Mokopirirakau galaxias KNOX, HITCHMOUGH, NIELSEN, JEWELL & BELL, 2021
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Mokopirirakau galaxias
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| Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Mokopirirakau galaxias KNOX, HITCHMOUGH, NIELSEN, JEWELL & BELL 2021 |
| Distribution | New Zealand (Oteake Conservation Park, North Otago) Type locality: An undisclosed location within Oteake Conservation Park, North Otago, New Zealand. The collection site (and all other known populations of Mokopirirakau galaxias sp. nov.) are between latitudes of 44º 35’S–44º 58’S, longitudes of 169º 43’E–170º 19’E, and altitudes of 1,300-1,600 m ASL. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: Adult male NZMZ RE.008613, from an undisclosed location within Oteake Conservation Park, North Otago, New Zealand, collected by C. Knox and T. Jewell on 14 January 2020. The collection site (and all other known populations of Mokopirirakau galaxias sp. nov.) are between latitudes of 44º 35’S–44º 58’S, longitudes of 169º 43’E–170º 19’E, and altitudes of 1,300-1,600 m ASL. Paratypes: None (but see Variation section in Knox et al. 2021). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Both the phylogenetic analysis and the combination of straight rather than strongly curved or vshaped lamellae, presence of brightly coloured mouth pigment, absence of apical plates from some toes, lamellae forming a pad which does not extend to the end of the toe, and ventral scales on the tail being roughly twice the size of dorsal scales, identify the species as a member of the genus Mokopirirakau. The species can readily be distinguished from all Mokopirirakau species, except M. kahutarae, on the basis of eye colour (very dark brown versus grey, light brown or occasionally light blue with dark ‘filigree” markings), body colour pattern (olive-grey to olive-green with small white spots versus grey with transverse bands), and head colour pattern (contrasting v-shaped dark marking behind eyes and pale stripe from eye to ear absent in this species and M. kahutarae; present in all others). Distinguished from M. kahutarae, to which it has some obvious similarities (see Whitaker 1984), on the basis of a number of characters: on average smaller body size (76–84 mm SVL versus up to 91 mm); snout slightly more elongate (longer than versus equal to eye-ear distance); tail length shorter than SVL (versus equal or longer); distal attenuation of digits ~25% (versus 31%), with webbing extending to approximately half of the distal phalange (versus approximately one quarter); 7–9 subdigital lamellae (versus 12–14); apical plates slightly enlarged on the first 3 digits of each autopodium (versus absent); single scale row between middle of orbit and labial scales (versus 2 rows); 2–3 supraciliary scale rows (versus 4–5), forming an ‘eyebrow,’ with supraciliary scales scarcely enlarged (versus greatly enlarged), with the effect of upper margin of eye fully visible from the side (versus hidden by an ‘eyebrow’); 8–9 infralabial scales (versus 11–12); ~18 ventral scale rows from axilla to groin (versus ~24); two (versus three) cloacal spurs; iris very dark brown (versus totally black); pupil margin very dark brown (versus black); labial scales and above surrounding scales, as well as the palmar surfaces of the manus, pes, and digits coloured vivid orange (versus muted olive-grey); mouth and throat colour orange-pink and grey-black, respectively (versus pink to pale red); base colouration of dorsal skin more consistently olive (versus olive to grey); and dorsal markings composed of numerous pale spots with narrow, asymmetrical paler transverse dorsal markings (sometimes absent or indistinct) (versus 6–7 wide pale grey bands). Table 1 compares characters of M. galaxias sp. nov. with all other described Mokopirirakau species. Diagnostics are not given for any other non-described Mokopirirakau species on the basis that formal taxonomic descriptions for these are in preparation (R. Hitchmough, S.V. Nielsen and A. Bauer, unpub. data); however, none of these resemble M. galaxias and all are allopatrically distributed (Knox et al. 2021). |
| Comment | Similar species: Mokopirirakau kahutarae |
| Etymology | Latin (from Ancient Greek) galaxias for the patterning of small white spots on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the body reminiscent of the Milky Way. The epithet is formed as a noun in apposition. |
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