Identification of genetic diversity for lizard conservation

Abstract

Until recently, the herpetofaunal diversity of the West Coast has remained relatively unexplored. Preliminary protein investigations of West Coast skink material indicated that unrecognised species might be present in the area. To clarify questions relating to the skink species present on the West Coast, a joint DOC/Victoria University study of lizards in the West Coast Conservancy Area has recently been completed. As part of this study, we undertook a taxonomic survey of Oligosoma skinks in the West Coast region, using allozyme (protein) variation as the primary data source. Analyses of allozymes are useful because they can identify reproductively isolated populations where they occur together, even if colour and morphology conceal this diversity, and they have previously allowed significant cryptic diversity to be revealed within New Zealand reptiles (for example, Daugherty et al. 1990a; 1990b; 1994; Hitchmough 1997). The allozyme data revealed the existence of three undescribed taxa, which we have labelled: O. "Big Bay", O . " Grey Valley" and O . " Open Bay Islands". O. "Open Bay Islands" remains undescribed due to a lack of collected material from this species. The other two species are being formally described in a paper to be submitted to the New Zealand Journal of Zoology. Discovery of new species of lizards is nothing new. The number of lizard species recognised in New Zealand has increased significantly in the last 45 years. In 1955, McCann recognised 28 species of lizards here in 1994, 59 species were recognised (Daugherty et al., 1994), and by 1999, that number has increased further to over 60 described species, with more than ten other species still undescribed. This increase has occurred clue to the finds of observant field workers and members of the public who continue to discover animals in "out of the way" places, and to the application of new genetic techniques to investigate geographic variation. Species newly discovered in the last 20 years include obvious new species such as Hoplodactylus rakiuriae (Thomas 1981) and O. longipes (Patterson, 1997), and cryptic species that are highly similar in morphology, such as O. maccanni and O. inconspicuum (Patterson & Daugherty 1990).