| Lygodactylus lobeke | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Lygodactylus |
| Species: | L. lobeke |
| Binomial name | |
| Lygodactylus lobeke Röll & Pinto & Lobón-Rovira, 2024 | |
Lygodactylus lobeke, or the Lobeke dwarf gecko, is a species of gecko.
The gecko was discovered in Cameroon's Lobéké rainforest in 2002 by researchers, who found and captured a specimen, and kept it in a terrarium for five years. They suspected it was a new species but were unsure until finding a similar specimen in Cabinda, Angola in 2023. [1] [2] This second specimen was a male discovered in "a case of barcoding". [1]
Considered "moderately sized", the Lobeke dwarf gecko is about 2.5 inches in length. [2] Leaves are the gecko's preferred resting spot. [2]
The male and the female do not differ in coloration. [1] Researchers found that in captivity, the female showed "distinct 'mood dependent' colorations". [1] There were four different colorations representing "neutral", "stressed", "display", and "pyjamas" states: [2]