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 58 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.
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 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.
Pachydactylus geitje, also known commonly as the ocellated gecko, the ocellated thick-toed gecko and the Cradock thick-toed gecko, is a tiny species of thick-toed gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species 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.
Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons, born in Pietermaritzburg, was a notable herpetologist in South Africa. Also, he contributed to the collection of spermatophyte samples for the National Herbarium which has become part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden. In 1937, together with Anna Amelia Obermeyer, he collected some of the earliest plant specimens from the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia.
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 robertsi, commonly known as the large-scaled gecko, shielded thick-toed gecko, or Rauhschuppen-Dickfingergecko in German, is an African species of gecko.
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 commonly as the button-scaled gecko, FitzSimons' thick-toed gecko, Fitzsimons's thick-toed gecko, and FitzSimons' tubercled gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southwestern Africa.
Pachydactylus kladaroderma, also known as the thin-skinned gecko, fragile thick-toed gecko, or thin-skinned thick-toed gecko, is a member of the family Gekkonidae, also known as the typical geckos, found in South Africa.
The two-coloured thick-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to Namibia.
The Angola banded thick-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is found in southwestern Angola and northern Namibia.
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 native 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.
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.
Pachydactylus scutatus, also known as the large-scaled gecko or shielded thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is found in Namibia, South Africa, and Angola.
