Hi All
My first post but the status of panoptes in Queensland is something I've been trying to get a bit of a grasp on for years. I'll share what I think to date but keep in mind my opinion as of now will vary in years to come as I see more specimens in the wild and new things come to light. From what I've seen thus far I break panoptes panoptes into three to four very loose groups or forms in QLD.
Central and far western QLD, examples of these animals are Longreach, Winton, Mt Isa, Boulia, Windorah, Quilpie. In this area they can vary in pattern but are all easily recognized as panoptes, the males are as large as they get and throughout most of that area the overlap with the gouldii complex is with the flavi's a much smaller animal, easy to tell the two apart out there. I should point out at this point that these animals do have a yellow tail tip. The majority of panoptes with banded tail tips are found across the top end of Australia including QLD's cape but most of the rest of Qld's panoptes have a yellow tip. A banded tail tip my prove to rule out gouldii but an unbanded tip certainly does not rule out panoptes. Keep in mind it will probably be about ten to twenty years until some one resolves this and does the taxonomic work.
The panoptes in the Cape are more typical panoptes panoptes like the ones in NT and from what I've seen have a banded tail tip and are big. I believe the smaller animals I have seen there are small panoptes but I can't rule out a very similar looking gouldii, the way the smaller ones live is strange I've seen clusters of burrows on sandy areas with more than one animal present. There's still alot to be learn't, alot of things not mentioned in the literature.
Around the Brigalow the panoptes can get to be a reasonable size. This is where the forms start to get confusing as these animals look more like a gouldii. What makes it easier is that the gouldii in the brigalow are a typical gouldii which are a much smaller animal and from what I've seen thus far with a barred tail not spots aligned, distinct spots on the fore limbs as opposed to the heavy set forelimbs of panoptes which usually have that yellow colour throughout. The gouldii also lack any pattern under the neck, to date anyway.
Then there's the coastal panoptes/ gouldii thingy on which many animals have stumped me but I'm beginning to think they are quite similar to the panoptes in the Brigalow. Just the same I'm not going to rule out gouldii from that area or near by areas and the animal in the picture does reasonable a gouldii pattern as they all do in the area but I feel this specimen is more closely related and apart of the panoptes. Based on the size of this male, whilst they don't get as big as their counterparts in other places (or maybe they do I just haven't seen it) they are pushing it for size for gouldii.
The animal in the picture has the heavy set forelimbs with the yellow throughout -typical panoptes. Has the spots aligned in rows on the tail, not saying gouldii won't have this but they typically have a more barred tail. There is patterning present on the side of the lower neck. It's easier if the pattern extends all the way under the neck a panoptes trait but that's the thing about some of these animals in grey areas like the coast and the Brigalow where the patterning is not as heavy on the neck. Gouldii typically won't have much of anything under the neck. Keep in mind in the future gouldii will probably be split six times across Australia and even flavi possible has a few flying under its banner.
I'm not an authority on the matter not only haven't I compared anoth specimens or covered anoth miles, I also only have a limited interest in and comprehension of the finer details of taxonomy and leave that to museum staff. At this point in time I don't believe there is an authority on the matter and only compiling information between people will help form a picture until some poor bugger takes on the task.
Pictures always help and things to look for with the animals in the grey areas like the Brigalow and the coast are
Size, male panoptes get to be large vs smaller gouldii
the forelimbs, heavy set and yellow throughout vs smaller in gouldii
some sort of pattern on the lower neck vs lower neck pattern absent to very faint gouldii
tail, spots aligned in vertical rows vs barred in gouldii
banded tail tip form want is known thus far hopefully rules out gouldii
This is want myself and others I have spoken to have come up with thus far. It will no doubt be out dated in two years and probably changed alot in ten but if you see them in the wild concentrate your comparisons on the areas I've mentioned. At this point they are appear to be the keys to go off.
It doesn't matter if what is known so far turns out to be wrong including my own thoughts, what matters is only that our knowledge of these animals improves and that if they are different they can be treated accordingly.
If your've read the post, thanks for reading, cheers