Heinicke et al. (2017) described this species as follows: Adult male. SVL 26.62 mm. Body cylindrical, trunk not elongate (AGL/SVL ratio = 0.45). Head deep, not dorsoventrally flattened (HW/HD ratio = 1.75); snout rounded, about twice the diameter of the orbit. Lores inflated; interorbital region slightly concave. Ear opening is small, obliquely rounded, and without a tympanic shield. The rostral is subpentagonal with a median cleft, and the rostral along with the first supralabial and three nasals enter the nostril. The largest nasal borders the rostral. The nasorostrals are separated by a single granule. Supralabials number 7/6 (R/L), infralabials 6/6 (R/L); the mental is subpentagular with a shallow apex and is bordered by two enlarged chin shields, which are in turn bordered by six smaller granules. The snout is short, and snout granules are noticeably enlarged, rounded, and more domed than scales elsewhere on the head; there are eight rows of scales from the rostral to the level of the anterior edge of the orbit, and eight granules from the nostril to the anterior edge of the orbit. Scales on the crown are smaller and flatter, with 15 granules separating the anterior margins of the orbits. Dorsum covered by uniform, smooth, flat subimbricate scales, with subimbrication resulting in rhomboid appearance to the scalation; the grade to larger, smooth, imbricate scales on the belly which are hexagonal in shape and may have denticulate edges. At midbody are 78 scale rows. Five precloacal pores are present anterior to the cloaca, and three enlarged tuberculate scales (cloacal spurs) are present on either side at the tail base along the hemipenial bulges. The limbs are relatively short (FL/SVL ratio = 0.15), covered in uniform, subimbricate or imbricate granules, with the median series slightly broader than lateral scale series. The toe tips are rounded with small expansions bearing a pair of large, rectangular scansors (toe pads) between which is a small claw. The tail is cylindrical, tapering, regenerated. Original portion of the tail measures 3.88 mm; the regenerated portion is an additional 14.99 mm. The unregenerated portion of the tail is covered above with regular rows of uniform, smooth granules, whereas the ventral surface has larger, flatter imbricate scales. The regenerated portion of the tail is entirely covered in large imbricate scales. Coloration. In preservative, the dorsum is gray brown in color. Barely perceptible dark temporal lines extend from the eyes above the ears to the nape. On the dorsum, a series of faded dark scallops extend transversely across the dorsum, the dark scallop on the unbroken portion of the tail being least faded. Neither pale spots nor longitudinal stripes are visible. The regenerated tail is more brown and less gray than the remainder of the body. Ventrally, the body is immaculate and cream-colored. In life, the ground color is gray without brown infusion. The pattern is as in preservative, with dark temporal lines above the ears and a series of transverse scallops of the dorsum but is much more obvious and not faded. The venter remains cream-colored, and the regenerated tail is more brownish than the remainder of the body.

This information was extracted from Heinicke et al. (2017): A small-bodied Goggia, snout-vent length to 28.58 mm. Body form is cylindrical, with a deep head and short, rounded snout. The rostral scale bears a median cleft, and snout scales are relatively large and domed, with 8–10 rows of scales between the rostral and the anterior margin of the orbits. Dorsal scalation is homogenous, consisting of uniform flattened subimbricate scales, grading to clearly imbricate on the venter. Midbody scale rows number 73–81. Digits bear a single pair of subdigital scansors (“leaf toes”) enclosing a small claw. Males typically have five precloacal pores. Typical color pattern consists of a gray background overlain with a series of small, often unnoticeable pale spots with dark anterior margins that typically fuse to form a series of scallops or chevrons. Some individuals additionally bear four dark longitudinal stripes, which in this species are always connected by the aforementioned scallops. The combination of leaf toes, atuberculate dorsal scalation, and cleft rostral distinguishes this species from all non-Goggia geckos in southern Africa. Goggia incognita sp. nov. can be distinguished from G. microlepidota based on its much smaller body size (maximum SVL 29 mm in G. incognita sp. nov. vs. 67 mm in G. microlepidota). All small-bodied Goggia except for G. lineata can be easily distinguished from G. incognita sp nov. based on color pattern: in G. braacki, G. essexi, G. hewitti, and G. hexapora, the pale spots and dark pattern elements form a clear reticulated pattern. In G. gemmula and G. rupicola (including “rupicola” from Kliprand described as another new species below), the pale spots are large and are yellow or orange rather than white or cream. In addition to color pattern, G. braacki and G. hewitti differ from G. incognita sp. nov. in being larger bodied (SVL to 35 mm in G. braacki, 37 mm in G. hewitti), having only four precloacal pores in males, and in having more midbody scale rows (usually more than 80). Goggia essexi, G. gemmula, G. rupicola, and G. “rupicola” also have only four precloacal pores in males; G. essexi, G. rupicola, and G. “rupicola” also have flattened bodies and typically more than 80 midbody scale rows, whereas G. gemmula has a more elongate body than G. incognita sp. nov. Goggia hexapora usually has six precloacal pores in males and more than 80 midbody scale rows. Goggia lineata is the species most similar to G. incognita sp. nov., but can be distinguished as having a color pattern typically dominated by bold longitudinal stripes, and having smaller, flatter scales on the head, with 11 or more rows between the rostral and the anterior margin of the orbits, vs. 8–10 in G. incognita sp. nov.

Type locality: South Africa, Western Cape, Jacobsbaai (32° 59' 19" S, 17° 52' 37" E).

There is potentially a contact zone between G. lineata and G. incognita in the north of the distribution around the Knersvlakte that could cause taxonomic confusion and misidentifications. Other important names: Phyllodactylus lineatus; Goggia lineata.

South Africa

This species occurs in the western parts of the Western Cape province, South Africa, from the Knersvlakte in the north to Worcester in the south and east along the Langeberg to Ladismith, with additional records further east in the Little Karoo and Great Karoo (Heinicke et al., 2017). Although there are records of G. lineata (which are now referred to G. incognita) from around Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula (Bates et al. 2014), these are probably in error (Tolley et al., 2023).

This species has a pair of very distinctive leaf-shaped adhesive toe pads (scansors) under each toe-tip plus a small, retractible claw on each foot, which allow them to stick onto even smooth surfaces, making them extremely good climbers (Branch, 1998).

Carnivore - Insectivore (insect-eating)

Goggia incognita feeds on arthropods (Branch, 1998).

Goggia incognita is oviparous, with females laying two round hard-shelled eggs (Branch, 1998).

Regenerated tails are very common in this species, and individuals also often autotomize their tails when handled even if the tail is not grasped, suggesting that tail autotomy is a frequently employed defense mechanism (Heinickle et al., 2017).

Fynbos, Nama-Karoo, Succulent Karoo.