Afroedura amatolica
Amatola Flat Gecko
Alternative Names
Amatola Platgeitjie (Afrikaans)
Species: Afroedura amatolica (Hewitt, 1925)
Distribution: South Africa
Distribution extended: (Eastern Cape). Endemic to the Amathole region of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Type Locality: “Summit of the Amatola Range near Hogsback” Eastern Cape (Hewitt, 1925)
Habitat: Mesic rocky habitats in grasslands, thicket and forests
Habitat extended: Rupicolous, feeding on invertebrates, predominantly insects
Natural History: Locally abundant. Rupicolous (rock-dwelling) species, seeking refuge in tight crevices or underneath rocks. They are primarily nocturnal and feed on insects and likely other arthropods. They exhibit synanthropic behaviour, found on the sides of houses and other structures.
Biology: Oviparous. 2 eggs (7.5-9mm wide / 105-12.5 mm long) laid in summer. Communal breeding sites. A total of eight eggs hatched during a 10 day period (24 January - 3 February 1989). Juveniles hatch at approximately 20-22 mm SVL. and 18-22 mm tail. length (Branch et al. 1990).
Conservation Status: According to the IUCN Red List, this species is classified as "Least Concern," indicating that it is not currently considered to be at high risk of extinction.
Additional information
The Reptile Database (See here)
IUCN Red List (See here)
iNaturalist (See here)
LITERATURE
Bates MF, Bauer AM. 2018. Afroedura amatolica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T196889A115660798. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T196889A115660798.en. Downloaded on 06 April 2021.
Bauer AM. 2014. Afroedura amatolica (Hewitt, 1925). In: Bates MF, Branch WR, Bauer AM, Burger M, Marais J, Alexander GJ, de Villiers M (Eds.). Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 91.
Branch, W.R.; Branch, R.E; Branch, M.S. 1990. Life History Note: Afroedura amatolica: Reproduction. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (37): 49-49
Jacobsen NHG, Kuhn AL, Kuhn AL, Jackman TR, Bauer AM. 2014. A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. Zootaxa 5;3846(4):451-501. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1.
Hewitt J. 1925. On some new species of Reptiles and Amphibians from South Africa. Records of the Albany Museum (Grahamstown) 3: 343-370.
Makhubo BG, Tolley KA, Bates MF. 2015. Molecular phylogeny of the Afroedurua nivaria (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) species complex in South Africa provides insight on cryptic speciation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 82: 31-42.