Variation

In an endeavour to detect body colour and pattern changes, the colouration of 26 newly-born juveniles was recorded in detail; as yet none of these lizards has been recaptured. The newborn are similarly patterned to the adult, with no distinctive juvenile colouration. The light-straw colour of the juveniles of L. zelandica gives way to a darker brown ground colour in large adults, generally with less distinct body striping.

Table I, based upon an examination of 50 L. zelandica of 35.0 mm or more from snout to vent, shows the variation encountered in several characters. The number of upper and lower labials, nuchals, scales around the middle of the body and subdigital lamellae under the 4th toe hind limb, vary. The number of lower labials varies more than the number of upper labials, 7 being the usual number in each case; two exceptions were found in this number in the upper labials and 20 exceptions in the lower labials. The number of nuchals varies from 1 to 5, though in one specimen they were entirely lacking. An even number was present in 26 specimens, 19 had one extra nuchal and four had 2 extra nuchals. In 23 lizards, 3–3 or 2–3 nuchals were present, these being the most frequent arrangements occurring. The number of scales round the middle of the body ranges from 28 to 34, with 29 or 30 in two-thirds of the specimens examined. The subdigital lamellae under the 4th toe hind limb vary in number from 20 to 24, being 20, 21 or 22 in three-quarters of the lizards examined. Detailed examination has failed to show that the variation listed above is the product of sex or age differences.

The ratio, snout-forelimb length to axilla-groin length, shows that there is a tendency for increased relative torso length in adult lizards. This is also reflected in the adpressed limbs, which may overlap, meet, or fail to meet. The adpressed limbs of adult lizards 48.0 mm or more from snout to vent fail to meet more frequently than those of sub-adult and juvenile lizards. The ratio, snout-forelimb length to axilla-groin length, for 22 lizards of 47.9 mm or less from snout to vent is 1.2 to 1.7; and for 43 lizards of 48.0 mm or more, 1.4 to 2.2. Sex differences were observed, such as a relatively broader head in males over 55.0 mm in snout-vent length, but the sample available was unsuitable for study of sex variations since it contained only 30% of males