Gehyra kimberleyi BÖRNER & SCHÜTTLER, 1982
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Gehyra kimberleyi?
Gehyra kimberleyi
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Robust termitaria gecko, Kimberley Dtella |
| Synonym | Gehyra punctata — BÖRNER & SCHÜTTLER 1982 Gehyra kimberleyi BÖRNER & SCHÜTTLER 1983 Dactyloperus kimberleyi — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Gehyra kimberleyi — KLUGE 1993 Gehyra kimberleyi — RÖSLER 2000: 80 Gehyra kimberleyi — OLIVER et al. 2016 |
| Distribution | Australia (NW Western Australia) Type locality: 5 km S Derby, Western Australia. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: private collection of AR Börner, BSRC Geck 65 SC (as of September 2012, this was still in Börner’s possession, though efforts were under way to try to have Börner’s types lodged in SMF -- G.M. Shea, pers. comm., 2 March 2014, confirmed on 3 March 2016). Borner apparently gave it to a zoo, who then discarded the specimens (Aaron Bauer, pers. comm. via Paul Doughty, 8 Apr 2019), hence type apparently lost. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: small arboreal geeko (4 cm SVL) of the genus Gehyra with: no cutareous fold on the hind limbs; no digital web; a wide head in relation to its length, a moderately high but not a depressed or a distinctly high head; 6-7 supralabials and sublabials; anterior pair of chin shields not in contact uith second sublabials; 9 completely divided scansors under 4th toe; 6 same scansors under 4th finger; light brom (fawn) ground colour fading to a creamy grayish towards the flanks, underneath white; light spots on the head; lower flanks and labials with dark points, fewer than in Gehyra pilbara; on the dorsum large white spots arranged in transversal rows (very conspicuous); few dark brown spots on head and, nape, fewer on dorsum, more on sacrum, where they may form chevrons [from BÖRNER 1983: 3]. |
| Comment | Group: Member of the Gehyra variegata-punctata species complex. The validity of this species is controversial, not the least because the journal in which this species was described is privately published. Not listed by COGGER 2000. Illustrations. Börner’s paper has only 2 very bad black and white photos of the (apparently) dead type, without showing any color or scalation details. However, he says that “another specimen referable to this species seems to be the one depicted by Cogger (1975, 1979) in figure 400”. |
| Etymology | Although the original description mentions the ‘Kimberleys’ (sic) (Börner & Schüttler 1983, p. 1), no explicit etymology was provided. The presumed correct formation of the specific name is ‘kimberleyensis’, which means the taxon is from the Kimberley region. The proposed name ‘kimberleyi’ would refer to a male named Kimberley. The error, however, cannot be emended under current ICZN rules of nomenclature. The suggested common name refers to species’ body habitus, and ‘termitaria’ indicates this species’ habitat preference (although it is not exclusive to termitaria) (Oliver et al. 2016). |
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