• Source: Pachydactylus

Pachydactylus is a genus of insectivorous geckos, lizards in the family Gekkonidae. The genus is endemic to Africa, and member species are commonly known as thick-toed geckos. The genus also displays rich speciation, having 58 distinct species identified when compared to other closely related gecko genera like Rhoptropus, most of which have emerged since 35Ma. It has been suggested that the reason for this rich speciation not from adaptive radiation nor nonadaptive radiation, but that the genus represents a clade somewhere between the two drivers of speciation. P. bibronii geckos have been used by NASA as animal models for experimentation.




Description of the Pachydactylus genus


The genus Pachydactylus is characterized by dilated toe tips, usually with undivided scansors. Body scales are small, granular and non-overlapping, with scattered, large keeled tubercles.
Coloration of Pachydactylus species varies, but is generally drab in color.
Presence of adhesive toe pads varies by species and habitat, with rock dwelling species of Pachydactylus retaining adhesive pads, but unambiguous independent loss of toe pads in sand dwelling and burrowing species like P. rangei.
Body size in Pachydactylus varies across the 58 species, ranging from 35 to 115mm Snout-Vent Length (SVL) with the ancestral condition of a larger body size with adhesive toe pads to suit a generalist habitat.




Behavior


All observed species of Pachydactylus are strictly nocturnal. Wikibooks




Habitat of Pachydactylus geckos


Pachydactylus species live in a diverse range of habitats across Southern Africa. Habitat varies by species, with some species preferring generalist habitats, human dwellings, rock-dwellings, and sand dwellings. Habitat preference typically varies by body size and retention of toe pads, which varies across the genus. The body size of Pachydactylus geckos has been shown to correlate with their habitat range.




Diet


Lizards of the genus Pachydactylus feed mainly on arthropods, but have been observed eating small vertebrates.




Geographic range


The geographic range of the genus Pachydactylus is centered on Southern Africa, with some species reaching East Africa, the northernmost limit of their distribution. In South Africa's rugged Richtersveld region, Pachydactylus geckos comprised 13 of 18 all gecko species surveyed.




Species


There are 58 species that are recognized as being valid:

Pachydactylus acuminatus V. FitzSimons, 1941
Pachydactylus affinis Boulenger, 1896 – Transvaal thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus amoenus F. Werner, 1910
Pachydactylus angolensis Loveridge, 1944 – Angola large-scaled gecko, Angolan thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus atorquatus Bauer, Barts & Hulbert, 2006
Pachydactylus austeni Hewitt, 1923 – Austen's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus barnardi V. FitzSimons, 1941 – Barnard's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus bicolor Hewitt, 1926 – velvety thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus boehmei Bauer, 2010
Pachydactylus capensis (A. Smith, 1846) – Cape thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus caraculicus V. FitzSimons, 1959 – Angola banded thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus carinatus Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006
Pachydactylus etultra Branch, Bauer, Jackman & Heinicke, 2011
Pachydactylus fasciatus Boulenger, 1888 – banded thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus formosus A. Smith, 1849 – Smith's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus gaiasensis Steyn & J.L. Mitchell, 1967 – Brandberg thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus geitje (Sparrman, 1778) – ocellated thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus griffini Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006
Pachydactylus haackei Branch, Bauer & Good, 1996 – Haacke's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus katanganus de Witte, 1953
Pachydactylus kladaroderma Branch, Bauer & Good, 1996 – thin-skinned thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus kobosensis V. FitzSimons, 1938
Pachydactylus kochii (V. FitzSimons, 1959)
Pachydactylus labialis V. FitzSimons, 1938 – Calvinia thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus latirostris Hewitt, 1923 – quartz gecko
Pachydactylus macrolepis V. FitzSimons, 1939 – large-scaled banded gecko
Pachydactylus maculatus Gray, 1845 – spotted thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus maiatoi Marques, Parrhina, Ceríaco, Brennan, Heinicke, & Bauer, 2023 – Maiato's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus maraisi Heinicke, Adderly, Bauer & Jackman, 2011
Pachydactylus mariquensis A. Smith, 1849 – Marico thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus mclachlani Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006
Pachydactylus monicae Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006
Pachydactylus montanus Methuen & Hewitt, 1914
Pachydactylus namaquensis (Sclater, 1898) – Namaqua thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus oculatus Hewitt, 1927 – golden spotted thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus oreophilus McLachlan & Spence, 1967 – Kaokoveld thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus oshaughnessyi Boulenger, 1885
Pachydactylus otaviensis Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006
Pachydactylus parascutatus Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2002
Pachydactylus punctatus W. Peters, 1854 – speckled thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus purcelli Boulenger, 1910
Pachydactylus rangei (Andersson, 1908) – Namib sand gecko
Pachydactylus reconditus Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006
Pachydactylus robertsi V. FitzSimons, 1938
Pachydactylus rugosus A. Smith, 1849 – rough thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus sansteynae Steyn & Mitchell, 1967 – San Steyn's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus scherzi Mertens, 1954 – Sherz's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus scutatus Hewitt, 1927 – large-scaled thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus serval F. Werner, 1910 – western spotted thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus tigrinus Van Dam, 1921 – tiger thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus tsodiloensis Haacke, 1966 – Tsodilo thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus vansoni V. FitzSimons, 1933 – Van Son's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus vanzyli (Steyn & Haacke, 1966)
Pachydactylus visseri Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006
Pachydactylus wahlbergii W. Peters, 1869
Pachydactylus waterbergensis Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2003
Pachydactylus weberi Roux, 1907 – Weber's thick-toed gecko
Pachydactylus werneri Hewitt, 1935
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Pachydactylus.




References






Further reading






External links


Pachydactylus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Gekkonidae
• Pachydactylus
• Pachydactylus rangei
• Gold dust day gecko
• List of lizards of South Africa
• Pachydactylus sansteynae
• Bibron's thick-toed gecko
• Pachydactylus vansoni
• Pachydactylus labialis
• Pachydactylus barnardi
• Pachydactylus scutatus