Oligosoma albornense MELZER, HITCHMOUGH, BELL, CHAPPLE & PATTERSON, 2019
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Oligosoma albornense?
Oligosoma albornense
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Alborn skink |
| Synonym | Oligosoma albornense MELZER, HITCHMOUGH, BELL, CHAPPLE & PATTERSON 2019 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — GREAVES et al. 2008 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — CHAPPLE et al 2009 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “Chesterfield” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2007 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “Chesterfield” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2010 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “Chesterfield” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2013; Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “Alborn” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2016a Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “Alborn” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2016b Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “Alborn” — VAN WINKEL et al. 2018 |
| Distribution | New Zealand (West Coast of the South Island) Type locality: Alborn Coal Mine (42° 31’S, 171° 52’E) |
| Reproduction | viviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: NMNZ RE005339, female, coll. R. van Mierlo, P. van Klink, 14 Oct 1997. Paratypes (3 specimens). Alborn Coal Mine (42° 31’S, 171° 52’E), 2 specimens: NMNZ RE005341, female; NMNZ RE005350, male (coll. R. van Mierlo, P. van Klink, 14 Oct 1997); Alborn Coal Mine (42° 31’S, 171° 52’E), NMNZ RE005366, female (coll. R. van Mierlo, P. van Klink, 06 Jan 1998). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: O. albornense can be distinguished from other species in the O. infrapunctatum species complex by a combination of characters (Figure 4a–j). Compared with O. newmani nuchal pairs are usually 3 or below versus 3 or above (O. albornense); usually 69 or more VS (O. newmani) versus 69 or fewer VS (O. albornense). HL/HW is always 1.7 or below in O. albornense whereas it is usually 1.7 or above in O. newmani. O. robinsoni differs from O. albornense in having a VS count usually 69 or greater versus 69 or below (O. albornense); upper ciliaries 6 or less (O. albornense) versus usually 6 or more; ventral speckling much more pronounced in O. robinsoni than O. albornense. In O. robinsoni SVL/HW is usually 11 or below, whereas in O. salmo it is 11 or above. There are statistical differences between O. salmo and O. albornense (upper ciliaries, HL/HW, S-Ear/EF, VS). O. salmo has 5 supraciliaries only, versus 6 or more in O. albornense. There are statistical differences between O. albornense and O. auroraensis sp. nov. (VS). It differs from O. auroraensis in having subdigital lamellae usually 21 or above (O. auroraensis sp. nov.) versus 21 or below. It appears to have a shorter tail (1.28 TL/SVL versus mean TL/SVL of 1.38 in O. auroraensis sp. nov.). |
| Comment | Habitat: cool, mid-altitude, steep region that experiences high rainfall over the greywacke/argillite mountains, where much of the original forest remains. The species was originally discovered among discarded mine machinery in an area where native vegetation was regenerating after mining stopped and has now been found in nearby wetland areas. It appears to be a species of forest gaps, wetland edges and high points (to c. 600 m ASL). It is currently known from artificial clearings in beech forest, pākihi, wetlands and regenerating shrubland (van Winkel et al. 2018). May occur in forest, or small wetlands within a forest matrix. When pākihi habitats flood after heavy rains, the species uses high points and logs to escape the water (van Winkel et al. 2018). Behavior: Diurnal, heliothermic, terrestrial. |
| Etymology | The scientific name is derived from the type locality, the Alborn Coal Mine of the South Island. |
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