Pachydactylus serval WERNER, 1910
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Pachydactylus serval
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Western Spotted Thick-toed Gecko |
| Synonym | Pachydactylus serval WERNER 1910: 313 Pachydactylus pardus [STERNFELD 1911] Pachydactylus montanus onscepensis HEWITT 1935: 318 Pachydactylus serval — LOVERIDGE 1947: 388 Pachydactylus serval — WERMUTH 1965: 123 Pachydactylus serval — KLUGE 1993 Pachydactylus serval — RÖSLER 2000: 99 |
| Distribution | Namibia (Oranje valley, S Touw's River, S Great Namaqualand; Lüderitz, Keetmanshoop, Karasburg, Bethanie, Maltahöhe, Swakopmund, and Mariental Districts), Republic of South Africa (Cape Province); elevation around 1500 m. onsceepensis: Orange River Valley Type locality: Chamis, Greater Namaqualand, Southwest Africa. See BAUER et al. (2006) for a discussion of the type locality. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: ZMB 23121, designated by implication by Loveridge 1947, see Bauer and Günther 1991. Holotype: PEM R16050 (formerly AMG 6879) [onscepensis] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: To 49.3 mm SVL (Visser 1984 reported a maximum of 53.5 mm SVL but we examined no specimens in this size range). Pachydactylus serval may be distinguished from all other members of the P. serval/weberi group by the combination of the following characters: rostral enters nostril; supranasals in variable contact; scales on dorsum of head smooth and granular, those on snout larger than those of interorbital region; parietal scales tiny, granular, with no intermixed tubercles; dorsal scalation homogeneous, with only a few small, scattered flattened tubercles on sacrum and/or lumbar region; thighs without tubercles; toes relatively short with moderately wide pads; typically 5 undivided lamellae beneath digit IV of pes; tail to at least 107% SVL, moderately annulate, bearing whorls of small, rounded to pointed, unkeeled, white to yellow tubercles, widely separated form each other; adult pattern spotted, dark brown spots relatively large and arranged in more-or-less regular rows on a yellowish- to purplish-brown background, no nape band or nape band weakly evident; in some subadults adult spotted pattern and juvenile banding may cooccur; juvenile pattern of a light (white to ashy) nape band and a similar broad band across posterior abdomen and sacrum and extending on to hindlimbs (although typically becoming more brownish or blackish distally on limbs), remainder of body dark, blackish in life (see also Visser 1984:51), tail brownish [from BAUER et al. 2006]. Additional details (39 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Synonymy: LOVERIDGE 1947 synonymized Pachydactylus montanus and P. m. onscepensis with Pachydactylus serval. This was followed by more recent authors (e.g. Wermuth 1965, Bates et al. 2014). Conradie et al. 2019, however, listed onscepensis as synonym of montanus. Pachydactylus serval purcelli BOULENGER 1910 has been elevated to full species status by BAUER et al. 2006. Distribution: Reports from Angola are likely to be P. punctatus [BAUER et al. 2006]. HABITAT: Pachydactylus serval is typically found under exfoliating flakes or in narrow crevices in a variety of rock types. Road embankments (Fig. 32), borders of dry riverbeds, low exposures on ridge tops and cliff faces are all occupied if suitable retreats are present. CONSERVATION STATUS.—Pachydactylus serval is patchily distributed and although infrequently encountered in comparison to some other members of the P. servalgroup, it is locally common and under no specific threats. |
| Etymology | Apparently named after the spotted pattern which is similar to the pattern of the Serval, a wild cat native to Africa. |
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