Geckolepis bekira VENCES, GLAW, KÖHLER, MIRALLES, DU PREEZ, PREICK, RAKOTOARISON, SCHERZ, HOFREITER & PETZOLD, 2026
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Geckolepis bekira
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Geckolepis bekira VENCES, GLAW, KÖHLER, MIRALLES, DU PREEZ, PREICK, RAKOTOARISON, SCHERZ, HOFREITER & PETZOLD 2026: 218 |
| Distribution | Madagascar (Montagne des Français) Type locality: Montagne des Français (near French Fort; 12.3258°S, 49.3381°E, 260 m above sea level), northern Madagascar |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. ZSM 1523/2008 (field number FGzC 1971), adult specimen, collected by F. Glaw & J. köhler on 3 March 2008. Paratypes. We here designate six genotyped specimens belonging to lineages F and E as paratypes:zSM 2112/2007 (FGzC 1110), collected by F. Glaw, P. Bora, H. Enting, J. köhler & A. knoll on 27 February 2007 at the type locality. zSM 912/2003 (FGMV 2002.939), adult male, collected by F. Glaw & R.D. Randrianiaina on 20 February 2003 on Montagne des Français. zSM 522/2000 (FGMV 2000.273), collected by F. Glaw, k. Schmidt & M. Vences on 13 March 2000 on Montagne des Français. zSM 2138/2007 (FGzC 1176), collected by F. Glaw, P. Bora, H. Enting, J. köhler & A. knoll on 5 March 2007 at Forêt de Orangea (east of Ramena), northern Madagascar. zSM 2202/2007 (FGzC 1309) andzSM 2203/2007 (FGzC 1311), collected by F. Glaw, J.köhler & H. Enting on 7 March 2007 on Nosy Hara islet (12.2426°S, 49.0129°E, near sea level).Additional material. The following four specimens belonging to lineage G are not included in the type series due to their somewhat larger genetic differentiation as they may be found to be taxonomically distinct in the future: zSM 780/2003 (FG/MV 2002.597), zSM 765/2003 (FGMV 2002.569), and zSM 766/2003 (FGMV 2002.570), collected by F. Glaw, R.D. Randrianiaina & A. Razafimanantsoa on 12 February 2003 in Ankarana National Park. zSM 1522/2008 (FGzC 1605), collected by F. Glaw, M. Franzen, J. köhler & N. D’Cruze on 12 February 2008 in Ankarana National Park (Petit Tsingy). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Assigned to the genus Geckolepis based on molecular phylogenetic relationships and body covered with large, imbricated scales. Based on morphological data of Lemme et al. (2013), characterized by snout–vent length <54 mm, 25–28 scales around midbody, 33–43 ventral scale rows, condition A or B of mental scale, eight supralabials, and usually a dark stripe from eye to ear opening. The new species differs from G. humbloti, G. maculata, G. megalepis and G. modesta by a smaller body size (SVL in these species reaching up to 65–75 mm), from G. megalepis and G. modesta furthermore by more scales around midbody (25–28 vs. 17–25), and from G. megalepis also by more ventral scale rows (33–43 vs. 27–32); from G. typica by a different condition of mental scale (A or B vs. D); from G. polylepis by having fewer ventral scale rows (33–43 vs. 48–55) and more scales around midbody (25–28 vs. 35–38). The new species can be differentiated from all other species and lineages in the genus complex by numerous diagnostic nucleotide positions in the mitochondrial genome. MolD identified for the nd4 fragment a robust diagnostic nucleotide combination of an “A” at site 904, a “C” at site 975, and a “T” at site 1002 (positions relative to the full nd4 gene of Geckolepis). (Vences 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 the Malagasy words be (= big) and kira (= scale), referring to the large imbricated scales that distinguish this and other species of Geckolepis from other Malagasy geckos. The species epithet is an invariable noun in apposition to the generic name. |
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