lygodactylus incognitus

ANIMALIA / CHORDATA / REPTILIA / SQUAMATA / GEKKONIDAE / LYGODACTYLUS / INCOGNITUS

Lygodactylus incognitus Jacobsen, 1992

endemic No data LC

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Morphological description

Jacobsen (1992) described this species as follows: Holotype: TM 59058, male SVL 34,0 mm; tail 39,0 mm; mass 1,25 g. Lepidosis. Head well developed, broader than neck. Snout covered with flattened, rounded scales larger on crown of head. Rostral much broader than high, subpentagonal; nostril oval, oblique posteriorly and surrounded by rostral. 1st upper labial, nasorostral and two elongate granular scales; nasorostral separated by a single granule; nasorostrals in contact with a large scale posteriorly. Eyelod spines reduced and four in number; upper labials 7/7. Mental pentagonal, bordered posteriorly by two enlarged chin shields; lower labials 7/7; gular scales between posterior lower labials 28; gular scales round and imbricate. Dorsal scales granular, relatively homogenous, along the spine juxtaposed gradually increasing in size laterally. Limbs well developed, pentadactyl, 1st digit greatly reduced. Distal part of digits expanded, with four pairs of adhesive lamellae and 10 non-adhesive subdigitally. Ventrals scales imbricate and overlapping; three rows of glandular scales along thighs, preloacal pores eight arranged in an inverted V followed by four rows scales anterior to the cloaca. Tail original, virtually non-verticillate, six supracaudals and four subcaudals per verticil; median subcaudals arranged aperiodically 2,1,2,1,2,1 or 2,1,1,2,1,1; scales on tail overllaping. Colour: Grey dorsally, darker in a broad band from the tip of the snout over the eyes of the base of the tail. Irregular scattered pale, dark edged blotches are found paravertebrally. Limbs dark grey with irregular light and dark markings. Dorsal surface of tail grey with pale, dark edged wavy stripes extending from the base of the tail becoming indistinct distally. Dorsolaterally grey with irregular pale dark-edged blotches in a well-defined row. Below this blotches less pronounced, but three black blotches prominent, one on the shoulder and two posteriorly. A dark stripe extends from the nostril through the eye to the shoulder. Ventrally offwhite with irregular dark grey spots or blotches under the throat, and dark speckling on the belly.

Diagnostic description

This information was extracted from Jacobsen (1992): Very similar to typical nigropunctatus, differing in having exclusively two postmental scales, precloacal pores mostly (87.5 %) eight or nine and lower labials six, rarely five or seven. Apparently restricted to the Soutpansberg. The black dorsolateral spots are relatively indistinct.

Type notes

Type locality: Farm Outlook, 789MS (22°59’S, 29°51’E), Soutpansberg district, Transvaal (now Limpopo Province) Holotype: DNMNH (= TM) 59058; Paratypes: TM

Taxonomic notes

Previously considered a subspecies of L. nigropunctatus, it has subsequently been raised to a full species (Travers et al., 2014).

Global distribution

South Africa (Uetz et al., 2020).

SA distribution

South Africa (Limpopo Province). Type locality: Farm Outlook, 789MS (22°59’S, 29°51’E), Soutpansberg district (Uetz et al., 2020).

Movement

Lygodactylus geckos have two adhesive toe pads (scansors) on the bottom of their feet to enable them to grip onto smooth surfaces and facilitate climbing. The tail also has modified scales at the tip that serve as the fifth scansor (Branch, 1998).

Trophic level

Carnivore - Insectivore (insect-eating)

Trophic strategy

Cryptic Dwarf Geckos feed on ants and termites and often can be seen stationed next to their trails, picking off victims (Branch, 1998).

Reproduction

Cryptic Dwarf Geckos are oviparous, laying two hard-shelled eggs under a rock on rock during mid to late summer (Jacobsen, 1992).

Behaviour

No data.

Biome

Savanna, Grassland.

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

Ryan van Huyssteen

Names and Sources

Common Name	Language
Cryptic Dwarf Gecko	EN

Classification

KINGDOM Animalia

PHYLUM Chordata

CLASS Reptilia

ORDER Squamata

FAMILY Gekkonidae

GENUS Lygodactylus

SPECIES incognitus

No results found for Lygodactylus incognitus Jacobsen, 1992

Uses

No data.

10 results for Lygodactylus incognitus Jacobsen, 1992

Records
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Year

2015 (1)

2016 (1)

2021 (1)

2022 (7)

Province

limpopo (5)

limpopo, south africa (5)