CTENOTUS RIMACOLA SP. NOV. (SCINCIDAE), A NEW SPECIES OF LIZARD WITH TWO ALLOPATRIC SUBSPECIES, FROM THE ORD-VICTORIA REGION OF NORTHWESTERN AUTRALIA

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract - A new species of Ctenotus Storr (Reptilia, Scincidae) with two allopatric subspecies, C. rimacoIa rimacoIa ssp. nov. and C. rilmacoIa camptris ssp. nov., is described. A member of the C. Iesueurii species-group, it is distinguished from congeners, notably C. robustus, C. joanae and C. agrestis, by a combination of body pattern and meristic characteristics. Two subspecies are recognised from geographic variation in colour and pattern within the taxon. This species is apparently endemic to areas of tussock grassland on black-soil (grey cracking clay) plains, which occur extensively in the Ord-Victoria region of northwestern Australia. Unlike the deserts of central Australian and the tropical savanna woodlands, black-soil grasslands in northern Australia support few Ctenotus species, although at least four species are endemic to this habitat.