Pacific Science (1994), vol. 48, no. 4: 353-366 © 1994 by University of Hawaii Press. All rights reserved The Terrestrial Herpetofauna of the De des Pins, New Caledonia l AARON M. BAUER 2 AND Ross A. SADLIER 3 ABSTRACT: The herpetofauna of the lie des Pins, New Caledonia, is docu­ mented on the basis of 269 specimens representing 14 species. Included among new material collected by the authors are all but one of the seven taxa pre­ viously reported for the island. The fauna is a subset of that of the New Cale­ donian mainland, but a lack of elevational and habitat diversity has resulted in a relatively depauperate assemblage. Most of the species are endemic to the New Caledonian region, although several pan-Pacific geckos are also present. The scincid lizard Marmorosphax euryotis (Werner), previously regarded as rare, was found to be extremely abundant in rain forest on a pavement of raised reef. This species shares sexual dichromatism with its congener, but unlike M. tricolor (Bavay) it is apparently oviparous. The status of specimens of M. eu­ ryotis from the New Caledonian mainland remains unclear. THE HERPETOFAUNA OF the French island ter­ trabasic rocks (Latham et al. 1978, Paris ritory of New Caledonia is the richest of any 1981, Sautter 1981). These form a lateritic nonarchipelagic island group in the Pacific, high plain ca. 60 m above the low-lying cora­ and its absolute number and relative per­ line rim of the island derived from an ele­ centage of endemic forms is greater than vated fringing reef (Paris 1981, Sautter 1981). 2 those of any other island in the Pacific region The total area of the lie des Pins is 152 km , except New Guinea (Bauer and Vindum and its highest point is Pic Nga (262 m) in 1990, Bauer and Sadlier 1993). Despite in­ the south of the island. The lowland rim is tensive herpetological work in New Caledo­ narrowest in the south, but extends for up to nia and the Loyalty Islands (Bavay 1869, 5 km to the east of the plateau. It was raised Roux 1913, Sadlier 1986, 1989, Bauer 1990), to its present elevation (2-20 m) largely as a some areas of herpetological interest have result of the same Pleistocene tectonic activ­ remained unsurveyed (Bauer et al. 1992). The ity that produced the Loyalty Islands and the lie des Pins (Figure 1), ca. 50 km off the coraline coastal region between Unia and southern tip of New Caledonia, is one such Goro on the mainland (Paris 1981, Sautter locality. 1981). Although the vegetation of much of The geology of the lie des Pins is similar to the island has been disrupted by plantations that of the southern part of the New Cale­ and clearings, large patches of rain forest re­ donian mainland, from which it is separated main (Morat et al. 1984). The slightly drier by the Canal de Havannah and Passe de la west coast supports a closed-canopy forest Sarcelle, with a maximum depth in most dominated by Intsia bijuga Kuntze (Legu­ places of less than 40 m. The center of the minosae). The wet east coastal forests are island is dominated by ferallitic soils on ul- similar in species composition but are more extensive and largely inaccessible by road. Stands of Araucaria columnaris (Forster) 1 Funding for this research was provided by Villa­ Hooker, the column pines that give the island nova University and by the Australian Museum. Manu­ its name, are distributed patchily throughout script accepted 9 September 1993. the island (Figure 2A), and coconut palms 2Department of Biology, Villanova University, Vil­ lanova, Pennsylvania 19085. (Cocos nucifera Linnaeus) are typical of most 3 Section of Herpetology, Australian Museum, 6-8 beachfront areas. The island as a whole aver­ College Street, Sydney 2000, NSW, Australia. ages 1200-1300 nun rain per year. The up- 353 354 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 48, October 1994 , Skin ;~" I p~6. N FIGURE I. Map of the lie des Pins showing collecting sites and major physiographic features. Numbered collecting sites: I, I Ian north of Gite Kodjeue; 2, Gite Kodjeue; 3, I Ian southeast of Gite Kodjeue; 4, 3 Ian north of Kuto; 5, Kuto; 6, Vao; 7, Tje (Ce), Sabots de la Reine Hortense. The fossil locality Kanumera is located at the small bay immediately to the east of the Kuto Peninsula. The approximate edge of the lateritic high plain is indicated by the thin black line. The summit of Pic Nga (262 m) is marked by a star. land areas support the typical maquis vege­ material from the IIe des Pins. Subsequently, tation of the New Caledonian mainland, re­ he reported the occurrence of Rhacodactylus flecting shared edaphic conditions (Sautter leachianus (Cuvier) (Boulenger 1885), Lio­ 1981, Morat et al. 1986). Information sum­ scincus nigrofasciolatum (peters) (as Lygo­ marized by Holloway (1979) suggests that a soma nigrofasciolatum) (Boulenger 1887), land connection to the mainland existed dur­ and Laticauda colubrina (Schneider) (Bou­ ing Plio-Pleistocene glacial periods, when sea lenger 1896) on the IIe des Pins. Werner levels were