1 COGGERIA NAUFRAGUS GEN. ET SP. NOV., A SAND-SWIMMING SKINK FROM FRASER ISLAND, QUEENSLAND RJ. COUPER, J.A. COVACEVICH, S.P MARSTERSON AND G.M. SHEA Couper, P.J., Covacevich, J.A., Marsterson, S.P. & Shea, G.M. 1996 07 20: Coggeria naufragus gen. et sp. nov., a sand- swimming skink from Fraser Island, Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 39(2):233-241. Brisbane. ISSN 0079-8835. Coggeria naufragus gen. et sp. nov. is a distinct lygosomine in the Sphenomorphus group. It has a digital formula of 3/3. A sharp snout and more than 40 lingually-directed maxillary teeth are key distinguishing characters. The new skink is a sand-swimmer, which feeds on worms. It is known only from Fraser Island, SEQ, a World Heritage Site. OSphenomorphus group, Scincidae, rainforest species, World Heritage Site, Fraser Is. P.J. Couper & J.A. Covacevich, Queensland Museum , .P.O Box 3300, South Brisbane, Queensland 4 10 J, Australia; S.P. Marsterson, Queensland Department of Environment & Heritage, P.O. Box 21, Yungaburra, Queensland 4872, Australia; G.M. Shea, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University ofSydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia; J December 1995. On Fraser Island in June, 1991, Mike West MATERIALS AND METHODS found a small sand-swimming skink while dig- ging. It was sent to the Queensland Museum for All measurements were taken using Mitutoyo identification. At first glance, the damaged electronic callipers. Supraciliaries, supralabials, specimen, resembled Saiphos equalis (Gray, infralabials, and subdigital lamellae on the hind 1825). Several unsuccessful attempts were made toes were counted on both sides. The following to find more specimens. During summer 1 994/95, meristic characters have been used:- snout-vent party the a from Queensland Museum (PJC and length (SVL); axilla to groin (AG); tail length, JAC) and the Queensland Department of En- vent to tip (TL); forelimb, axilla to tip of longest vironment and Heritage (SM, Rod Hobson, Keith digit (LI ); hindlimb, groin to tip of longest digit Twyford, other staff and volunteers) collected (L2); forelimb to snout, from axilla to tip of snout several more specimens. (Ll-S); head length, tip of snout to posterior Like other World Heritage Sites in Queensland, margin of parietals (HL); head width, measured Fraser Is. has been the focus of considerable level with the posterior margin of the parietals research and management effort. The island's (HW); head depth, measured level with the diverse reptile fauna (Barry & Campbell, 1977; posterior margin of the parietals (HD); snout, tip Covacevich & Couper, 1991) in many habitats, to anterior margin of orbit (S); eye to ear-crease, including rainforest, was thought to be well posterior margin of orbit to mid lateral margin of known. That a secretive, very distinct skink from ear-crease (EE). Osteological characters are Fraser Is. rainforest should be discovered in 1 99 based largely on a single, cleared and stained indicates that there are still elements of the specimen, QMJ59670, and supplemented by data Queensland reptile fauna about which we know (vertebral counts) from X-rays of QMJ57431, little. 59237, 59312, 59361, 59468-69 and 59671. The skink is assigned to the Sphenomorphus group within the Lygosominae. The Sphenomor- SYSTEMATICS phus group has a single frontal bone; palatine Coggeria gen. nov. bones in contact on the ventral midline; ventrolateral ridges of the frontal each with a TYPE SPECIES. Coggeria naufragus sp. nov. short process, and frontal separated from the pala- tine by an extensive section of prefrontal; nine ETYMOLOGY. ForHarold Cogger, former Curator of premaxillary teeth; an open Meckel's groove; iris Reptiles and Deputy Director of the Australian virtually as dark as pupil; parietal scales in con- Museum, for his many contributions to knowledge and conservation. tact behind the interparietal; posterolateral edge of each parietal bordered by two temporals and a nuchal, and a greatly enlarged medial pair of DIAGNOSIS. Elongate body (Fig. 1), reduced preanal scales (Greer, 1970, 1979, 1986a). limbs (front and rear limb 4.3% and 7.7% of SVL, , 234 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM FIG. 1 . Coggeria naufragus gen. et sp. nov. respectively), snout wedge-shaped in profile cal variation and phylogenetic relationships in the (Figs 2,3); nasals slightly enlarged; prefrontals Sphenomorphus group, particularly in the non- separated; supraoculars 3, first only in contact Australian members, remain poorly known, and with frontal; last 2 supraoculars partially a well-corroborated cladistic phylogeny is not separated by a supraciliary; supraciliaries 5, first available. contacting frontal; supralabials usually 6, fourth Coggeria shares many apomorphies with below eye; postsupralabial single; ear opening Coeranoscincus (15; 18) and Ophioscincus (17), absent; upper secondary temporal overlapped