Revision of the Lerista muelleri species-group (Lacertilia: Scincidae) in Western Australia, with a redescription of L. muelleri (Fischer, 1881) and the description of nine new species

Abstract

-The Australian scincid genus Lerista comprises more than 80 species of small semifossorial and fossorial lizards. Most species are found in arid and semiarid regions. These species are divided into species groups which are largely diagnosed by their digital formulae. Most L. muelleri species group members have a digital formula of three fingers and three toes, some four fingers and four toes. Only one species has two fingers and three toes. Hitherto L. muelleri has been considered a single pancontinental species which, together with L. aIlochira and L. ham/di, comprised the relatively small L. muelleri species group within the speciose genus Lerista. A detailed examination of morphological and genetic variation in Western Australian specimens has indicated that species-level diversity within the L. muelleri species group has been greatly underestimated. Here, 13 species are recognised: the previously described L. allochira (Kendrick 1989) (Ahl 1935) is retained in the synonymy of L. rhodonoides. Support for the validity of eleven of the thirteen species is demonstrated using allozyme analysis of 114 specimens at 46 loci. Lerista mueIleri (sensu stricto) is shown to be restricted to the Pilbara plateau and its rocky outliers in northwest Western Australia. One of the two syntypes of L. muelleri that were considered lost has recently been rediscovered and is nominated as lectotype.

Herpetological assemblages of the Pilbara biogeographic region, Western Australia: ecological associations, biogeographic patterns and conservation

“…A noteworthy result of our survey was that many new or synonomised taxa were vouchered and have provided the material for new descriptions (e.g. Smith and Adams 2007;Mecke et al 2009;Doughty et al 2010Doughty et al , 2011Catullo et al 2011) or are the subject of current revisions. Resolution of these taxonomic problems will likely lead to even higher diversity estimates to the already high herpetofaunal diversity recognised in the region.…”

Two new species of the Delma tincta group (Squamata: Pygopodidae) from northwestern Australia

“…Following an initial PCoA on all 41 specimens analysed, subsequent PCoAs were then undertaken on each of the three subsets of specimens which clustered together and comprised more than one morphotypic form. The rationale underlying this 'stepwise' use of multiple PCoAs to identify genetic groups from first principles, plus the methodological details involved, are presented in Smith and Adams (2006).…”

The relationship between limb reduction, body elongation and geographical range in lizards (Lerista,Scincidae)

“…We measured four morphometric variables for 68 species of Lerista (see Skinner & Lee, ): snout–vent length, forelimb and hindlimb lengths (measured from the axilla and groin, respectively, to the tip of the longest digit), and head width (at the widest point of the head). Tail length was not used due to missing data caused by tail loss, and ‘ L. muelleri ’ was excluded, because this taxon has recently been recognized as a species complex (Smith & Adams, ). The first three variables were size‐corrected by dividing by head width, because although snout–vent length is the most commonly used body size proxy in squamate reptiles, it is poorly correlated with body mass (size) if there is great variation in body shape (Pincheira‐Donoso et al ., ).…”

“…Tail length was not used due to missing data caused by tail loss, and 'L. muelleri' was excluded, because this taxon has recently been recognized as a species complex (Smith & Adams, 2007). The first three variables were size-corrected by dividing by head width, because although snout-vent length is the most commonly used body size proxy in squamate reptiles, it is poorly correlated with body mass (size) if there is great variation in body shape (Pincheira-Donoso et al, 2011).…”