Diporiphora perplexa MELVILLE, DATE, HORNER & DOUGHTY, 2019
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Diporiphora perplexa
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Amphibolurinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Kimberley rock dragon |
| Synonym | Diporiphora perplexa MELVILLE, DATE, HORNER & DOUGHTY 2019: 37 |
| Distribution | Australia (Western Australia) Type locality: Gibb River Rodd, 20 km west of Ellenbrae Station, WA (15° 57.31' S, 126° 52.9' E). |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. WAM R177290 (formerly NMV D73819) (adult male), Collected by J. Melville on 9 September 2005. Paratypes. NMV D73805 (adult female), Home Valley Station, WA (15° 44.39' S, 127° 49.83' E); NMV D73841 (adult female), King Edward River Campground, Mitchell Plateau Road, WA (14° 56' 57.1" S, 126° 12' 10.4" E); NMV D73978 (adult male), Buchanan Highway, south of Jasper Creek, NT (16° 02' 46.8" S, 130° 51' 49.3" E); NMV D73980 (adult female), Bullo Road off Victoria Highway, NT (15° 48' 39.2" S, 129° 40' 13.5" E); WAM 119719 (male), Emma Gorge, Cockburn Range, WA (15° 50' S, 128° 02' E); WAM R162517 (female), 25 km S Wyndham, WA (15.7154° S, 128.2684° E); WAM R171418 (male), Prince Regent River National Park, WA; WAM R175785 (female), Waterfall Yard, 15 km N Mt Elizabeth Homestead, WA (16.2822° S, 126.1059° E). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. Body size moderately large (to 68 mm SVL) with long tail (1.9–2.5 × SVL). Gular and scapular folds present but weak; post-auricular fold strong. Homogeneous dorsal scales. Pale dorsolateral stripes from back of head to one-third down torso. Black smudge on posterior edge of tympanum, extending on to scales posterior to tympanum. Pre-cloacal pores 2–4; femoral pores 0. Comparison with other species. Similar to D. bennettii, occurring in similar rocky habitats, but differs in having a long tail and limbs and dorsolateral stripes. Can be distinguished from D. albilabris and D. sobria in mostly lacking femoral pores, having no white or pale stripes on the head (on upper labials or between eye and ear), no stripes under chin and homogenous dorsal scales. Differs from D. magna, D. margaretae and D. pindan in having a gular fold, a black spot on tympanum and two canine teeth on each side of upper jaw. Diporiphora lalliae differs from D. perplexa sp. nov. in lacking both a black spot on tympanum and double canine teeth on each side of upper jaw. |
| Comment | This species has previously been confused with D. bennettii and is usually depicted in field guides as D. bennettii. Distribution: for a map see Melville et al. 2019: 34 (Fig. 8). |
| Etymology | Named from the Latin for confused or cryptic, in reference to Allan Greer’s (former curator at the AMS) thoughts on this species when carrying out earlier work on the group in the 1990s. This species remained hidden until a genetic analysis and consultation of the D. bennettii type with its small body size, short tail and diffuse pale patterning. |
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