Unknown Australian Bluetongue - Sport? New Species?

February 23, 2009 at 12:47 pm #10944

Participant

Genus: Tiliqua
Species: ???

I found this species while exploring near Derby in north Western Australia

I have had a good hunt around the internet and in books but i am unable to find a bluetongue with these colours, the closest i could find was the centralian bluetongue (Tiliqua Multifasciata) and it is also the only tiliqua species that i could find recorded in that region of WA. Maybe is is an albino or i have discovered a new species? Has anyone done study into these or has seen anything like it? If you find anything your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Joe

Attachments:

March 8, 2009 at 12:25 pm #89548

vk4vfx

Participant

Yes I think you are right Tiliqua multifasciata, but not albino, unusual color morph? never the less it is a nice lookin skink.

Sometimes if a certain species is left long enough to their own devices and environmental conditions change slight coloration may also occur due to natural selection, after all its how the coloration occurred in the first place of course this won’t happen in 10 minutes.

I have seen some unusual color variations in the boyds forest dragon Hypsilurus boydii, don’t know if that was because one population lived in a less densely canopied part of the rain forest as opposed to other populations in darker parts its all interesting stuff.

Reptiles from the hotter more arid parts of aust tend to be lighter in color than those living in cooler darker conditions being darker in color due to heat absorbsion thermoregulation etc.

Anyway hope this helps to some degree, btw it is a very nice sharp clear image.

March 15, 2009 at 6:34 am #89696

futurezoologist

Participant

Thanks, that same thought came to mind as we originally found it sunbaking on the road and it camoflaged to it very well, but this makes me wonder- you would assume that those which are not affraid to go near cars would have a lower survival rate(although there are not many cars on this road), but maybe the threat of predators(many black kites and wedgies up there) outweighs the occational splatting by a car(with the lack of a more biological term in my head).

Quite a peculiar one anyhow.

btw, i have several more images for identification if the above is not detailed enough(for scale counting or something)

Thanks again,

Joe

Related posts:

Members