Afroedura hawequensis
Hawequa Flat Gecko
Alternative Names
Hawequa se Platgeitjie (Afrikaans)
Habitat: Fynbos; Shrubland
Habitat extended: Mesic habitats on sandstone boulders and outcrops
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 human-built structures.
Biology: Oviparous (2 eggs), that are laid in the crevices of rocks, underneath flakes, and between boulders.
TAXONOMY
Original Description: Broadley, D.G. (1963). Three new lizards from South Nyasaland and Tete. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 6(65): 285–288.
Original name: Afroedura transvaalica loveridgei Broadley, 1968
Taxonomic Status: Accepted
Type Material: Holotype: UM(NMZB) 4030
GEOGRAPHY
Country Occurrence: South Africa
Geographic Occurrence: Western Cape Province
Distribution Notes: Hawequa mountain range (du Toitskloof and Limietberg mountains)
Type Locality: “Hawekwa mountains near Paarl (33 figs 41’05”S 19°05’42”E), Cape Province”
CONSERVATION
Status: Least Concern
Additional information
The Reptile Database - (See here)
IUCN Red List - (See here)
iNaturalist - (See here)
Citation
Nicolau et al. (2025). African Herpetological and Biodiversity Institute: African Herpetology Checklist. Afroedura loveridgei. https://www.africanherpetologicalandbiodiversityinstitute.com/africanreptiles/species7722. Accessed on dd/mm/yyyy.
Edit history
05-03-2025 (Gary Kyle Nicolau)
LITERATURE
Bates, M.F. & Bauer, A.M. 2022. Afroedura hawequensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T612A197396890. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T612A197396890.en. Accessed on 04 April 2024.
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.
Hagey, T. J., Harte, S., Vickers, M., Harmon, L. J., & Schwarzkopf, L. (2017). There’s more than one way to climb a tree: Limb length and microhabitat use in lizards with toe pads. PLoS One, 12(9), e0184641.
le FN Mouton, P., & Mostert, D. P. (1985). Description of a new species of Afroedura (Loveridge)(Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the south-western Cape. African Zoology, 20(4), 246-249.
Makhubo, B. G., Tolley, K. A., & Bates, M. F. (2015). Molecular phylogeny of the Afroedura nivaria (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) species complex in South Africa provides insight on cryptic speciation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 82, 31-42.