Naultinus flavirictus Hitchmough & Nielsen & Lysaght & Bauer 2021, sp. nov.

• Main Authors: Hitchmough, Rodney A., Nielsen, Stuart V., Lysaght, Judith A., Bauer, Aaron M.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2021
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Reptilia; Squamata; Diplodactylidae; Naultinus; Naultinus flavirictus; North Cape
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4495410

Naultinus flavirictus sp. nov. (Fig. 1) Naultinus grayi : (part) Robb & Hitchmough (1980). Naultinus “North Cape”: Hitchmough et al. (2007). Holotype. Adult female holotype MONZ RE003322, original field number G.789 (Fig. 1), collected from Te Paki, Northland, New Zealand, collected by A. H. Whitaker in May 1972. Paratypes. Two adults, one male, MONZ RE.005611 (original field number RAH195), collected from the Te Kao District, Northland, New Zealand, by Conrad Hepers in August 1986, and one female, MONZ RE.005609 (original field number RAH254; captive offspring of a female collected from Te Kao, Northland, New Zealand, by Conrad Hepers in August 1986). Etymology. Naultinus flavirictus sp. nov. (formed from the Lain flavus = yellow + rictus = gaping of the mouth) is named for the continuation of the yellow-orange colouring of the jaws and tongue onto the external corners of the mouth, which is diagnostic for the species. The epithet is formed as a noun in apposition. Diagnosis. Naultinus flavirictus sp. nov. is a small Naultinus (maximum SVL ~ 70 mm), with a short, deep snout, fine granular body scales, flattened scales on the dorsum of the snout, rostral scale divided by a median crease, pale lavender mouth lining, and yellow-orange jaws, tongue and external corners of the mouth. It may be distinguished from all other North Island Naultinus species by the pale lavender mouth lining, with yellow-orange jaws and tongue, and by the colour of the jaws extending to the external corners of the mouth, with similar pigment present around the nostrils. A central crease dividing rostral in two is typical in this species, but rare in N. grayii and N. elegans, and partial or absent in other Naultinus . It is distinguished from N. grayii and N. punctatus by much smaller adult size (to ~ 70 mm vs ~ 95 mm SVL), and by secondary bluish colouration of adult males including the entire ventral surface rather than being confined to a lower lateral band. It is further distinguished from N. grayii by its proportionally shorter, ...