Patrick Couper
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View article: Revision of zigzag geckos (Diplodactylidae: Amalosia) in eastern Australia, with description of five new species
Revision of zigzag geckos (Diplodactylidae: Amalosia) in eastern Australia, with description of five new species Open
Geckos of the genus Amalosia Wells & Wellington, 1984 occur across eastern and northern Australia. Only five species are described but additional diversity has been recognised for some time. Here we assess species diversity in eastern Aust…
View article: Morphology of hybrid marine turtles Caretta caretta x Chelonia mydas
Morphology of hybrid marine turtles Caretta caretta x Chelonia mydas Open
We report on Caretta caretta x Chelonia mydas hybrid hatchlings that emerged from successive nests laid by a female Loggerhead Turtle (C. caretta) at Mon Repos, south-east Queensland, during the 1990–91 breeding season. We provide details …
View article: Herpetological type specimens held at the Queensland Museum: a catalogue
Herpetological type specimens held at the Queensland Museum: a catalogue Open
potassium hydroxide (or a protease such as trypsin), stained, usually with a combination of alizarin red S (bones) and alcian blue (cartilage), and stored in 100% glycerine.Tissue samples are stored in 100% ethanol at -80º C.
View article: Further evidence in support of the recognition of the Freshwater Turtle Elseya oneiros (Testudines: Chelidae) from the Nicholson and Gregory Rivers of Northern Queensland
Further evidence in support of the recognition of the Freshwater Turtle Elseya oneiros (Testudines: Chelidae) from the Nicholson and Gregory Rivers of Northern Queensland Open
Thomson et al. (1997) proposed that the extant Elseya from the Nicholson-Gregory drainages in northwestern Queensland was conspecific with the holotype of Elseya lavarackorum, which comprised a fossil carapace and associated plastron excav…
View article: A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis
A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis Open
Global biodiversity loss is a profound consequence of human activity. Disturbingly, biodiversity loss is greater than realized because of the unknown number of undocumented species. Conservation fundamentally relies on taxonomic recognitio…
View article: Reptiles on the brink: identifying the Australian terrestrial snake and lizard species most at risk of extinction
Reptiles on the brink: identifying the Australian terrestrial snake and lizard species most at risk of extinction Open
Australia hosts approximately 10% of the world’s reptile species, the largest number of any country. Despite this and evidence of widespread decline, the first comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of Australian terrestrial s…
View article: A global catalog of primary reptile type specimens
A global catalog of primary reptile type specimens Open
We present information on primary type specimens for 13,282 species and subspecies of reptiles compiled in the Reptile Database, that is, holotypes, neotypes, lectotypes, and syntypes. These represent 99.4% of all 13,361 currently recogniz…
View article: A Framework for Resolving Cryptic Species: A Case Study from the Lizards of the Australian Wet Tropics
A Framework for Resolving Cryptic Species: A Case Study from the Lizards of the Australian Wet Tropics Open
As we collect range-wide genetic data for morphologically-defined species, we increasingly unearth evidence for cryptic diversity. Delimiting this cryptic diversity is challenging, both because the divergences span a continuum and because …
View article: A new genus to accommodate three skinks currently assigned to Proablepharus (Lacertilia: Scincidae).
A new genus to accommodate three skinks currently assigned to Proablepharus (Lacertilia: Scincidae). Open
The genus Proablepharus currently contains five species (P. barrylyoni, P. kinghorni, P. naranjicaudus, P. reginae and P. tenuis). Morphologically, these are readily separated into two groups: the small, almost patternless species (P. regi…
View article: Range extension and genetic structure of the narrowly-restricted slider skink, Lerista rochfordensis Amey and Couper, 2009 (Reptilia: Scincidae)
Range extension and genetic structure of the narrowly-restricted slider skink, Lerista rochfordensis Amey and Couper, 2009 (Reptilia: Scincidae) Open
Recent field surveys have collected more information on the poorly known species, Lerista rochfordensis.Previously known only from one dry rainforest patch of around 2 000 hectares in northern Queensland, the species was discovered in a ne…
View article: A redescription of Lerista karlschmidti (Marx & Hosmer, 1959) (Reptilia: Scincidae) from the Northern Territory and removal of this species from the Queensland faunal list by rejecting its type locality
A redescription of Lerista karlschmidti (Marx & Hosmer, 1959) (Reptilia: Scincidae) from the Northern Territory and removal of this species from the Queensland faunal list by rejecting its type locality Open
The current species concept for Lerista karlschmidti encompasses two widely disjunct populations, one in Queensland and the other in the Northern Territory.The two populations cannot be differentiated morphologically and genetic analysis i…
View article: A significant range extension for the Border Ranges Leaf-tailed Gecko, Saltuarius swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985) (Reptilia: Carphodactylidae)
A significant range extension for the Border Ranges Leaf-tailed Gecko, Saltuarius swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985) (Reptilia: Carphodactylidae) Open
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…
View article: Two snakes from eastern Australia (Serpentes: Elapidae); a revised concept of Antaioserpens warro (De Vis) and a redescription of A. albiceps (Boulenger)
Two snakes from eastern Australia (Serpentes: Elapidae); a revised concept of Antaioserpens warro (De Vis) and a redescription of A. albiceps (Boulenger) Open
Antaioserpens warro sensu lato is known from two populations, one in north-eastern Queensland (Qld), the other from south central Qld. Morphological and genetic assessments demonstrate that these widely separated populations represent two …
View article: A new species of gecko from arid inland regions of eastern Australia (Diplodactylus; Diplodactylidae)
A new species of gecko from arid inland regions of eastern Australia (Diplodactylus; Diplodactylidae) Open
We describe a new species of small terrestrial gecko in the genus Diplodactylus from inland regions of western Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Diplodactylus ameyi sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners in the Diplodact…
View article: Vale Jeanette Adelaide Covacevich, AM, PSM (1945–2015)
Vale Jeanette Adelaide Covacevich, AM, PSM (1945–2015) Open
Jeanette Covacevich, who died in Brisbane on
View article: A new skink (Scincidae: Liburnascincus) from rocky habitat on Cape York, northeast Australia
A new skink (Scincidae: Liburnascincus) from rocky habitat on Cape York, northeast Australia Open
The genus Liburnascincus is composed of saxicoline skinks restricted to northeast Australia. This small radiation consists of one widespread species, L. mundivensis, found in a variety of rocky habitats in eastern Queensland, and two local…