Oligosoma salmo MELZER, HITCHMOUGH, BELL, CHAPPLE & PATTERSON, 2019
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Oligosoma salmo?
Oligosoma salmo
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Kapitia skink (Chesterfield skink is incorrect) |
| Synonym | Oligosoma salmo MELZER, HITCHMOUGH, BELL, CHAPPLE & PATTERSON 2019 Leiolopisma “West Coast skink” — AVISS & LYALL 1995 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 ‘Chesterfield’ — BELL 2014 Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum ‘Chesterfield’ — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2016a Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum ‘Chesterfield’ — HITCHMOUGH et al. 2016b Oligosoma aff. infrapunctatum ‘Chesterfield’ — VAN WINKEL et al. 2018 |
| Distribution | New Zealand (West Coast of the South Island) Type locality: Chesterfield (42° 37’S, 171° 05’E), , |
| Reproduction | viviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: NMNZ RE005444, male (coll. G. Patterson, 23 Mar 1994). Paratypes (4 specimens). Chesterfield (42° 37’S, 171° 05’E), 2 specimens: NMNZ RE005445, male; NMNZ RE005446, male (coll. G. Patterson, 23 Mar 1994); Chesterfield (42° 37’S, 171° 05’E), 2 specimens: NMNZ RE005364, male; NMNZ RE005365, female (coll. R. van Mierlo, P. van Klink, 09 Jan 1998). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: O. salmo can be distinguished from other species in the O. infrapunctatum species complex by a combination of characters (Figure 4a–j). There are statistical differences between O. newmani and O. salmo (S-Ear/ EF, VS, upper ciliaries). Compared with O. newmani MS is usually 33 or below whereas O. salmo is 33 or above. In O. robinsoni SVL/HW is usually 11 or below, whereas in O. salmo it is 11 or above. There are statistical differ- ences between O. robinsoni and O. salmo (VS, subdigital lamellae). The VS count is 69 or below in O. salmo versus usually 69 or greater in O. robinsoni; supraciliaries 5 only (O. salmo) versus usually >5 in O. robinsoni; ventral speckling much more pronounced in O. robinsoni than O. salmo. There are statistical differences between O. salmo and O. albornense sp. nov. (upper ciliaries, HL/HW, S-Ear/EF, VS). O. salmo has 5 supraciliaries only, versus 6 or more in O. albornense sp. nov. O. salmo has 3 or fewer nuchal scale pairs, while O. albornense sp. nov. has 3 or more nuchal scale pairs. There are statistical differences between O. salmo and O. auroraensis sp. nov. (VS). It dif- fers from O. auroraensis sp. nov. in having subdigital lamellae usually 21 or above (O. auroraensis sp. nov.) versus usually 20 or below. It appears to have a shorter tail (1.25 TL/SVL versus mean TL/SVL of 1.38 in O. auroraensis sp. nov.). |
| Comment | Behavior: Diurnal, heliothermic but cryptic sun-basker, Habitat: terrestrial, may also be partly arboreal. |
| Etymology | The scientific name is derived from the Latin for “salmon”, referring to the distinctive colouration on the underside of the tail. |
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