Lygodactylus roavolana PUENTE, GLAW, VIEITES & VENCES, 2009
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Lygodactylus roavolana
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Lygodactylus roavolana PUENTE, GLAW, VIEITES & VENCES 2009: 32 Lygodactylus roavolana — RÖLL et al. 2010 Lygodactylus roavolana — GIPPNER et al. 2021 |
| Distribution | Madagascar Type locality: Manantantely (approximately 46°55'E, 24°59'S, close to sea level), southeastern Madagascar. |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: ZSM 5115/2005 (field number FGZC 2324), adult male, collected on 3 February 2005 by P. Bora, F. Glaw & M. Vences. No paratypes. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: The new species can be assigned to the L. pictus group based on the characters listed in the group definition above, especially by the presence of a semi-divided mental scale and the presence of two postmental scales. Within this group, it differs from L. pictus and L. tuberosus by the presence of a large and very distinct black spot (encircling a smaller white spot) above and in front of the insertion of forelimbs (absent in L. pictus, only small spots present in L. tuberosus). It further differs from L. pictus by having 7 infralabial scales (vs. 4–6), and from L. pictus and L. tuberosus by the apparent absence of a claw on the first finger. Species in the L. madagascariensis group share with the new species a number of only two postmentals and the absence of a claw on the first finger, but in these species, the mental scale is undivided. A claw on the first finger is also absent in L. mirabilis, L. intermedius and L. montanus, but these species are readily distinguished by their keeled or partially keeled dorsal scales (versus granular dorsal scales in L. roavolana). We cannot fully exclude that the absence of a claw on the first finger in the new species may be an artefact, because we could verify it on only one forelimb in a single specimen. However, the new species is also diagnosed by its unique colour pattern: the conspicuous pair of large ocellae above the forelimbs is not known from any other species of Malagasy Lygodactylus. (PUENTE et al. 2009) |
| Comment | Habitat and distribution: The holotype was collected in the late afternoon, active on a tree trunk in disturbed low-altitude rainforest, ca. 1 m above the ground. This species has apparently not been detected during previous surveys in the nearby Andohahela reserve (Andreone & Randriamahazo 1997, Nussbaum et al. 1999). However, the species has more recently been recorded from this reserve (Theisinger 2008). |
| Etymology | The name “roavolana” refers to the Malagasy words roa meaning “two” and volana meaning “moon”, and refers to the two extremely conspicuous ocellae of the new species. The name is used as a noun in apposition. |
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