Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 60

A significant range extension for the Border Ranges Leaf-tailed Gecko, Saltuarius swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985) (Reptilia: Carphodactylidae)

Citation

Revell, B., Couper, P.,J., Wilson, S., Amey, A. & Hoskin, C.J. 2017. A significant range extension for the Border Ranges Leaf-tailed Gecko, Saltuarius swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985) (Reptilia: Carphodactylidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Nature. 60: 185–191. https://doi.org/10.17082/j.2204-1478.60.2017.2017-10

Accepted

9 October 2017

Published online

19 December 2017

Peer reviewed

Yes

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17082/j.2204-1478.60.2017.2017-10

Keywords

leaf-tailed gecko, Saltuarius swaini, range extension, rainforest, south-east Queensland, Australia

Abstract 

The recent discovery of Saltuarius swaini on Mt Glorious is unexpected due to the site’s proximity to a major city. It extends the species’ range 80 km north of the nearest known population. Genetic analyses suggests that this is a natural population that has been isolated from the other sequenced, south-east Queensland S. swaini populations for an extended period. The species has a limited occurrence on Mt Glorious where it is apparently absent from extensive tracts of suitable rainforest habitat. The rainforest herpetofauna of Mt Glorious is broadly similar to, but more impoverished than, that of the larger southern rainforest blocks of the Border and Main Ranges.