Records of the Western Australian Museum 17: 351-353 (1995). 
Short communication 
A new Diplodactylus, subgenus Strophurus (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) 
from northern Australia 
L.A. Smith 
Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth, Western Australia 6000 
Abstract - A new species of Diplodactylus, subgenus Strophurus is described 
from northern Australia. 
INTRODUCTION 
In 'Lizards of Western Australia part III, geckos 
and pygopods' (Storr et al. 1990: 31) we made 
special mention of an unusually large, pale 
Diplodactylus mcmillani collected 7 km SE of Mt 
Septimus [30 km E of Kununurra], Northern 
Territory. This is 250 km ESE of the nearest 
collecting site for D. mcmillani, which is in the 
Drysdale River National Park (15°03'S, 126°45'E). 
Recently, Mr N. Gambold, C.S.I.R.O. Tropical 
Ecosystems Research Centre, Division of Wildlife 
and Ecology, Darwin, Northern Territory, collected 
three specimens of a similar gecko from the Ord 
River basin. Their scalation Ls consistent with the 
pale specimen, but being recently collected they 
have a well preserved striped pattern which is 
similar, but different in detail, to other members of 
the michaelseni group, subgenus Strophurus (setistt 
Storr et al. 1990). These four specimens, all in the 
Western Australian Museum, are referred here to a 
new species. 
SYSTEMATICS 
Diplodactylus robinsoni sp. nov. 
Holotype 
R108646, 6 collected by N. Gambold on 21 July 
1991 at Mt Parker, Osmond Range, Western 
Australia, 17°10'S, 128°18'E. 
Paratypes 
Northern Territory: 7 km SE of Mt Septimus, S 
(R67690). 
Western Australia: Wade Creek, 17°U’S, 128°36’E 
(R108645), 9,Mt Parker (R108647), $. 
Diagnosis 
Diplodactylus robinsoni is a large robust member 
of the michaelseni group, subgenus Strophurus, 
distinguishable from D. taeniata and D. mcmillani 
(other species in the michaelseni group in which the 
rostral is precluded from the nostril by a prenasal) 
by its greater size (D. robinsoni 51-55 mm, mean 
52.7; D. mcmillani 35-52 mm, mean 42.9; D. taeniata 
32-44 mm, mean 38.6) and its colour pattern which 
is reduced to a series of simple wavy, web-like 
brown stripes, that is, it lacks the brown vertebral 
stripe of D. taeniata (Figure 1) and the white 
dorsolateral stripe of D. mcmillani. 
Description 
Snout-vent length males 51-55 (N3, mean 53), 
female 55. 
Rostral hexagonal 2.0-2.5 times as wide as high 
(N4, mean 2.2), median groove extending down 
30% of scale. 
Rostral surrounded by first labial, prenasal 
(nearly as large as the first labial and broadly 
excluding rostral from nostril), 2 supraoculars and 
3 or 4 (mostly 4) postnasals. Internasals 2 or 3 
(mostly 2). Loreals 14-15 (N4, mean 14.5), upper 
labials 16-17 (N4, mean 16.5), 11-13 to immediately 
below eye (N4, mean 12.5). Undivided lamellae 
under fourth toe 5-6 (N4, mean 5.2). 
Ventral scales slightly larger than dorsal scales. 
Males with 3 or 4 (mostly 3) spines on cloacal spur. 
No preanal pores. 
Ground colour (except R67960 which is 
immaculate creamy-white consistent with lengthy 
exposure to light) drab brownish-grey, belly 
slightly paler. Top of head immaculate, temporals 
and nape sparsely flecked and spotted brown. Each 
flank with 6-8 brown, irregular, interrupted, 
spidery lines which are most regular and complete 
on lower flanks. Mid-dorsally spidery lines 
reduced to flecks and spots covering 1-5 scales. 
Limbs with brown flecks, belly with pale brown 
spots and flecks. No specimen has a original tail. 
Distribution 
Upper Keep and Middle Ord River drainages in 
north-west Northern Territory and east Kimberley, 
Western Australia respectively. See Figure 2. 
