Sphenomorphus melanopogon (DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1839)
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Sphenomorphus melanopogon
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Gongylus (Lygosoma) melanopogon DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 723 Scincus naevius DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839 Sphenomorphus melanopogon — FITZINGER 1843 Lygosoma florense WEBER 1890: 173 Lygosoma florense — LIDTH DE JEUDE 1895: 123 Lygosoma florense — BOULENGER 1897: 504 Lygosoma kühnei ROUX 1910 Sphenomorphus striolatus kuehnei Lygosoma (Hinulia) florense — DE ROOIJ 1915: 173 Lygosoma kühnei — DE ROOIJ 1915: 190 Lygosoma melanopogon — DE ROOIJ 1915: 191 Sphenomorphus florensis — DUNN 1927 Sphenomorphus florensis barbouri DUNN 1927 Sphenomorphus florensis nitidus DUNN 1927 Sphenomorphus florensis barbouri DUNN 1927 Sphenomorphus florensis weberi DUNN 1927 Lygosoma melanopogon — SMITH 1935 Lygosoma (Sphenomorphus) florensis barbouri — BRONGERSMA 1942 Sphenomorphus florensis florensis — DAAN & HILLENIUS 1966: 132 Sphenomorphus florense — GREER & PARKER 1967 Sphenomorphus melanopogon — GREER 1974: 27 Sphenomorphus kuehnei — KRAMER 1979: 163. Sphenomorphus melanopogon — WELCH, COOKE & WRIGHT 1990 Sphenomorphus melanopogon — READ 1998 Sphenomorphus florensis — GRISMER 2006 |
| Distribution | Indonesia (Borneo etc) Type locality: Nouvelle Hollande (in error for Timor); New Guinea. florensis: Indonesia (Java, Flores, Timor, Komodo); Type locality: Sikka and Maumeri, Flores, Indonesia. kuehnei: Indonesia: Kei Islands = Kai Islands, Banda, Babar; Type locality: Kei Islands |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: MNHN-RA (=MNHP) 1245, New Holland, collected Péron & Lesueur. Designation by Shea (2012), who also corrected the type locality to Timor. Other previous syntypes: MNHN-RA 1244 and MNHN-RA 7110, Timor (Musée de Leyde), and MNHN-RA 2974, New Ireland [MNHN catalogue indicated New Holland for that specimen and Quoy and Gaimard as collectors], fide Brygoo (1985). MNHN 1245 is also the lectotype of Scincus naevius. Syntypes: ZMA.RENA 11056-58, ZMA.RENA 11059-64; Lectotype: ZMA.RENA 11060 [florense] Lectotype: NMBA = NHMB 5514 (designated by Kramer 1979) [kuehnei] Holotype: AMNH 32068; type locality Komodo [nitidus] Holotype: AMNH 32203; type locality north coast of Wetar, near Uhak [barbouri] Holotype: MCZ 20996 [= 2099, in error]; type locality Damma Island [= Pulau Damar] [weberi] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: This species can be readily differentiated from the majority of Sphenomorphus species by the combination of finely striate dorsal scales, the imbricate scales on the dorsal surface of the pes extending onto the plantar surface between the fourth and fifth digits, and three or more supraoculars contacting the frontal. It can be further differentiated from the few Sphenomorphus (all members of the variegatus group) with all of these character states by the combination of smoothly rounded subdigital lamellae, presence of auricular lobules and the postmental modally only contacting a single infralabial on each side. When present, the black throat is also a useful diagnostic character [SHEA 2012]. Additional details (2060 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Types: The type series of Lygosoma melanopogon Duméril and Bibron 1839 consists of four specimens representing three species, all of which have available junior synonyms. Two of the syntypes, MNHN 1245 and 7110 (Figs. 1–2), represent the species which has usually been referred to as S. florensis. The final specimen in the type series, MNHN 2974 (Fig. 3B), is typical of the Bismark Archipelago form of Sphenomorphus jobiensis (Meyer 1874). Synonymy: SHEA 2012 synonymized Lygosoma florense WEBER 1890 (= Sphenomorphus florensis including its subspecies) and S. kuehnei with S. melanopogon based on a lack of consistent differences in morphology and coloration. Distribution: not in Sulawesi, fide Koch 2012: 317. For a map and list of localities see SHEA 2012: 11, 19. Morphology: Most, if not all, Sphenomorphus lack visceral fat bodies (Greer 1986). |
| Etymology | Named after its black or dark (Greek melas, melan) tail (Greek “pogon”), which may or may not be black or even dark. The name of the genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843 was derived from Greek “sphenos” (meaning wedge-shaped, an allusion to the shape of the head) and originally coined as masculine, hence species names need to be formed as masculine too (unless they are nouns in apposition). |
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