Ramigekko swartbergensis, sometimes called the Swartberg (African) leaf-toed gecko, is a species of African gecko which is a localized endemic of the Cape Fold Belt in South Africa.[2] It is monotypic in the genus Ramigekko.
Like other "leaf-toed" geckoes, they have a single pair of enlarged adhesive pads on the terminally end of each digit. Only this species however has smoothed and flattened tubercles on its dorsal parts.[3] The head has a deeper contour and some cranial differences (fusion of nasal and parietal bones) set them apart from most other gecko species.[4]
Range and habitat
It is found along the crests of the Swartberg and Klein Swartberg ranges, from Towerkop in the west to the vicinity of Meiringspoort. They favour north-facing sandstone outcrops in montane fynbos, from 1,300 to 2,100 m a.s.l.[5] They occur in protected areas and are not endangered.
Habits
They hide in rock cracks or under rock flakes, emerging to feed on insects. Like all "leaf-toed" geckoes they are nocturnal and lay hard-shelled eggs, which are deposited in clutches of two.[3]
1 2 Alexander, Graham (2013). A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. South Africa: Penguin Random House. ISBN978-1-4317-0225-1.
↑ Daza, Juan D.; Mapps, Aurelia A.; Lewis, Patrick J.; Thies, Monte L.; Bauer, Aaron M. (August 2015). "Peramorphic traits in the tokay gecko skull". Journal of Morphology. 276 (8): 915–928. doi:10.1002/jmor.20389. PMID26010648. S2CID12215963.
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