Narudasia festiva METHUEN & HEWITT, 1914
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Narudasia festiva
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Narudasia festiva METHUEN & HEWITT 1914: 127 Quedenfeldtia festiva — LOVERIDGE 1947: 69 Narudasia festiva — UNDERWOOD 1954: 473 Narudasia festiva — WERMUTH 1965: 110 Narudasia festiva — KLUGE 1993 Narudasia festiva — RÖSLER 1995: 135 Narudasia festiva — MASHININI & MAHLANGU 2013 Narudasia festivae — BARTS 2021 (in error) |
| Distribution | C/S Namibia Type locality: South Narudas, on the foothills of the Karas-Mountains, SW Africa. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Type: DNMNH (= TM) 3038, BMNH 1946.8.20.47 (and possibly additional specimens). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Narudasia is very small, reaching only about 30 mm in SVL. They are relatively gracile in form, with depressed head and body, the head being long. As in all gekkonids, eyelids do not function. Narudasia is brightly colored, with a purplish-brown body and yellow-orange tail, plus dark wavy crossbands. Narudasia can be distinguished from other geckos by the following combination of characteristics: hyoid with second ceratobranchial cartilages; 14 scleral ossicles; stapedial foramen present; frontal single; parietal paired; cloacal bones absent; phalangeal formula 2-3-4-5-3/2-3-4-5-4 or 2-3-4-5-4/2-3-4-5-4 (manus/pes); paraphalangeal elements absent; eye with vertical pupil having notched margins; digits free, long, and slender, adhesive lamellae absent; claws prominent; dorsal scalation consists of small, smooth granules; preanal pores absent; tail long, tapering; females lay two hard-shelled eggs (Methuen and Hewitt 1914, Loveridge 1947, Kluge 1967, Branch 1998, Alexander and Marais 2007, Russell and Bauer 2008). Additional details (1706 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | This is the only reptile genus that is strictly endemic to Namibia (although it may occur in neighbouring South Africa fide BAUER & BRANCH 2003) Type species: Narudasia festiva METHUEN & HEWITT 1914 is the type species of the genus Narudasia METHUEN & HEWITT 1914. Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. |
| Etymology | The name festivus is Latin for gay, joyous, or merry, for its characteristic habit: Dr. H. H. W. Pearson noticing this species at Narudas Slid described it to Mr. Methuen as "a ridiculous little beast sitting on a rock and waving its yellow tail in the air." (cited in Methuen & Hewitt 1914) The genus was named after its type locality, Narudas Süd in Karas Region, Namibia + Latin -ia, dedicative suffix. [“…18 examples at Narudas Süd, in crevices of rocks in the river bed at the foot of the Great Karas Mountains…”]. |
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