| Pachydactylus vansoni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| in Soutpansberg, South Africa. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Pachydactylus |
| Species: | P. vansoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachydactylus vansoni V. FitzSimons,1933 | |
 | |
| range | |
| Synonyms | |
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.
The specific name, vansoni, is in honor of Russian-born Dutch entomologist Georges Van Son (1898-1967), who worked at the Transvaal Museum (1925-1967). [3]
P. vansoni is distributed in Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. The geographic range of this species is estimated to be larger than 100,000 km2 (38,610 sq mi). [1]
The preferred natural habitats of P. vansoni are grassland and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,300 m (7,500 ft). [1]
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.
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.
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.
Turner's thick-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa.
Bogert's rock gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native 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 griffini is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic 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 endemic to Southern Africa.
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 scherzi is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.
The Namib desert gecko, also known commonly as the Kaoko web-footed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southern Africa.
Visser's gecko 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.
Werner's thick-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.
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