Pachydactylus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
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: Pachydactylus
Species (57): P. acuminatus – P. affinis – P. amoenus – P. angolensis – P. atorquatus – P. austeni – P. barnardi – P. bicolor – P. boehmei – P. capensis – P. caraculicus – P. carinatus – P. etultra – P. fasciatus – P. formosus – P. gaiasensis – P. geitje – P. griffini – P. haackei – P. katanganus – P. kladaroderma – P. kobosensis – P. kochii – P. labialis – P. latirostris – P. macrolepis – P. maculatus – P. maraisi – P. mariquensis – P. mclachlani – P. monicae – P. montanus – P. namaquensis – P. oculatus – P. oreophilus – P. oshaughnessyi – P. otaviensis – P. parascutatus – P. punctatus – P. purcelli – P. rangei – P. reconditus – P. robertsi – P. rugosus – P. sansteynae – P. scherzi – P. scutatus – P. serval – P. tigrinus – P. tsodiloensis – P. vansoni – P. vanzyli – P. visseri – P. wahlbergii – P. waterbergensis – P. weberi – P. werneri
Name

Pachydactylus Wiegmann, 1834

Type species: Pachydactylus bergii Wiegmann, 1834, by monotypy.

References
Primary references

Wiegmann, A.F.A. 1834. Herpetologia Mexicana, seu Descriptio Amphibiorum Novae Hispaniae. Lüderitz.

Additional references

Bauer, A.M. 2010. A new species of Pachydactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Otavi Highlands of northern Namibia. Bonn Zoological Bulletin 57(2): 257–266. Full article: [1].
Bauer, A.M. et al. 2011. Systematics of the Pachydactylus mariquensis group of geckos (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae): status of P. mariquensis latirostris, P. m. macrolepis and P. amoenus. Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein 27(4): 85–108. ISBN 978 1 86847 141 6 PDF
Branch, W.R., Haacke, W., Pinto, P.V., Conradie, W., Baptista, N., Verburgt, L. & Verisimmo, L. 2017. Loveridge’s Angolan geckos, Afroedura karroica bogerti and Pachydactylus scutatus angolensis (Sauria, Gekkonidae): new distribution records, comments on type localities and taxonomic status. Zoosystematics and Evolution 93(1): 157–166. DOI: 10.3897/zse.93.10915 Open access Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2022. Pachydactylus . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 29 August 2020.

Vernacular names
English: Thick-toed Geckos

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 57 distinct species identified when compared to other closely related gecko genera like Rhoptropus, most of which have emerged since 35Ma.[4] 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.[5] P. bibronii geckos have been used by NASA as animal models for experimentation.[6]

Description

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.[5]

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.[4]

Body size in Pachydactylus varies across the 57 species, ranging from 35 to 115mm Snout-Vent Length (SVL)[7] with the ancestral condition of a larger body size with adhesive toe pads to suit a generalist habitat.[5]
Behavior

All observed species of Pachydactylus are strictly nocturnal.[5]
Habitat

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.[5][4] The body size of Pachydactylus geckos has been shown to correlate with their habitat range.[8]
Diet

Lizards of the genus Pachydactylus feed mainly on arthropods, but have been observed eating small vertebrates.[9]
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.[citation needed] In South Africa's rugged Richtersveld region, Pachydactylus geckos comprised 13 of 18 all gecko species surveyed.[10]
Species

There are 57 species that are recognized as being valid:[11]

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[12]
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. 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 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[12]
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

"Pachydactylus ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
Species Pachydactylus wahlbergii at The Reptile Database . ("Colopus wahlbergii PETERS 1869 is the type species of the genus Colopus.")
Species Pachydactylus rangei at The Reptile Database . ("Palmatogecko rangei [ANDERSSON 1908] is the type species of the genus Palmatogecko.")
Gamble T, Greenbaum E, Jackman TR, Russell AP, Bauer AM (2012-06-27). "Repeated origin and loss of adhesive toepads in geckos". PLOS ONE. 7 (6): e39429. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...739429G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039429. PMC 3384654. PMID 22761794.
Heinicke MP, Jackman TR, Bauer AM (January 2017). "The measure of success: geographic isolation promotes diversification in Pachydactylus geckos". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 17 (1): 9. doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0846-2. PMC 5225572. PMID 28077086.
Gulimova, V. I.; Nikitin, V. B.; Asadchikov, V. E.; Buzmakov, A. V.; Okshtein, I. L.; Almeida, E. a. C.; Ilyin, E. A.; Tairbekov, M. G.; Saveliev, S. V. (July 2006). "NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)". Journal of Gravitational Physiology, Volume 13, No. 1. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
Branch W (1998). Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Sanibel, FL: Ralph Curtis Books. ISBN 0883590425.
Gaston KJ, Blackburn TM (1996). "Global Scale Macroecology: Interactions between Population Size, Geographic Range Size and Body Size in the Anseriformes". Journal of Animal Ecology. 65 (6): 701–714. doi:10.2307/5669. ISSN 0021-8790. JSTOR 5669.
Pianka ER, Huey RB (1978). "Comparative Ecology, Resource Utilization and Niche Segregation among Gekkonid Lizards in the Southern Kalahari". Copeia. 1978 (4): 691–701. doi:10.2307/1443698. ISSN 0045-8511. JSTOR 1443698.
Bauer AM. "The herpetofauna of the Richtersveld National Park and the adjacent northern Richtersveld, Northern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa". Herpetological Natural History. 8: 111–160 – via Researchgate.
"Pachydactylus ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. "Pachydactylus barnardi, p. 17; P. weberi, p. 280"