White-striped viper gecko

White-striped viper gecko
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Infraorder:	Gekkota
Family:	Gekkonidae
Genus:	Hemidactylus
Species:	H. albofasciatus
Binomial name
Hemidactylus albofasciatus Grandison and Soman, 1963 [2]
Synonyms
Teratolepis albofasciatus(Grandison and Soman, 1963)

The white-striped viper gecko (Hemidactylus albofasciatus) is a species of gecko endemic to India. ^{[1] [3]} The species, mostly found under the loose rocks on rock outcrops of the Konkan region is known to be threatened by the land-use changes. ^{[4] [5]} This is an uncommon, slender gecko found only in the lateritic plateaus of Maharashtra. ^[6] This patchily distributed ground-dwelling species hides generally under the rocks during the daytime ^{[7] [8]}

Distribution

The species is currently known from few localities in the Maharashtra state. The type locality is Dorle Village in Rajapur Taluka, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. ^[3] Its distribution is poorly known, and it could be more widely spread. ^[1] The conversion of lateritic plateaus to mango orchards, due to the increasing culinary popularity of the Alphononso mango varietal, has decreased populations of specialist species such as the white-striped viper gecko in their endemic region. ^[9]

Close-up view of Hemidactylus albofasciatus from Maharashtra, India

References

1. Srinivasulu, C.; Srinivasulu, B. (2013). "Hemidactylus albofasciatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T194104A2299155. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T194104A2299155.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. Grandison, A. G. C.; Soman, P. W. (1963). "Description of a new geckonid lizard from Maharashtra, India". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 60: 322–325.
3. Hemidactylus albofasciatus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 15 March 2017.
4. "Land-use changes put rocky addresses of animals under stress in Maharashtra's Sahyadri plateau". The Hindu. 2023-07-28. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2023-08-02.
5. Jithin, Vijayan; Rane, Manali; Watve, Aparna; Giri, Varad B.; Naniwadekar, Rohit (2023-10-01). "Between a rock and a hard place: Comparing rock-dwelling animal prevalence across abandoned paddy, orchards, and rock outcrops in a biodiversity hotspot". Global Ecology and Conservation. 46: e02582. Bibcode:2023GEcoC..4602582J. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02582 . ISSN   2351-9894.
6. Grandison, A. G. C.; Soman, P.W. (1963). "Description of a new geckonid lizard from Maharashtra, India". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 60 (2): 322–325.
7. Gaikwad, K.S.; Kulkarni, H.; Bhambure, R.; Giri, V.B. (2009). "Notes on the distribution, natural history and variation of Hemidactylus albofasciatus (Grandison and Soman, 1963)(Squamata: Gekkonidae)". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 106 (3): 305.
8. Mirza, Z.; Sanap, R. (2012). "Notes on the natural history of Hemidactylus albofasciatus Grandison and Soman, 1963 (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)". Hamadryad. 36 (1): 56–58.
9. Amberkar, Prathamesh; Mungikar, Rahul (2024-10-07). "More the merrier? influence of mango orchards on the composition of the reptile communities of the lateritic plateaus, Maharashtra, India" . Biotropica. doi:10.1111/btp.13388. ISSN   0006-3606.