Ptenopus carpi BRAIN, 1962
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Ptenopus carpi?
Ptenopus carpi
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Namib Chirping Gecko, Carp’s barking gecko Afrikaans: Carp se blafgeitjie |
| Synonym | Ptenopus carpi BRAIN 1962 Ptenopus carpi — WERMUTH 1965: 153 Ptenopus carpi — HAACKE 1976 Ptenopus carpi — KLUGE 1993 Ptenopus carpi — RÖSLER 2000: 107 Ptenopus carpi — MASHININI & MAHLANGU 2013 Ptenopus carpi — SCHLEICHER 2020 Ptenopus carpi — TOLLEY et al. 2024 Ptenopus carpi —BECKER et al. 2025 |
| Distribution | Namibia (Namib Desert) Type locality: 1 mile north of the Kuisib River near Gobabeb, central Namib, South West Africa. Ca. -23.5456, 15.0400 (Becker et al. 2025) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: DNMNH (= TM) 25973, adult male; paratypes: TM |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A large Ptenopus (SVL max. 64.7 mm, mean 53.7 mm, n = 33) with a moderate tail (TL 66.7% [range 61–72] of SVL) and lean appearance, with slender limbs and reduced toe fringes compared to other species. Preserved specimens are morphologically indistinguishable from P. sceletus sp. nov., but usually have a longer snout or narrower head (than P. sceletus sp. nov.), clearly visible from below (compare Figs 17E and 19E); live specimens can be distinguished by lack of sexual dichromatism, with females having a yellow gular patch as in males (Fig. 17E, vs. no female gular patch or very faint yellow in P. sceletus sp. nov.), and by red or ochre iris colouration (Fig. 17F, vs. silver to brown in P. sceletus sp. nov.). This species and P. sceletus sp. nov. are the only members of the genus with a clearly banded dorsal colour pattern on the body and tail. For a more detailed morphological diagnosis and description, see Haacke (1975). (Becker et al. 2025) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 2460 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Distribution: for a map see Becker et al. 2025: 289 (Fig. 5). Currently, no P. carpi can be found at the type locality. The closest location of current occurrence from Gobabeb, is 9 km to the northwest. Synonymy: Becker et al. 2025 split P. carpi into 2 species, P. carpi sensu stricto, and P. sceletus. |
| Etymology | Named after Bernhard Carp (1901-1966), a Dutch-born Cape Town businessman and naturalist who sponsored many collecting expeditions, particularly to Namibia, by the Zoological Museum in Amsterdam. |
| References |
|
| External links |