Homopholis walbergii (SMITH, 1849)
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Homopholis walbergii
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Wahlberg’s Velvet Gecko |
| Synonym | Geko Walbergii A. SMITH 1849: plate 75 Homopholis walbergii — BOULENGER 1885: 171 Homopholis macrolepis BOULENGER 1885: 474 (fide LOVERIDGE 1947) Homopholis walbergii — WERMUTH 1965: 93 Homopholus wahlbergi [sic] — KAHL et al. 1980: 137 Homopholis walbergii — AUERBACH 1987: 89 Platypholis walbergii — KLUGE 1993 Homopholis wahlbergi — BRANCH 1993 Homopholis walbergii — KLUGE & NUSSBAUM 1995 Platypholis walbergii — RÖSLER 1995: 148 Homopholis wahlbergi — BOYCOTT 1992 Homopholis wahlbergii — BRANCH 1993: 118 Homopholis walbergii — RÖSLER 2000: 89 Homopholis wahlbergii — BRANCH & BAUER 2005 Homopholis wahlbergii — BROADLEY et al. 2014 |
| Distribution | South Africa (south of the Soutpansberg), Mozambique (south of the Limpopo River) Type locality: Kaffernland easwards to the Cape Colony. Neotype locality: Jozini Dam, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Neotype: PEM R17603, adult female, designated by BROADLEY et al. 2014 Holotype: BMNH 1946.8.26.4 [macrolepis] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Homopholis species are large, ranging from about 70–120 mm in adult maximum SVL. The build is stocky and powerful, with fairly short limbs and a non-depressed body form. As in all gekkonids, eyelids do not function. Homopholis species are generally gray in color, with spots, chevrons, stripes, or bands sometimes present. Homopholis can be distinguished from other geckos by the following combination of characteristics: hyoid without second ceratobranchial cartilages; 14 scleral ossicles; stapedial foramen present; frontal single or paired; parietal fused; cloacal bones present; phalangeal formula 2-3-4-5-3/2-3-4-5-4 (manus/pes); Thecadactylus-type paraphalangeal elements present; eye with vertical pupil having notched margins; digits free, strongly dilated, bearing up to 12 chevron-shaped undivided adhesive lamellae; claws inconspicuous, may be retractable; dorsal scalation consists of small, smooth granules, giving a velvety appearance; preanal pores present; tail round, thick, shorter than SVL, tapering; females lay two hard-shelled eggs (Loveridge 1947, Kluge 1967, Branch 1998, Alexander and Marais 2007, Russell and Bauer 2008). Additional details (511 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Type species: Geko Wahlbergii A. SMITH 1849: plate 7 is the type species of the genus Homopholis BOULENGER 1885: 191. Diet: Whiting et al. (2007) found that the diet of this species consisted largely of beetles and lepidopterans, with alate termites, grasshoppers and small millipedes also well represented. Habitat: Like H. arnoldi, this species is often found on the walls of buildings, in rock crevices, holes of tree trunks, or under the loose bark of dead trees. Karyotype: Chrostek et al. 2023. |
| Etymology | Named after the collector of the type specimen, Mr. Walberg of Stockholm. Note, however, that Smith’s spelling was not consistent. He used “wahlbergii” in the index to his book, but “walbergi” in the description. We use walbergi here as he explicitly mentions “Mr. Walberg”. However, Smith 1849, in an unpaginated errata page, corrects the spelling from “Walbergii” to “Wahlbergii” |
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