Monday, June 27, 2011

[Herpetology • 2009] Hemidactylus gujaratensis • Rock-Dwelling Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Gujarat, India


Hemidactylus gujaratensis
• Rock-Dwelling Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Gujarat, India

Abstract: A new species of Hemidactylus gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) is described from Girnar in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India. This medium-sized, chiefly rupicolous gecko may be distinguished from its south Asian congeners by having 12–16 rows of irregularly arranged, flattened to weakly conical dorsal tubercles, 7–9 subdigital lamellae on digit I of the pes and 10–11 on digit IV, and 12–14 femoral pores on each thigh separated by a median diastema. This is the second Hemidactylus currently regarded as endemic to Gujarat and the 10th member of the genus recorded for the state.

Giri., V.B., Aaron M. Bauer, A.M., Vyas, R. and Patil, S. 2009. New Species of Rock-Dwelling Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Gujarat, India. Journal of Herpetology. 43(3): 385-393. doi: 10.1670/08-137R1.1 | http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.1670/08-137R1.1

Photo: Hemidactylus gujaratensis -- http://varadgiri.com/