as much as 100 m lower than at (1909) described Lygosoma euryotis (= Mar­ present. morosphax euryotis) from the island and re­ Previous herpetological collections from ported on a specimen of Lioscincus nigro­ the IIe des Pins are small and scattered. fasciolatum from the same collection. None Boulenger (1878) first mentioned material of the specimens mentioned up to that point from the island, describing Chameleonurus in time were associated with specific local­ trachycephalus (a junior synonym of Rhaco­ ities. Over 70 yr passed before the next men­ dactylus trachyrhynchus Bocage) from type tion of additional material from the IIe des - Me A Figure 2. A. View toward the southwest from the edge of the lateritic high plain of the lie des Pins, showing ex­ panse of lowland forest on coraline pavement and a stand of Araucaria columnaris. B. Raised coraline pavement at coast, I km north of Gite Kodjeue, with Pandanus sp. The coral provides the foundation for nearly all of the lowland forest of the lie des Pins. Interstices in the coral provide retreat sites for Cryptoblepharus novaecaledonicus and Lali­ cauda colubrina. 356 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 48, October 1994 Pins. Borner (1980) described the scincid 29 February-3 March 1992 at Gite Kodjeue Leiolopisma dorsovittatum bodoi (= Caledo­ on Waa Me Bay on the northwest coast of niscincus austrocaledonicus [Bavay]) from the the lIe des Pins. Keys and diagnoses for most lIe des Pins, but did not mention other mate­ species, as well as mainland New Caledonian rial from this locality. Several Caledoni­ localities for the species listed below, may be scincus austrocaledonicus and a single Mar­ found elsewhere (Sadlier 1986, 1989, Bauer morosphax euryotis collected in October 1940 1990, Bauer and Vindum 1990). Complete by F. X. Williams were mentioned and the citations of type descriptions and type data latter illustrated by Bauer and Vindum are presented only for those names based on (1990). The herpetofauna reported in the lit­ lIe des Pins type material. erature to date therefore consists of seven species, and three species of reptiles (one considered valid) have been described on the basis of type material from the lIe des Pins. Family GEKKONIDAE In this paper we report on our own col­ Subfamily DIPLODACTYLINAE lections totaling almost 250 specimens from Bavayia crassicollis Roux, 1913 the lIe des Pins, as well as on published and unpublished material collected by earlier MATERIAL EXAMINED. (1 specimen) AMS workers. 138597. REMARKS. This species is a New Caledoni­ an regional endemic, occurring at numerous MATERIALS AND METHODS lowland sites on the New Caledonian main­ land and on Mare and Lifou in the Loyalty We surveyed the herpetofauna of the lIe Islands. The single individual obtained from des Pins during the period 29 February­ the lIe des Pins is large (73 mm snout-vent 3 March 1992. Collecting effort was based at length [SVL]) and heavy-bodied, and there is Gite Kodjeue on Waa Me Bay, but severai little definition to the body markings. The other sites were investigated (Figure I). Day­ dorsum is light brown to midbrown and is time collecting involved capture by hand and marked only by four dark, narrow, trans­ rubber band, and nighttime collecting con­ verse bars. In life the specimen had an ob­ sisted primarily of night spotting with head­ vious yellow flush to the venter and a bright lamps. In addition, mouse glue traps were orange flush to the underside of the tail. It used in both terrestrial and arboreal situa­ was collected from roof thatch of a beach­ tions to collect both geckos and skinks front shelter located among mature palms. (Bauer and Sadlier 1992). Specimens col­ lected have been deposited in the collections Bavayia cyclura (Gunther, 1872) of the Australian Museum (AMS) and the MATERIAL EXAMINED. (16 specimens) California Academy of Sciences (CAS). Lit­ AMNH 81772 (Vao); AMS 138590-138593 erature records and specimens deposited in (3 km N of Kuto), 138626, 138633-138634; other institutions (American Museum of CAS 182158-182161 (3 km N of Kuto), Natural History [AMNH], British Museum of 182164, 182180-182182. Natural History [BMNH], Institute Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique [IRSNB], and REMARKS. This species is endemic to New Queensland Museum [QM]) were also exam­ Caledonia and adjacent islands. It is widely ined. Collection acronyms used herein follow distributed at low and middle elevations on Leviton et al. (1985). the mainland and on the Loyalty Islands. The AMS and CAS specimens listed were col­ lected at two localities: low forest bordering SPECIES ACCOUNTS the road ca. 3 km north of Kuto and slightly inland from the coast; and the partially Unless otherwise specified, AMS and CAS cleared strandline vegetation and cleared specimens were collected during the period edges of adjacent coastal lowland forest at Herpetofauna of lie des Pins-BAuER AND SADLIER 357 and within a I-kIn radius of Gite Kodjeue.