Afroedura haackei
Haacke’s Flat Gecko
Alternative Names
Haacke se Platgeitjie (Afrikaans)
Species: Afroedura haackei Onderstall, 1984
Distribution: South Africa
Distribution extended: (Mpumalanga)
Type Locality: Farm Rhenosterkop (25°30’S, 31°00’E), 195 JU Nelspruit District, 6 km SE of Nelspruit, Transvaal
Notes: This region of the “Transvaal” is now within the Mpumalanga province. “Nelspruit” is now referred to as Mbombela.
Habitat: Savanna
Habitat extended: Granite outcrops of the southern Lowveld
Natural History: 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), 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. & Bauer, A.M. 2018. Afroedura haackei. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T196897A115661374. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T196897A115661374.en. Downloaded on 08 April 2021.
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.
Bates, M. F., Whiting, M. J., & Marais, J. (2022). Tribute to Wulf Dietrich Haacke (1936–2021), a legend of southern African herpetology. Herpetological Review, 53(1), 185-189.
Bauer, A.M. 2014. Afroedura multiporis haackei (Hewitt, 1925). In: Bates, M.F., Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G.J. & 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. 96.
Jacobsen, N. H. (1992). Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40(1), 22-25.
Jacobsen NHG, 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 3846(4):451-501. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1.
Nicolau, G. K., & Edwards, S. (2023). Diversity and Endemism of Southern African Gekkonids Linked with the Escarpment Has Implications for Conservation Priorities. Diversity, 15(2), 306.
Onderstall, D. (1984). Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals Transvaal Museum 33, 497-509.