Gekko asahi MATSUKOJI, CAO, POYARKOV, OKAMIYA, XU, YUAN, 2026
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Gekko asahi?
Gekko asahi
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: West Japanese Gecko |
| Synonym | Gekko asahi MATSUKOJI, CAO, POYARKOV, OKAMIYA, XU, YUAN 2026 |
| Distribution | Japan (Nagasaki and Kagoshima Prefectures: Hirado Island, Nakano-shima Island, Oitoku Island, Okinoshima Island, Toyaku Island, Fukue Island, Hisaka Island, Naru Island, Kaba Island, Mae Island, Kuro Island, Aka Island, Wakamatsu Island, Nakadori Island, Meshima Island, Oshima Island, Kuro Island; Enoshima Island; Oshima Island; Kakinoura Island; Matsu Island; Ohiki Island; Ike Island; Nishisonogi Peninsula in Nagasaki Prefecture. In Kagoshima Prefecture: Koshiki Islands, Kami-Koshiki Island, Naka-Koshiki Island, Naka Island, Shimo-Koshiki Island, the Uji Islands, the Kusagaki Islands, and the Satsuma Peninsula. Type locality: Nakadori Island, Shinkamigoto Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu District, Japan (32.8611°N, 129.0756°E; 3 m asl.) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: SPMN-HP 003810 (Field NO. TMR-65, adult male), collected by Seiji Tsujita on January 08, 2024. Paratypes: (N = 9, Nagasaki and Kagoshima Prefectures, Japan). • SPMN-HP 003811 (Field NO. TMR-69, adult female) from the same locality of the holotype, collected by Seiji Tsujita; • SPMN-HP 003812 (Field NO. TMR-85, adult male) from Okinoshima Island, Noko Town, Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture (33.1921°N, 129.3567°E; 2.5 m asl.) collected by Tomoya Matsukoji on September 23, 2024; • SPMN-HP 003813 (Field NO. TMR-104, adult male) from Hirado Island, Noko Town, Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture (33.1815°N, 129.3502°E; 3 m asl.), collected by Tomoya Matsukoji on September 23, 2024; • SPMN-HP 003814 (Field NO. TMR-117, adult male) from Kashiyama Town, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture (32.8061°N, 129.7375°E; 2.5 m asl.), collected by Tomoya Matsukoji, Masahiro Nagano, Yusuke Fuji on November 04, 2024; • SPMN-HP 003815 (Field NO. TMR-148, adult female) from Kasasa Town, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture (31.4213°N, 130.1815°E; 2 m asl.), collected by Tomoya Matsukoji on July 07, 2025; • SPMN-HP 003816 (Field NO. TMR-149, adult male) from Nagashima Island, Nagashima Town, Kagoshima Prefecture (32.1609°N, 130.1082°E; 5 m asl.), collected by Tomoya Matsukoji on July 07, 2025; • SPMN-HP 003817 (Field NO. TMR-161, adult female) from Shimo-Koshiki Island, Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture (31.6361°N, 129.6996°E; 5 m asl.), collected by Tomoya Matsukoji on July 05, 2025; • SPMN-HP 003818 (Field NO. TMR-163, adult female) from Naka-Koshiki Island, Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture (31.8005°N, 129.8424°E; 2 m asl.), collected by Tomoya Matsukoji on July 05, 2025; • SPMN-HP 003819 (Field NO. TMR-167, adult female) from Kami-Koshiki Island, Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture (31.8778°N, 129.8599°E; 50 m asl.), collected by Tomoya Matsukoji on July 05, 2025. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis:Gekko asahi sp. nov. can be diagnosed from other Japonigekko species by the following unique combination of characters: (1) a moderate body size (SVL reaches up to 73.85 mm in males and 73.96 mm in females); (2) 6–9 supralabials and 6–8 infralabials; (3) internasal scales absent; (4) two postmentals; (5) 14–18 preorbitals; (6) 34–44 interorbital scales; (7) 158–189 ventral scales between the mental and the cloacal slit; (8) 127–158 midbody scale rows; (9) 32–45 ventral scale rows; (10) prominent dorsal tubercles present from the posterior head through the neck to the anterior portion of the tail, arranged in 12–16 rows at midbody and numbering 17–23 tubercles along a longitudinal line on the dorsum between the limb insertions; (11) subdigital lamellae 8–11 on finger I, 9–14 on finger IV, 9–12 on toe I, and 10–18 on toe IV; (12) webbing absent; (13) 6–9 precloacal pores in males, absent in females; (14) one postcloacal tubercle on each side, with the midpoint of the tubercle distinctly concave in some male individuals; (15) in life, the dorsum is predominantly yellowish-gray, with 8–9 indistinct pale yellowish-brown rounded patterns, and venter is pale golden-yellow in color. (MATSUKOJI et al. 2026) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about less than half a page) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material. |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after Japanese “朝日” (あさひ,asahi), meaning “morning sun” or “rising sun”. The name refers to the slightly faint yellow to light orange-red coloration present on the body and limbs, as well as the bright reddish yellow to pale golden-yellow coloration of the ventral surface of the new species, which resembles the warm hue of the early morning sunlight. |
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