Lygodactylus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Gekkota
Infraordo: Gekkomorpha
Superfamilia: Gekkonoidea

Familia: Gekkonidae
Genus: Lygodactylus
Species (64): L. angolensis – L. angularis – L. arnoulti – L. bernardi – L. bivittis – L. blancae – L. blanci – L. bonsi – L. bradfieldi – L. broadleyi – L. capensis – L. chobiensis – L. conradti – L. conraui – L. decaryi – L. depressus – L. expectatus – L. fischeri – L. grandisonae – L. graniticolus – L. gravis – L. grotei – L. guibei – L. gutturalis – L. heterurus – L. inexpectatus – L. insularis – L. intermedius – L. keniensis – L. kimhowelli – L. klemmeri – L. klugei – L. laterimaculatus – L. lawrencei – L. madagascariensis – L. manni – L. methueni – L. miops – L. mirabilis – L. mombasicus – L. montanus – L. nigropunctatus – L. ocellatus – L. ornatus – L. pauliani – L. picturatus – L. pictus – L. rarus – L. regulus – L. rex – L. roavolana – L. scheffleri – L. scorteccii – L. somalicus – L. stevensoni – L. thomensis – L. tolampyae – L. tuberosus – L. verticillatus – L. viscatus – L. waterbergensis – L. wetzeli – L. williamsi – L. wojnowskii
Name

Lygodactylus Gray, 1864: 380

Type species: Lygodactylus strigatus Gray, 1864, by monotypy.
References
Primary references

Gray, J.E. 1864. Notes on some new lizards from south—eastern Africa, with the descriptions of several new species. Annals and Magazine of Natural History Series 3, 14: 380–384. BHL

Additional references

Pasteur, G. 1995. Biodiversité et Reptiles: diagnoses de sept espèces nouvelles fossiles et actuelles du genre de lézards Lygodactylus (Sauria, Gekkonidae) (In French). Dumerilia 2 : 1–21. Reference page.
Puente, M., Glaw, F., Vieites, D.R. & Vences, M. 2009. Review of the systematics, morphology and distribution of Malagasy dwarf geckos, genera Lygodactylus and Microscalabotes (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Zootaxa 2103: 1–76. Abstract & excerpt. Reference page.
Portik, D.M., Travers, S.L., Bauer, A.M. & Branch, W.R. 2013. A new species of Lygodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) endemic to Mount Namuli, an isolated ‘sky island’ of northern Mozambique. Zootaxa 3710(5): 415–435. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3710.5.2 Reference page.
Malonza, P.K., Granthon, C. & Williams, D.A. 2016. A new species of dwarf gecko in the genus Lygodactylus (squamata: Gekkonidae) from central Kenya. Zootaxa 4061(4): 418–428. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4061.4.6 Paywall Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2021. Lygodactylus . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 15 December 2018.

Vernacular names
English: Dwarf Geckos
русский: Карликовые гекконы
Lygodactylus is a genus of diurnal geckos with 72 species. They are commonly referred to as dwarf geckos. They are mainly found in Africa and Madagascar although two species are found in South America. Lygodactylus picturatus, the best known species, is found in Kenya and commonly known as the white-headed dwarf gecko.[3] Recently, illegal importation from Tanzania of brightly colored (and critically-endangered), Lygodactylus williamsi, known as electric blue geckos, has been gaining attention for Lygodactylus geckos in the reptile trade.

Since all trade in wild-caught Lygodactylus williamsi is illegal, shipments of these geckos are often intentionally mislabelled as Lygodactylus spp. or as Lygodactylus capensis.[4] As some customs officials have difficulty identifying members of this genus,[4] a Lygodactylus spp. identification guide has been published online by CITES.[5]

Species

Species in alphabetical order by specific name:[2]

Lygodactylus angolensis Bocage, 1896 – Angola dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus angularis Günther, 1893 – angulated dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus arnoulti G. Pasteur, 1965 – Pasteur's dwarf gecko, Arnoult's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus baptistai Marques, Ceríaco, Buehler, Bandeira, Janota & Bauer, 2020[6]
Lygodactylus bernardi V. FitzSimons, 1958 – Bernard's dwarf gecko, FitzSimon's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus bivittis (W. Peters, 1883) – tiny scaled gecko
Lygodactylus blancae G. Pasteur, 1995 ‡
Lygodactylus blanci G. Pasteur, 1967 ‡ – Blanc's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus bonsi G. Pasteur, 1962 – Bons's dwarf day gecko
Lygodactylus bradfieldi Hewitt, 1932 – Bradfield's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus broadleyi G. Pasteur, 1995 – Broadley's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus capensis (A. Smith, 1849) – Cape dwarf gecko, common dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus chobiensis V. FitzSimons, 1932 – Okavango dwarf gecko, Chobe dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus conradti Matschie, 1892 – Matschie's dwarf gecko, Conradt's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus conraui Tornier, 1902 – Cameroon dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus decaryi Angel, 1930 – Angel's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus depressus K.P. Schmidt, 1919 – Zaire dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus expectatus G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1967 – Ambilobe dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus fischeri Boulenger, 1890 – Fischer's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus grandisonae G. Pasteur, 1962 – Kenya dwarf gecko, Bunty's dwarf gecko, Grandison's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus graniticolus Jacobsen, 1992 – granite dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus gravis G. Pasteur, 1965 – Usambara dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus grotei Sternfeld, 1911 – Grote's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus guibei G. Pasteur, 1965 – western dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus gutturalis (Bocage, 1873) – Uganda dwarf gecko, chevron-throated dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus heterurus Boettger, 1913 – Boettger's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus incognitus Jacobsen, 1992 – cryptic dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus inexpectatus G. Pasteur, 1965 – Dar es Salaam dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus insularis Boettger, 1913 – insular dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus intermedius G. Pasteur, 1995
Lygodactylus keniensis Parker, 1936 – Parker's dwarf gecko, Kenya dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus kimhowelli G. Pasteur, 1995 – Kim Howell's dwarf gecko, Tanzanian dwarf gecko, zebra dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus klemmeri G. Pasteur, 1965 – Malagasy dwarf gecko, Klemmer's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus klugei (H.M. Smith, R.L. Martin & Swain, 1977) – Kluge's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus laterimaculatus G. Pasteur, 1964 – side-spotted dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus lawrencei Hewitt, 1926 – Lawrence's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus luteopicturatus G. Pasteur, 1964 – dwarf yellow-headed gecko, yellow-headed dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus madagascariensis (Boettger, 1881) – Madagascar dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus manni Loveridge, 1928 – Mann's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus methueni V. FitzSimons, 1937 – Methuen's dwarf gecko, Woodbrush dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus miops Günther, 1891 – Günther's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus mirabilis (G. Pasteur, 1962)
Lygodactylus mombasicus Loveridge, 1935 – white-headed dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus montanus G. Pasteur, 1965 – Mount Ivohibe gecko
Lygodactylus montiscaeruli Jacobsen, 1992 – Makgabeng dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus nigropunctatus Jacobsen, 1992 – black-spotted dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus nyaneka Marques, Ceríaco, Buehler, Bandeira, Janota & Bauer, 2020
Lygodactylus ocellatus Roux, 1907 – ocellated dwarf gecko, spotted dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus ornatus G. Pasteur, 1965 – ornate dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus pauliani G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1991 – ornate dwarf gecko

