Oligosoma auroraense MELZER, HITCHMOUGH, BELL, CHAPPLE & PATTERSON, 2019
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Oligosoma auroraense?
Oligosoma auroraense
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Hawke’s Bay skink, Eastern speckled skink |
| Synonym | Oligosoma auroraensis MELZER, HITCHMOUGH, BELL, CHAPPLE & PATTERSON 2019 Leiolopisma infrapunctatum — HARDY 1977 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — BIDINOSTI et al. 2008 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — GREAVES et al. 2008 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — CHAPPLE et al. 2009 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — JEWELL & MORRIS 2011 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — TOWNS et al. 2002 Oligosoma infrapunctatum — DENT 2016 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “southern North Island” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2007 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “southern North Island” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2010 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “southern North Island” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2013 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “southern North Island” — BELL 2014 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “southern North Island” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2016a Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “southern North Island” — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2016b Oligosoma “southern North Island” — WILES et al. 2017 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum “Hawke’s Bay” — VAN WINKEL et al. 2018 Oligosoma auroraense — MELZER et al. 2019: 600 |
| Distribution | New Zwaland (Hawke’s Bay region of the North Island) Type locality: Ocean Beach, Cape Kidnappers (39° 45’S, 177° 00’E) |
| Reproduction | viviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: NMNZ RE007397, male,, coll. T. Bell 26 Mar 2015). Paratypes: (4 specimens). Ocean Beach, Cape Kidnappers (39° 45’S, 177° 00’E), 4 specimens: NMNZ RE007400, female; NMNZ RE007398, female; NMNZ RE007399, female; NMNZ RE007396, female (coll. T. Bell 26 Mar 2015). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: O. auroraensis can be distinguished from other species in the O. infrapunctatum species complex by a combination of characters (Figure 4a–j). Compared with O. newmani which has 20 or fewer subdigital lamellae on fourth hind toe O. auroraensis usually has more than 20. The mean TL/SVL in O. auroraensis is 1.38 compared with 1.22 for O. newmani and there is also a significantly higher VS count in O. auroraensis compared with O. newmani. There are statistical differences between O. albornense and O. auroraensis (VS). O. albornense differs from O. auroraensis in having subdigital lamellae usually 21 or above (O. auroraensis) versus 21 or below. O. albornense appears to have a shorter tail (1.28 TL/SVL versus mean TL/SVL of 1.38 in O. auroraensis). VS count in O. robinsoni is usually less than 75 whereas in O. auroraensis it is greater than 75. It differs from O. robinsoni in having subdigital lamellae usually 21 or above (O. auroraensis) versus usually 21 or below. The mid-dorsal stripe is to base of tail in O. robinsoni, past base of tail in O. auroraensis. There are statistical differences between O. salmo and O. auroraensis (VS). O. salmo usually has fewer than 20 subdigital lamellae on the fourth hind toe versus usually greater than 20. It differs from O. auroraensis in having subdigital lamellae usually 21 or above (O. auroraensis) versus usually 21 or below. It appears to have a shorter tail (1.25 TL/SVL versus mean TL/SVL of 1.38 in O. auroraensis). None of the O. auroraensis specimens have the extra scale between prefrontals possessed by O. infrapunctatum and O. auroraensis has 7 infralabials whereas O. infrapunctatum has 8. |
| Comment | Habitat: coastal dunes, grassland, low shrubland, scrubland and coastal forest edges |
| Etymology | The scientific name is derived from the meaning of aurora ‘of the dawn’ and the eastern location of the species. |
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