Pachydactylus austeni | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Gekkonidae |
Genus: | Pachydactylus |
Species: | P. austeni |
Binomial name | |
Pachydactylus austeni | |
Pachydactylus austeni, also known commonly as Austen's thick-toed gecko or Austen's gecko, is a species of small thick-toed gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is indigenous to the western coast of South Africa. [3]
The specific name, austeni, is in honour of English topographer Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen. [4]
The natural habitat of P. austeni is coastal dunes and alluvial sands, at elevations up to 600 m (2,000 ft). [1] It lives in a tiny burrow that it digs in the sand, and it leaves its burrow at night to forage for small insects among the dune vegetation. [3]
P. austeni has a smooth, colourful body with large eyes and conspicuous yellow or white eyelids. [3]
Pachydactylus is a genus of insectivorous geckos, lizards in the family Gekkonidae. The genus is endemic to Africa, and member species are commonly known as thick-toed geckos. The genus also displays rich speciation, having 57 distinct species identified when compared to other closely related gecko genera like Rhoptropus, most of which have emerged since 35Ma. It has been suggested that the reason for this rich speciation not from adaptive radiation nor nonadaptive radiation, but that the genus represents a clade somewhere between the two drivers of speciation. P. bibronii geckos have been used by NASA as animal models for experimentation.
Ptenopus is a small genus of lizards, known commonly as barking geckos, in the family Gekkonidae. The genus is endemic to southern Africa. There are only three described species in this genus.
Chondrodactylus bibronii, commonly known as Bibron's thick-toed gecko, Bibron's sand gecko, or simply Bibron's gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southern Africa. C. bibronii has been used as an animal model in bioastronautic research examining the effects of spaceflight on the morphology and physiology of vertebrates.
Pachydactylus geitje, also known as the ocellated gecko, ocellated thick-toed gecko or Cradock thick-toed gecko, is a tiny species of thick-toed gecko, which is indigenous to the Western Cape of South Africa.
Pachydactylus rangei, the Namib sand gecko or Namib web-footed gecko, is a species of small lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It inhabits the arid areas of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, and was first described in 1908 by Swedish zoologist Lars Gabriel Andersson, who named it after its finder, German geologist Dr. Paul Range.
Pachydactylus labialis, commonly known as the Calvinia thick-toed gecko, Western Cape gecko, or Western Cape thick-toed gecko, is a gecko species endemic to the Western and Northern Cape in South Africa, often found taking shelter under stones.
Pachydactylus vansoni, commonly known as Van Son's gecko or Van Son's thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa.
Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi, also known as Fitzsimons's thick-toed gecko or the button-scaled gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to southwestern Africa.
The Cape Cross thick-toed gecko, also known commonly as Koch's gecko and Koch's thick-toed gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa.
Pachydactylus affinis, also known as Transvaal gecko or Transvaal thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is found in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Pachydactylus barnardi, also known commonly as Barnard's rough gecko or Barnard's thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is indigenous to Southern Africa.
Pachydactylus formosus, also known as Smith's thick-toed gecko, southern rough gecko or Karoo gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is found in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.
Pachydactylus haackei, also known commonly as Haacke's gecko or Haacke's thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa.
Pachydactylus mariquensis, also known as the common banded gecko, Ceres thick-toed gecko, or Marico thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to South Africa and Namibia.
Pachydactylus mclachlani is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.
Monica's gecko, also known commonly as Monica's thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa.
Pachydactylus rugosus, also known as the common rough gecko, wrinkled thick-toed gecko, rough thick-toed gecko, or rough-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is found in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.
Pachydactylus sansteynae, also known commonly as the coastal thick-toed gecko or San Steyn's gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.
Pachydactylus scherzi is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.
Weber's thick-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southern Africa.