Gehyra barea is a poorly known gecko species from the southern Banda Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia, that has received scant attention since it was described in 1926. A combination of morphological characters distinguish the types of this species from all other described Gehyra, and suggest that it is a distinct taxon. These same morphological characters occur in two recently collected specimens from the Raja Ampat Islands, just off the west coast of New Guinea, that we assign to this species, extending the known range of the taxon by over six hundred kilometres. We provide a revised and extended diagnosis and description of the species based on these new specimens. Morphological and genetic data from these specimens indicate G. barea is closely related to Gehyra baliola from further east in southern New Guinea, and that these species form a clade with Geyhra oceanica. Gehyra is a taxonomically challenging group, and the status of most species from the Melanesian region is in need of review.
We describe a new species of Cyrtodactylus from lower montane forests on the Torricelli and Foja Mountain ranges of northern New Guinea. Cyrtodactylus boreoclivus sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other described Cyrtodactylus by the combination of moderately large size (SVL 104–109 mm), males with pores extending to the knee and arranged in independent precloacal and femoral series, transversely enlarged subcaudal scales, and dorsal pattern consisting of five to seven indistinct transverse dark bands. The known distribution of this species is similar to many other vertebrate taxa apparently restricted to isolated ranges within the North Papuan Mountains, and supports the biogeographic association of these poorly known upland areas.
A new species of large Cyrtodactylus is described from lowland rainforest on Batanta Island in the Raja Ampat Archipelago, Papua Barat Province, Indonesian New Guinea. The new species can be distinguished from all other Melanesian Cyrtodactylus by the combination of large size (over 110mm SVL), very robust build, presence of enlarged ventral tubercles below the lateral fold and around the angle of the lower jaw only, and dorsal colouration consisting of three to four irregular dark greyish-brown blotches. It is the second species of Cyrtodactylus known with certainty only from the Raja Ampat Islands. The morphology of the new species places it within the C. loriae group and suggests that it is closely related to Cyrtodactylus irianjayaensis.
Trees are significant components of ecosystems built by several widespread species. For instance, Papua forest is known to comprise abiotic and biotic elements. Also, certain plants have grown in popularity to a point where they are discovered almost everywhere. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate tree diversity, distribution, and the importance of conservation. Data were collected in four locations using a total of 24 sample plots spread across Idoor, Karst, Persemaian, and Torembi, where seven, four, seven, and five plots were allocated, respectively. These forests formed a mixed natural plantation comprising 76 species from 35 families. Furthermore, Idoor and Karst generated the highest species diversity and varied significantly compared to Persemaian, while Torembi showed similarities with the other three locations. This condition formed three ecosystem communities across Persemaian, Karst, Idoor, and Torembi. Also, the composition of the dominant species showed variations at the seedling and sapling levels believed to structure the understory, while the pole and tree levels characterized the overstory. The total species status was described as critically endangered (CR) of two species, vulnerable (VU) of six species, least concern (LC) of 28 species, and data deficient (DD) species. Therefore, location management is advised to not only pay significant attention in terms of economic benefits but also ecological, including the provisions for ex-situ and in-situ conservation to support sustainable forest management.
Litoria gasconi sp. nov. is described from low, forest-covered ridges on the southern edge of the Foja Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia. It is most similar to Litoria multiplica (Tyler, 1964) but can be differentiated from that species and all other described Litoria by a unique combination of characters including moderate size (males 39.3–41.6 SVL), green dorsum with yellow spots in life, relatively large eyes (EYE/SVL 0.12–0.15), dermal ridges below the vent and on the posterior edge of both fore and hindlimbs, complete absence of blue thigh and lateral colouration, and its unique advertisement call consisting of a single soft, distinctly pulsed chirp. New data on the morphology and ecology of the superficially similar and poorly known species Litoria multiplica are also presented. Recent surveys in the Foja Mountains have revealed a diverse frog fauna with numerous unrecognised or poorly known taxa; these ranges are likely to be a previously unrecognised and largely unexplored centre of tropical vertebrate endemism.
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