| Pachydactylus robertsi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Pachydactylus |
| Species: | P. robertsi |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachydactylus robertsi V. FitzSimons, 1938 | |
| Synonyms | |
Pachydactylus robertsi, commonly known as the large-scaled gecko, shielded thick-toed gecko, or Rauhschuppen-Dickfingergecko in German, is an African species of gecko. [3]
P. robertsi is found near Keetmanshoop and Karasburg where the type specimen was caught in the Great Karas Mountains in southern Namibia. [3]
Although there are no obvious immediate threats to the species P. robertsi, it appears to have a limited distribution which would make it more vulnerable to habitat loss. [2]
The specific name, robertsi, is in honour of South African zoologist J. Austin Roberts, [4] who was part of the Expedition to South-West Africa and Little Namaqualand when the types specimen was collected on 12 August 1937. [5]
The shielded thick-toed gecko is a light olive brown colour with darker spots that cover the back; a line of these darker spots runs down the spine. It has a dark line that runs from the snout through the eye; this line is bordered on either side by pale lines.
The underside of the head, throat, body and limbs are a much paler colour.
The tail is a more uniform olive brown colour.
Pachydactylus robertsi may be confused with Pachydactylus scutatus but can be differentiated by the exclusion of the rostral scale from the nostril. Also, P. robertsi has a wider (2–3 scale rows) nuchal band (vs 1 scale row in P. scutatus). [2]
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.
Tiger snakes are a highly venomous snake species found in the southern regions of Australia, including its coastal islands, such as Tasmania. These snakes are often banded like a tiger, and highly variable in their colour and forms in their regional occurrences. All populations are in the genus Notechis, and their diverse characters have been described in further subdivisions of this group; they are sometimes described as distinct species and/or subspecies.
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.
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.
Elasmodactylus tetensis, commonly known as the Tete thick-toed gecko or Zambezi thick-toed gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to East Africa.
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.
Goggia rupicola, also known as the Namaqua dwarf leaf-toed gecko or the Namaqua pygmy gecko, is a southern African leaf-toed gecko first described by Vivian FitzSimons from a specimen collected on the 23 August 1937 where it was found in cracks of rocks of small outcrops in the arid Namakwaland in South Africa and Namibia.
Namazonurus campbelli, commonly known as Campbell's girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. A small girdled lizard, N. campbelli is endemic to Namibia. It is often mistaken for the more common Herero girdled lizard, N. pustulatus, as they both are similar in size and have flattened bodies. N. campbelli lives in rock crevices and cracks on dry mountain slopes
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 acuminatus is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae, a family also known as the typical geckos. The species P. acuminatus is endemic to Namibia. It was once believed to be a subspecies of Weber's thick-toed gecko but was lifted to species status in 2006.
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 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 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 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.
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