Strophurus wellingtonae (STORR, 1988)
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Strophurus wellingtonae
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| Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Western Shield Spiny-tailed Gecko |
| Synonym | Diplodactylus wellingtonae STORR 1988 Diplodactylus ciliaris ciliaris — KLUGE 1967 (partim) Strophurus wellingtonae — GREER 1989 Strophurus wellingtoni — COGGER 1992 Strophurus wellingtonae — KLUGE 1993 Diplodactylus wellingtonae — COGGER 2000: 234 Strophurus wellingtonae — RÖSLER 2000: 115 Strophurus wellingtonae — WILSON & SWAN 2010 |
| Distribution | Australia (arid W Western Australia) Type locality: 40 km NE Laverton, WA, in 28°23'S, 122°35'E. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: WAM R15218 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A large, long-tailed member of the complex (total length up to 145 mm) with long spines above eye and on tail. Differing from D. ciliaris ciliaris and D. c. aberrans in dorsal tubercles being arranged in two parallel rows (rather than scattered over back), all spines and tubercles being orange or brown (never black) and mouth being bluish (not yellowish). (Storr, 1988) Description: Snout-vent length (mm): 49-85 (N 62, mean 68.2). Length of tail (%SVL): 59-80 (N 44, mean 69.0). Nostril surrounded by rostral (median groove almost invariably complete), two supranasals (anterior much the larger), one postnasal (occasionally two) and first upper labial. Internasals 0-3 (N 42, mean 1.4). Upper labials 10-15 (N 41, mean 13.0), 8-12 (mean 9.9) to middle of eye. Under side of digits with pair of large apical plates, followed on fourth toe distally by 3-5 (N 31, mean 4.2) transverse lamellae and proximally by 1-3 (mean 2.2) pairs of elliptic or circular scales. Pre-anal pores in males, 3-9 on each side. Usually two medium to long, brown spines above eye, posterior longer (occasionally three, four or five). Usually two (rarely three) pale or dark brown spines behind eye. Dorsal tubercles almost always arranged in two parallel rows (occasionally absent anteriorly, very rarely absent posteriorly), low to high, and orange (occasionally brown or whitish). Two (very rarely four or six) rows of medium to long spines on tail, usually orange. Non-spinose scales on top and side of tail small and granular. Upper and lateral surfaces pale grey to dark grey, usually so patterned as to leave a pale grey loreotemporal stripe and 5-8 pale grey, roughly quadrilateral blotches on side of neck and body (pale markings sometimes confluent and edged with black). Iris greyish white with a black reticulum or anastomosis, except for maroon periphery. Mouth dark blue or blue-black. (Storr, 1988) |
| Comment | Group: Diplodactylus strophurus group (subgenus Strophurus). |
| Etymology | Named after Australian naturalist Betty Doreen Wellington. |
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