A new species of Phyllurus (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) from the Kilkivan district of south-eastern Queensland

Abstract

The leaf-tailed gecko Phyllurus kabikabi sp. nov. is described from Oakview Forest Reserve in the Kilkivan district of south-eastern Queensland. It has a very restricted distribution and is deeply divergent from its sister taxon, P. caudiannulatus, from which it is readily separated in morphology by lacking enlarged tubercules on the underside of the hindlimb. The Oakview Forest Reserve/State Forest area is of conservation significance, harbouring relict rainforest taxa, including the largest known population of the rare skink, Nangura spinosa. Potential threats to P. kabikabi sp. nov. include a narrow distribution and degradation of habitat through logging, feral pigs and fungal pathogens.