Lygodactylus picturatus in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The tail has been lost due to a self-defense mechanism known as autotomy.

Lygodactylus picturatus (W. Peters, 1871) – white-headed dwarf gecko, painted dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus pictus (W. Peters, 1883) – robust dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus rarus G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1973 – thin dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus regulus Portik, Travers, Bauer & Branch, 2013 – prince dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus rex Broadley, 1963 – king dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus roavolana Puente, Glaw, Vieites, & Vences, 2009
Lygodactylus scheffleri Sternfeld, 1912 – Scheffler's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus scorteccii G. Pasteur, 1959 – Scortecci's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus somalicus Loveridge, 1935 – Somali dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus soutpansbergensis Jacobsen, 1994 – Soutpansberg dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus stevensoni Hewitt, 1926 – Stevenson's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus tchokwe Marques, Ceríaco, Buehler, Bandeira, Janota & Bauer, 2020
Lygodactylus thomensis (W. Peters, 1881) – Annobon dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus tolampyae (Grandidier, 1872) – Grandidier's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus tsavoensis Malonza, Bauer, Granthon, D. Williams & Wojnowski, 2019 – Tsavo dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus tuberosus Mertens, 1965
Lygodactylus verticillatus Mocquard, 1895 – Mocquard's dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus viscatus (Vaillant, 1873) – Howell's dwarf gecko, Copal dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus waterbergensis Jacobsen, 1992 – Waterberg dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus wetzeli H.M. Smith, R.L. Martin & Swain, 1977 – South American dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus williamsi Loveridge, 1952 – Williams' dwarf gecko, turquoise dwarf gecko, electric blue gecko
Lygodactylus wojnowskii Malonza, Granthon & D. Williams, 2016 – Mt. Kenya dwarf gecko

‡ L. blancae (feminine, genitive, singular) is named for (Ms) Françoise Blanc, a French geneticist; but L. blanci (masculine, genitive, singular) is named for (Mr.) Charles Pierre Blanc, a French herpetologist.[7]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was original described in a genus other than Lygodactylus.
References

"Lygodactylus ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
Lygodactylus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
"Lygodactylus picturatus White-headed Dwarf Gecko". Wildherps.com. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
CITES Proposal for inclusion
TRAFFIC (2011). How to identify Lygodactylus williamsi: A photographic guide to the turquoise dwarf gecko. In: Wildlife Trade Handbook. TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 11–17.
Marques, Mariana P.; Ceríaco, Luis M. P.; Buehler, Matthew D.; Bandeira, Suzana A.; Janota, Joyce M.; Bauer, Aaron M. (2020-09-23). "A revision of the Dwarf Geckos, genus Lygodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), from Angola, with the description of three new species". Zootaxa. 4853 (3): 301–352. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4853.3.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 33056364. S2CID 222841571.

Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Lygodactylus blancae and L. blanci, p. 26).

Further reading

Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume I. Geckonidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I-XXXII. (Genus Lygodactylus, pp. 158–159).
Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Genus Lygodactylus, p. 245).
Gray JE (1864). "Notes on some Lizards from South-Eastern Africa, with the Descriptions of several New Species". Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1864: 58-62. (Lygodactylus, new genus, p. 59).
Mezzasalma M, Andreone F, Aprea G, Glaw F, Odierna G, Guarino FM (2016). "Molecular phylogeny, biogeography and chromosome evolution of Malagasy dwarf geckos of the genus Lygodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae)". Zoologica Scripta 46 (1): 42–54.
Puente M, Glaw F, Vieites DR, Vences M (2009). "Review of the systematics, morphology and distribution of Malagasy dwarf geckos, genera Lygodactylus and Microscalabotes (Squamata: Gekkonidae)". Zootaxa 2103: 1–76.
Röll B, Pröhl H, Hoffmann K-P (2010). "Multigene phylogenetic analysis of Lygodactylus dwarf geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56 (1): 327–335.