Afroedura africana

ReptiliaSquamataGekkonidaeAfroedura
Written By Gary Nicolau

African Flat Gecko

Alternative Names
Damara Platgeitjie (Afrikaans)
Damara Flat Gecko (English)

Species: Afroedura africana (Boulenger, 1888)

Distribution: Namibia
Distribution extended: Erongo Region, west central Namibia

Type Locality: “restricted to Walfischbay, Damaraland, Südwest-Afrika”
Notes: Südwest-Afrika is now known as Namibia

Habitat: Savanna
Habitat extended: Cliff faces and boulders with crevices in dry savanna

 

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.

Biology: Oviparous (2 eggs), that are laid in the crevices of rocks, underneath flakes, and between boulders.

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, M. F., Alexander, G. J., & Bauer, A. M. (2022). Tribute to a legend of southern African herpetology: Wulf Dietrich Haacke (1936–2021), with a bibliography of his herpetological contributions. African Journal of Herpetology, 71(1), 1-13.

  • Bauer, A. M., Ceríaco, L. M. P., Marques, M. P., & Becker, F. S. (2023). Highland reptiles of Angola and Namibia. Namibian Journal of Environment, 8, 259-276.

  • Bauer, A. M., & Becker, F. (2020). Afroedura africana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T196885A111462020. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T196885A111462020.en. Downloaded on 06 April 2021.

  • Boulenger,G.A. 1888. On new or little known South African reptiles. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 2: 136-141

  • Conradie, W., Lobón-Rovira, J., Becker, F. S., Schmitz, A., & Pinto, P. V. (2023). Flat gecko (Afroedura) diversity, endemism and speciation in the highlands and escarpments of Angola and Namibia. Namibian Journal of Environment, 8, 277-281.

  • Herrmann, H. W., & Branch, W. R. (2013). Fifty years of herpetological research in the Namib Desert and Namibia with an updated and annotated species checklist. Journal of Arid Environments, 93, 94-115.

  • Jacobsen, N. H., Kuhn, A. L., Jackman, T. R., & Bauer, A. M. (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, 3846(4), 451-501.

  • Loveridge, A. (1947). Revision of the African lizards of the family Gekkonidae. Bull Mus Comp Zool, 98, 1-469.

  • Onderstall, D. (1984). Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33(30), 497-509.

  • Rösler, H. (2018). Haftbar--Die einzigartige Welt der Geckos. Begleitheft zur Ausstellung im Naturkundemuseum Erfurt Mai-Aug.

  • Stuart, C. T. (1980). An annotated preliminary list of amphibians and reptiles known to occur in the Namib Desert Park, Namibia. The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 24(1), 4-13.

  • Stuart, C. T. (1976). A note on Pythonodipsas carinata Gunther (Western keeled snake) in South West Africa, with new distribution records. Madoqua, 1976(4), 63-64.

Gary Nicolau
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