Ptenopus sceletus BECKER, ALEXANDER & TOLLEY, 2025
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Ptenopus sceletus
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Skeleton Coast barking gecko Afrikaans: Skedelkus blafgeitjie |
| Synonym | Ptenopus sceletus BECKER, ALEXANDER & TOLLEY 2025: 313 |
| Distribution | Namibia Type locality: NE of Swakopmund (Skeleton Coast), Erongo Region, Namibia (–22.6259, 14.5457) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. NMNW R12100, adult male, collected by Francois S. Becker on 21 April 2023. Paratypes. NMNW R12101–3, adult males except for NMNW R12101 (adult female, allotype), same collection details as the holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A moderately large Ptenopus (SVL max. 57.1 mm, mean 52.7 mm, n = 18) with a moderate tail (TL 70% [range 62–80] of SVL, n = 12), an overall lean appearance, and comparatively slender limbs. In preserve state it is morphologically indistinguishable from P. carpi except by having a generally broader or shorter head/snout, when viewed from beneath (Fig. 19E). Live specimens are more easily distinguished, with only males possessing a bright yellow gular patch, as is typical for the genus (Fig. 19E, vs. gular patch in both sexes in P. carpi sensu stricto); by silver to brown iris colouration (Fig. 19F, vs. red or ochre in P. carpi). It is distinguished from all other congeners except for P. carpi, by a combination of the following characters: Banded dorsal colour pattern on the body and tail (vs. spotted or speckled pattern in P. garrulus and P. kochi, and large, paired, ovoid light markings interspaced by darker mottled patches in other species); weakly fringed toes, with fringe length being generally less than half the breadth of the toe between fringes (vs. more than half for other species); nostrils not covered internally by a projection from the upper nasal scale (vs. is covered partially or completely in other species); being larger than most congeners (except P. kochi), and having longer, leaner limbs. (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 3515 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). |
| Etymology | Named in reference to the Skeleton Coast, which generally refers to the coastal Namib Desert between the Swakop River and the Kunene River, encapsulating the species’ entire distribution and type locality. In addition, the white or grey dorsal surfaces of the head and feet give the gecko a ghostly or skeletal appearance (Fig. 19B). Becker et al. therefore use the specific epithet “sceletus”, the Latin noun in apposition meaning “skeleton”. |
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