McLean et al.: A new dragon lizard from New South Wales 
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with an understorey of Porcupine Grass ( Triodia scariosa 
subsp. scariosa ; Swan & Foster, 2005; Sass & Swan, 2010). 
The species is active and conspicuous during hot weather 
and shelters in rock crevices when threatened or inactive. 
Males perform conspicuous courtship and territorial behaviour 
involving push-ups and tail-flicks, and will often perch in 
prominent positions during displays. Ctenophorus mirrityana 
sp. nov. is allopatric to all other members of the species group, 
and is currently known from four localities in western NSW. It 
has recently been recorded from Mutawintji National Park and 
adjacent properties (Swan & Foster, 2005), and the Silverton 
Wind Farm site, 35 km north west of Broken Hill (Sass & 
Swan, 2010). Additionally, museum specimens from Broken 
Hill and Koonenberry Mountain, north of Mutawintji National 
Park were collected in the 1970s (Fig. 1). 
Etymology. The specific epithet mirrityana is a word 
meaning “out in the sunlight” in the local Aboriginal language 
(Paakantyi; Hercus, 1993), in reference to the conspicuousness 
of the species during hot weather. There are several rock 
engravings depicting lizards at Mutawintji National Park 
(McCarthy & Macintosh, 1962), some of which may represent 
this species given it’s prominence in the area. We propose 
Barrier Range Dragon as the species’ common name. 
Comparison between species 
Ctenophorus mirrityana sp. nov. strongly resembles C. 
decresii in coloration. In both species, male dorsal coloration 
consists of blue-grey base colour with a black lateral stripe and 
bright yellow-orange coloration around the head, however, 
throat coloration differentiates these species. The throat 
colour of C. mirrityana sp. nov. is cream with grey stripes, 
overlain with orange flushes, with a black central stripe. The 
black stripe is distinct to the species, although some northern 
C. decresii individuals may have a small, central black patch 
on their throat. Conversely, northern C. decresii males have 
orange, yellow, orange and yellow, or grey throats (Teasdale 
et al., 2013) and southern C. decresii males have blue or blue 
and yellow throats (Houston, 1974). Differences in lateral 
colour pattern further distinguish C. mirrityana sp. nov. and 
C. decresii (Fig. 9). Ctenophorus mirrityana sp. nov., has a 
non-continuous stripe of orange coloration which runs within 
a black lateral stripe between the tympanum and groin (Fig. 
9A). In southern C. decresii , the lateral stripe is “pinched” 
along its length by the margining yellow-orange coloration 
and is interrupted on the neck, forming a separate black blotch 
behind the tympanum (Fig. 9B). Conversely, the black lateral 
stripe of northern C. decresii is relatively straight edged and 
continuous, and a cream, yellow or orange stripe runs along 
its upper edge and generally terminates just posterior to the 
shoulder (Fig. 9C). In other aspects of morphology, the head 
of C. mirrityana sp. nov. is smaller (relative to S VL) than that 
of C. decresii , and C. mirrityana sp. nov. has fewer intemasal 
scales, fewer femoral pores, a greater number of supralabial 
and infralabial scales, a prominent pale vertebral line, and 
lacks scattered white tubercular scales on the flanks. 
Notable phenotypic differentiation exists between C. 
mirrityana sp. nov. and the other members of the C. decresii 
species group. Ctenophorus mirrityana sp. nov. has a 
blue-grey body colour with a black lateral stripe compared 
with vertical orange-red and black flank markings in C. 
vadnappa, rows of pale spots in C.fionni, and a grey-brown 
body colour with pale lateral blotches forming vertical bars 
in C. tjantjalka. Male C. mirrityana sp. nov. have cream 
throat coloration with grey stripes, a black central stripe, 
and orange flushes compared with yellow and blue in C. 
vadnappa , cream and yellow in C. fionni , and cream with 
fine grey reticulations in C. tjantjalka. Furthermore, while 
C. mirrityana sp. nov. has a dorsoventrally flattened head 
and smooth or weakly keeled snout scales, C. tjantjalka 
has a relatively short and deep head and coarsely wrinkled 
snout scales (Johnston, 1992). Snout scales are similarly 
wrinkled in C. vadnappa (Houston, 1974), which also has 
longer hindlimbs than C. mirrityana sp. nov. (Fig. 5). The 
distribution of C. mirrityana sp. nov. does not overlap with 
any other member of the group (Fig. 1); however, it may 
abut the most eastern populations of northern C. decresii 
around the SA/NSW border. Consequently, C. mirrityana sp. 
nov. is most likely to be confused with northern C. decresii 
based on distribution. 
The northern and southern lineages of C. decresii are 
further distinguishable from each other by coloration (as 
described above) and a combination of other morphological 
characters. Southern C. decresii is generally smaller, has 
fewer supralabial and infralabial scales, and a greater number 
of femoral pores than northern C. decresii. Furthermore, 
southern C. decresii individuals consistently have prominent 
white tubercular scales along their flanks, which are often 
absent in northern individuals. 
Conservation status 
The distribution of C. mirrityana sp. nov. is sufficiently 
restricted that it was (as C. decresii ) formerly recognized 
as endangered in NSW (NSW Scientific Committee, 2002). 
The species distribution currently exists as two disjunct 
populations approximately 100 km apart; however, no 
field surveys have been undertaken in the intervening 
areas and C. mirrityana sp. nov. may be more widespread 
throughout the Barrier Range region than currently 
appreciated. Alternatively, these populations may be relicts 
of a previously wider distribution and under this scenario 
C. mirrityana sp. nov. may warrant Federal nomination as a 
threatened species under the Environmental Protection and 
Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999). Field surveys of other 
suitable sites are needed to determine the full distribution 
of the species to adequately assess its conservation status. 
Discussion 
The dorsal colour pattern of C. mirrityana sp. nov. consists 
of blue-grey base colour with a black lateral stripe and bright 
coloration around the neck and shoulder (Fig. 9A). This 
strongly resembles the dorsal colour pattern of C. decresii , 
which in association with neighbouring distributions, 
explains the former classification of the two species as a 
single taxon. Some populations of C. fionni also exhibit 
markedly similar coloration. For instance, male C. fionni 
from the Lower Eyre Peninsula commonly lack pale dorsal 
spots, making them difficult to distinguish from northern 
C. decresii (Houston, 1974). Consequently, it is possible 
that this dorsal colour pattern is an ancestral trait, which 
has been maintained in C. mirrityana sp. nov., C. decresii , 
and some populations of C. fionni due to similar selective 
pressures or through a lack of strong directional selection 
for alternate coloration. 
