellae on fingers noticeably wider than digit (versus not wider); from D. galaxias, D. kenneallyi, D. pulcher, and D. savagei in having rostral scale in contact with nostril (versus nostril separated from rostral by small scale); from D. calcicolus, D. capensis, D. furcosus, D. granariensis, D. nebulosus, D. vittatus and D. wiru by the supra and infralabial scales being wider than tall (versus approximately square); from D. lateroides and D. polyophthalmus by the presence of dark edges to the dorsal blotches; and from D. mitchelli and D. ornatus by the absence of a continuous vertebral stripe (rarely present in the D. galeatus species complex). (McDonald et al. 2024) Additional details (3071 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Group: Diplodactylus vittatus group |
| Etymology | Named after Latin “galeatus” meaning helmeted, from Latin galea = helmet, referring to the streak on the head appearing like a helmet. |
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