by which are closely associated geographically. lower. Osteology: maxilla-frontal contact; pre- However, Coeranoscincus differs from Coggeria and postfrontals in contact above orbit; postorbi- in having: teeth fang-like, posteriorly curved and tal absent; distinct narrowing of skull at premaxil- sharply pointed; snout conical; ischial shaft lary-maxillary junction; maxillary teeth greater weakly developed or absent. Ophioscincus dif- than 40, with long axis of tooth running trans- fers from Coggeria in having: supraciliaries 3-4; versely and crowns directed lingually; dentary supralabials 5; limbs 2% of SVL or shorter; teeth more than 45; pterygoid teeth absent; phalanges absent on both manus and pes. Tooth presacral vertebrae 47-50; manus lacking inter- shape and a high number of maxillary teeth of medium, distal carpals 1 and 5 and metacarpals 1 Coggeria set it apart from Anomalopus, Calyp- and 5, and has phalanges reduced to 0.2.3.3.0; pes totis, Coeranoscincus, Ophioscincus, Saiphos with astragalus and calcaneum fused, lacking dis- and Lerista, all of which have fewer than 26 tal tarsals 1 and 5, metatarsals 1 and 5, and with maxillary teeth, with a generally upright or phalanges reduced to 0.2.3.3.0 (Fig. 4); sternal posteriorly- curved orientation (Cogger, 1992; ribs 2; mesostemal ribs I; ischia forming acute Greer,1983, 1986b, 1989; Greer & Cogger, 1985; angle at symphysis with shafts paralleling those Storr, 1971). of pubes. Parietal peritoneum lacking pigment. Other elongate genera of the Sphenomorphus Coggeria naufragus sp. nov. group (Anomalopus, Calyptotis, Coeranoscin- (Figs. 1-5) cus y Ophioscincus, Saiphos, Lerista) share some of the apomorphies of Coggeria in varying com- MATERIAL EXAMINED. HOLOTYPE QMJ5936 1 , , binations (Table 1). However, many of these EofCentralStnworkshop(25°28'42"S,153°03 2r E) SEQ. PARATYPES QMJ5743 , between Leading Hill apomorphies are associated with burrowing, and 1 & Lake Garrawongera, behind Poyungan Valley may point to parallel evolution rather than close (25°23'S, 153°05'E); QMJ59237, N of Central Stn relationships (Greer & Cogger, 1985). Anatomi- workshop (25°28*37"S, 153°03'15"E); QMJ59312, COGGERIA, A NEW SKINK FROM FRASER ISLAND 235 FIG. 2. Coggeria naufragus gen. et sp. nov. showing wedge-shaped snout, QMJ59468, W of Central Stn workshop (25°28'38"S, 4.4); S=3.3-4.0 (n=7, mean 3.5); EE=4.4-5.6 o03'15 M 153 E); QMJ59469, 1km S of Pile Valley, (n=7, mean 4.9). 1.5km E of Central Stn (25°28'56"S, 153°04*20"E); Head indistinct from neck; snout wedge- QMJ59670, QMJ59671 Central Stn, E of QDEH shaped in profile. Nasals large, moderately workshop (25 28'23"S, 153°03'23"E). OTHER spaced. Nostril positioned anteroventrally in MATERIAL: QMJ60232 (tail only), N of Central Stn , t , H nasal. Prefrontals large, moderately spaced. Fron- workshop (25°28 37 'S,153°03 15 E). All from Eraser Island. tal 1.2 times as long as wide; contacting prefron- tals, frontonasal, frontoparietals, first ETYMOLOGY. Latin naufragus, castaway, supraoculars and first supraciliaries. Frontoparie- shipwrecked. tals paired, in broad contact. Interparietal free, parietal eye present. Parietal scales in broad con- DIAGNOSIS. As for genus. tact behind the interparietal. Enlarged nuchal scales 4-5 pairs. Two nuchals in direct contact DESCRIPTION. SVL(mm)=62-127 (n=7, mean with posterior edge of parietal scales. Loreals 2, 98.2). Proportions as % SVL: AG=73.4~76.8 first larger. Supralabial scales 6-7 (n=16, mean (n=7, mean 75.2); TL=76. 5-83.1 (n=3, mean 6.1); where 6, fourth below eye; where 7, fifth 79.2); L1=3.1^L3 (n=7, mean 3.8); L2=6.2-7.7 below eye. Postsupralabial single. Infralabials 6. (n=7, mean 6.7); Ll-S=20.3-22.7 (n=6, mean Postmental contacts 2 infralabials on each side. 21.4); HL=7.5-9.8 (n=7, mean 8.2); HW=5.3- Three pairs of enlarged chin scales; first pair in 6.0 (n=6, mean 5.6); HD=4. 1^4.5 (n=5, mean contact, second pair separated by 1 longitudinal ventral scale row, third pair separated by 3 lon- PRIMARY TEMPORAL 2ND TEMPORALS SUPRACILIARIES PREOCULARS PRESUBOCULAR INFRALABIALS POSTOCULARS SUPRAOCULARS PRET FIG. 3. Head scalation of the holotype (QM J59361) of Coggeria naufragus gen. et sp. nov. 236 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM by scaly epidermis, its former position indicated by an elongate, vertically-oriented, shallow depression. Body elongate, with smooth scalation. Mid- body scale rows, 22-24 (n=8, mean 22.8). Paravertebral scales, from anteriormost nuchal to posterior margin of hindlimb 88-100 (n=7, mean 92.7); slightly enlarged. Number of scales in a direct line between mental and preanal scales 100-111 (n=7, mean 105.9). Medial pair of preanal scales enlarged, overlapping outer preanals. Limbs short, tridactyl. Subdigital lamel- lae on hindlimb - first toe 2-3 (n= 16, mean 2.3), second toe 3-5 (n=16, mean 3.3), third toe 3-4 (n=16, mean 3.6). Original tail tapered distally, terminating sharply.