afroedura pondolia

ANIMALIA / CHORDATA / REPTILIA / SQUAMATA / GEKKONIDAE / AFROEDURA / PONDOLIA

Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt, 1925)

endemic No data LC

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Morphological description

Hewitt (1925) described this species as follows: Digits of hands and feet rather slender, each with only one pair of well-developed adhesive plates at the distal end of the basal portion inferiorly, and adjacent thereto is a single transversely enlarged scale which terminates the row of enlarged scales along the midline of each digit inferiorly: this median row of scales, which gradually increase in size towards the distal end of the row, varies in development, the middle toe generally having about six or seven scales, but sometimes only the four distal ones are differentiated from the adjacent scales: these scales with the exception of the two distal ones are subcircular, or not much broader than long. Large nasal scales well separated by a scale, which is considerably larger than any of the scales adjoining the nasals, the two other nasals about equal to each other in size: rostral and first labial entering the nostril: rostral scarcely more than twice as broad as high: mental scute large, considerably broader at the base than the first labial, narrowing rapidly and thus more or less subtriangular: scales immediately behind the mental and first labial very large, almost as long as a series of five small scales on the middle of the throat. Lower labials 8-10. Dorsal scales granular and convex on the head and neck, subimbricate and somewhat flattened on the body, these latter being decidedly larger than the scales on the occiput. Male with a short oblique row of three or four small tubercules at the base of the tail on each side of the vent, the uppermost largest: 13-14 preanal pores. Tail long, slender, and tapering, not depressed, and without a trace of segmentation, except that the scales are all arranged in rings. Colour pattern of spirit specimens: above greyish white with infuscated stripes and bands of somewhat variable type: a dark stripe on each side of the head from the nostril, through the eye, above the ear and alongside the neck for a short distance, passing into one or more of the irregular cross stripes on the back: there are about five such cross bands on the back and neck and one on the occiput, all with more or less irregular margins and tending to fuse up into a general reticulation. On the original tail also, there are indications of dark cross bands, but the reproduced tail has no such cross bands, and instead there are spots and longitudinal stripes. Upper surface of head with indefinite infuscation: canthus rostralis pale.

Diagnostic description

No separate diagnostic description was provided. Refer to the morphological description.

Type notes

Type locality: Mündung des Mbotyi River, Lusikisiki, Cape Province Syntypes: PEM R16069–71 (formerly AMG 4897);

Taxonomic notes

This information was extracted from Tolley et al. (2023): A phylogenetic analysis indicated that A. pondolia comprises two well-supported phylogenetic clades (Makhubo et al., 2015), within which there are four cryptic species (Busschau et al., 2019). There is a possible zone of sympatry between A. pondolia and A. nivaria in the foothills of the Drakensberg that might be due to misidentified specimens. Furthermore, although A. pondolia and A. marleyi are clearly distinct species (Jacobsen et al., 2014), they are morphologically similar, and this may result in misidentification of specimens from coastal KwaZulu-Natal province.

Global distribution

South Africa

SA distribution

This species occurs from the eastern regions of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, to central KwaZulu-Natal province. The distribution appears to be naturally patchy throughout much of the range. There is a subpopulation to the north of the main distribution that might represent a separate species (Makhubo et al., 2015).

Movement

This species has adhesive toe pads, which allow them to stick onto even smooth surfaces, making them extremely good climbers (Branch, 1998). They also have strong legs, allowing for very rapid movements if necessary.

Trophic level

Carnivore - Insectivore (insect-eating)

Trophic strategy

This species feeds on moths and flies (Branch, 1998).

Reproduction

This species is oviparous, laying clutches of two eggs in summer under bark or in rock cracks. They hatch after 205-224 days (Branch, 1998).

Behaviour

No data.

Biome

Grassland, Savanna, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: Data partners records: DNA:

Residence status

Occurrence in African countries and South African provinces. Residence status indicates if a taxon is indigenous, endemic, or alien in a specific region. This data is based on specimen records and literature.

FSA

BOT

NAM

ESW

LES

KZN

Absent

Indigenous

Endemic

Naturalised

Invasive

Nick Schaller

Names and Sources

Common Name	Language
Pondo Flat Gecko	En
Pondo Flat Gecko	En
Pondo Platgeitjie	En

Classification

KINGDOM Animalia

PHYLUM Chordata

CLASS Reptilia

ORDER Squamata

FAMILY Gekkonidae

GENUS Afroedura

SPECIES pondolia

No results found for Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt, 1925)

Uses

No data.

20 results for Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt, 1925)

Records
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Year

1956 (1)

1979 (1)

1982 (1)

1984 (1)

1990 (4)

1992 (1)

1994 (1)

2014 (1)

2015 (1)

2016 (1)

2020 (1)

2021 (6)

Province

eastern cape, south africa (6)

kwazulu-natal (5)

kwazulu-natal, south africa (9)