Bavayia sauvagii (BOULENGER, 1883)
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Bavayia sauvagii
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| Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Sauvage's New Caledonian Gecko |
| Synonym | Lepidodactylus sauvagii BOULENGER 1883: 122 Hemidactylus cyclura — SAUVAGE 1879 (part.) Lepidodactylus sauvagii — BOULENGER 1885: 168 Bavayia sauvagei — ROUX 1913 Bavaya [sic] sauvagei — UNDERWOOD 1954 Bavayia sauvagi — BROWN 1956 Bavayia sauvagii — SADLIER 1989 Bavayia sauvagii — RÖSLER 2000: 60 Bavayia sauvagii — BAUER et al. 2012 Bavayia cf. sauvagii — LANGNER & SCHÖNECKER 2018 Bavayia sauvagii — BAUER et al. 2022: 17 |
| Distribution | New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands (Maré) Type locality: New Caledonia. Neotype locality: "Mt. Koghis, Province Sud," New Caledonia [22°10'43"S, 166°30'20"E] |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Neotype: MNHN-RA 1998.0605* (formerly AMS R.146526), coll. R.A. Sadlier, January 1995, designation by Wright, Bauer and Sadlier (2000:41). Former holotype: MNHN-RA 5790 (fide Boulenger 1883: 122) but not listed by Guibé 1954; presented by E. Deyrolle, 8.v.1879, see comment. |
| Diagnosis | Definition (sauvagii clade): Members of the B. sauvagii Clade are distinguished from other B. sauvagii Group taxa by their intermediate body size (maximum 45-60 mm SVL vs. 72 mm in B. geitaina) and the placement of the claw of digit I of the manus and pes lateral to a single medial apical scansor (vs. between a much larger medial and a much smaller lateral scansor in the B. pulchella, B. exsuccida, and B. geitaina Clades). Males possess a single row of precloacal pores (with a single pore in a second row reported for one individual, see B. loyaltiensis) with 15-27 pores (rarely fewer). Tail length <105% SVL, with 6-7 dorsal scale rows per tail whorl (vs. 9 in B. geitaina). The dorsum typically bears a pattern of four (rarely five) dark transverse markings between limb insertions (vs. typically five or more in B. geitaina). These geckos are most similar in general appearance to members of the B. centralis Clade but are generally smaller and more commonly maintain unfragmented dark dorsal pattern elements. (Bauer et al. 2022) Diagnosis: Bavayia sauvagii is a large member of the Bavayia sauvagii Clade (maximum 60 mm SVL), characterized by its relatively short, depressed body and short tail (to 102% SVL); digits IV relatively narrow; 6-12 (usually >10) relatively slender lamellae beneath digit IV of hindfoot; claw of digit of manus and pes borne lateral to a single medial apical scansor. Single row of 7-23 precloacal pores (usually >12, with individuals from Mt. Mou having lower counts); relatively high number of cloacal spur scales. Dorsal pattern typically with four largely symmetrical, well demarcated, thin to moderately thick, dark, transverse markings between the limb insertions, and pale head dorsum with a pair of pale, often ill-defined nape stripes; flanks with whitish punctations or spots. Tail usually with pale dorsal markings longer than dark interspaces (here and in all following Diagnoses and Descriptions refer to Fig. 3 for color pattern elements). Among its own clade members B. sauvagi is distinguished by its larger size (to 60 mm SVL vs. 52 mm or less) and from B. loyaltiensis by its lack of a distinctly differentiated precloacal pore row and its lower number of cloacal spur scales (maximum 6 vs. 8). From B. campestris sp. nov. and B. kunyie sp. nov. it differs in its greater number of cloacal spur scales (6 vs. 4) and in having pale dorsal tail blotches longer than dark interspaces (vs. dark interspaces usually as long or longer than pale blotches). (Bauer et al. 2022) |
| Comment | Types: "The holotype of Lepidodactylus sauvagii appears to be conspecific with Bavayia cyclura, although the description is clearly appropriate to B. sauvagii as presently construed" (Bauer 1994). Abundance: Common and fairly widespread. Distribution: see map in Bauer et al. 2022: 20 (Fig. 7). Group: B. sauvagii group (sauvagii, campestris, kunyie, loyaltiensis) |
| Etymology | Named after Dr. Henri-Emile Sauvage (1844-1917), a French paleontologist, herpetologist, and ichthyologist. |
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