Hemiphyllodactylus harterti (WERNER, 1900)
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Hemiphyllodactylus harterti
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Bintang slender gecko, Hartert’s slender gecko |
| Synonym | Lepidodactylus harterti WERNER 1900: 196 Gehyra larutensis BOULENGER 1900:188 (part.) Hemiphyllodactylus harterti — CHAN-ARD et al. 1999: 128 Hemiphyllodactylus harterti — RÖSLER 2000: 88 Hemiphyllodactylus harterti — DAS & YAAKOB 2007 Hemiphyllodactylus harterti — GRISMER et al. 2010 Hemiphyllodactylus harterti — ZUG 2010: 43 Hemiphyllodactylus harterti — GRISMER & QUAH 2019 |
| Distribution | W Malaysia (Larut Hills and Gunong Inas, Perak) (fide CHAN-ARD et al. 1999, ZUG 2010) Type locality: “Malakka” (Malaysia), restricted to “Gunong Inas” (Perak, Malaysia) by BOULENGER 1912: 48. |
| Reproduction | bisexual. |
| Types | Holotype: ZMB 15360 |
| Diagnosis | Description. A bisexual taxon of geckos (Gekkoninae) with robust habitus, slightly compressed trunk and moderately large head (Figures 3, 11, 12), tail round to elliptical in cross section and somewhat shorter than SVL. An adult male (holotype of H. larutensis; Figure 12), 35.3 mm SVL, 31 mm TailL, 17.8 mm TrunkL, 8.3 mm HeadL, 6.3 mm HeadW, 3.5 mm SnEye, 2.6 mm NarEye, 2.1 mm EyeD, and 1.8 mm SnW. Proportions: 50% TrunkL/SVL, 24 % HeadL/SVL, 18% HeadW/SVL, 75% HeadW/HeadL, 42% SnEye/HeadL, 31% NarEye/HeadL, 25% EyeD/HeadL, 22% SnW/HeadL, 81% EyeD/NarEye, 29% SnW/HeadW. Scalation: 2 CircNa, 3 SnS, 10 Suplab, 10 Inflab, 9 Chin (anteromedial ones strongly enlarged, 2× larger than adjacent ones that are also enlarged), 15 Dorsal, 6 Ventral, 2 CloacS, Subcaud not enlarged, 36 TotPore precloacal and femoral pores continuous with demarcation between two series, digital formulae 3-3-3-3 (forefoot) and 3-3-4-3 (hindfoot). Caecum not pigmented, pigmentation unknown for testis epididymis. Aside from coloration, female morphological traits are detailed in the holotype description below. Head to trunk dorsally and laterally a yellowish to dusky tan ground color; tail distinctly brighter (lighter) than body and limbs. Light spots in a dorsolateral series from neck to postsacral mark or dark brown dorsolateral stripe from neck merging into dark median border of postsacral mark. Tail uniformly colored. (Zug 2010: 43) Major diagnostic features: bisexual taxon; caecum and (likely) gonadal ducts not pigmented; precloacal–femoral pore series continuous; chin scales bordering mental and first infralabial distinctly enlarged; digital lamellae formulae 3-3-3-3 (forefoot) and 3-3-4-3 (hindfoot); adult SVL < 40 mm; dorsum of head and trunk either nearly uniform tan or with narrow dark dorsolateral stripes and contrasting with lighter tail, outer edge of postsacral mark continuous with caudal color. (Zug 2010: 43) Description of holotype: An adult female (Figure 12) , 40.9 mm SVL, 39 mm TailL, 21.5 mm TrunkL, 9.7 mm HeadL, 6.3 mm HeadW, 4.0 mm SnEye, 3.2 mm NarEye, 2.9 mm EyeD, and 2.0 mm SnW. Proportions: 53% TrunkL/SVL, 24% HeadL/SVL, 15% HeadW/SVL, 65% HeadW/HeadL, 41% SnEye/HeadL, 33% NarEye/HeadL, 30% EyeD/HeadL, 21% SnW/HeadL, 91% EyeD/NarEye, 32% SnW/HeadW. Scalation: 3 CircNa, 2 SnS, 10 Suplab, 11 Inflab, 6 Chin (anteromedial ones enlarged, twice as large as adjacent ones that are also enlarged), ? Dorsal, ? Ventral, 1 CloacS, Subcaud not enlarged, 0 PreclPor, 0 TotPore, digital formulae not known. No pigmentation on caecum or oviducts. Specimen faded to uniform beige dorsally and laterally, somewhat lighter ventrally. Evidence of a dark postsacral mark. (Zug 2010: 43) |
| Comment | Synonymy: H. harterti has been previously synonymized with Hemiphyllodactylus larutensis but revalidated by ZUG (2010) and other authors. The two species have often been confused in the literature (see GRISMER et al. 2013 for a discussion). Male H. larutensis have 2–36 femoroprecloacal pores and two or three cloacal spurs whereas male H. harterti have 44 or 45 femoroprecloacal pores and a single cloacal spur. See Table 5 in GRISMER et al. 2013 for a comparison of H. larutensis and H. harterti. Behavior: nocturnal Distribution: see map in Grismer et al. 2015 (Fig. 1C). |
| Etymology | Werner (1900) noted that a single specimen (holotype) of this gecko was collected in Malakka by a Mr. Hartert and deposited in the Berlin collection. Presumably, the Hartert referred to by Werner is Ernest Johann Otto Hartert, an ornithologist who served as the bird curator in L. W. Rothschild’s private museum at Tring, UK, between 1892 and 1929. Prior to his employment at Tring, Hartert visited Asia and elsewhere and collected birds, insects, and other animals. He reported his research travels in a popular book, Aus den Wanderjahren eines Naturforschers (Hartert, 1901–1902) (from ZUG 2010). |
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