Elba Gecko

Least Concern

A rather small and slender, with a maximum recorded SVL of 44 mm. Head relatively large and rather high, Nostril bordered by rostral, first upper labial and 3 nasals, upper nasals in contact. 10 supralabials; 7-8 infralabials. Two pairs of postmentals present, the suture between the anterior pair is shorter than the mental. There are 39-40 gulars. Dorsal scales rather coarse, dorsal tubercles large, strongly protruding, keeled and densely packed, separated from each other by 1-3 small scales. There are 40-44 ventrals across mid-abdomen. Limbs somewhat short and thick. Digital pads moderately expanded, free distal phalanges of digits very short, only extending slightly beyond the basal dilation. Lamellae under first toe 7, under fourth toe 10-11. Dorsally, tail segments have transverse rows of 6 large, strongly pointed and keeled tubercles, present on the 16 anterior segments of tail (n=l); subcaudals are strongly transversely expanded along the medial line. Eight preanal pores present in the 3 known specimens (all males). Basic dorsal background coloration pinkish brown. A distinctive barred dorsal pattern, formed by 8 transverse narrow bands of dark brown tubercles interspersed by wider bands of whitish tubercles. Tail with 13 alternating dark and light transverse bands. All ventral sides off-white.

The Gebel Elba region.

The species is known only from southeast Egypt in the Gebel Elba region, but is likely to be found further south in Sudan.

Two specimens were found in dry Acacia woodland, walking at night on the ground and sitting on small stones among low Acacia trees located in a shallow wadi. A further specimen was found under a large rock on a well-vegetated hill side at about 400 m elevation.

Rare and localized as far as known.

Hemidactylus is a genus of the common gecko family, Gekkonidae. It has 191 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical parts of Africa and Europe. They excel in colonizing oceanic islands by rafting on flotsam, and are for example found across most of Polynesia. In some archipelagoes, cryptic species complexes are found. Geckos like to live in and out of houses. They have been introduced to Australia.

The species are typically known as house geckos, due to their readiness to adapt to and coexist with humans, and can be easily encountered in human habitations. This genus was originally established by Lorenz Oken in 1817 for the species at that time known as Hemidactylus tuberculosus, and now described as the tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia).

This species is closely related to the genus Gehyra, which belongs to the same family in Gekkonidae.