Research Article |
Corresponding author: Mariana P. Marques ( mptlmarques@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Uwe Fritz
© 2023 Mariana P. Marques, Diogo Parrinha, Luis M. P. Ceríaco, Ian G. Brennan, Matthew P. Heinicke, Aaron M. Bauer.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Marques MP, Parrinha D, Ceríaco LMP, Brennan IG, Heinicke MP, Bauer AM (2023) A new species of thick-toed gecko (Pachydactylus) from Serra da Neve and surrounding rocky areas of southwestern Angola (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 325-343. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101329
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Several specimens of Pachydactylus angolensis, a poorly known Angolan endemic gecko, have recently been collected in southern Angola, considerably increasing its known distribution range. Previous observations led to the hypothesis that two different morphological forms exist in the country—a coastal form and an inland form. Based on the morphological examination of historical and recently collected specimens, as well as on newly generated molecular data, we conducted a taxonomic revision of this putative species complex. The results support the separation of these two forms as two different species. The coastal form belongs to the nominotypic population, while the inland form is here described as a new species, Pachydactylus maiatoi sp. nov.. A brief comment on the biogeographical implications of this discovery is also provided.
Vários espécimes de Pachydactylus angolensis, uma osga endémica de Angola, rara e pouco conhecida, foram recentemente coletados no sul de Angola, aumentando consideravelmente a sua área de distribuição conhecida. Observações anteriores levantaram a hipótese da existência de duas formas morfológicas distintas no país — uma forma costeira e outra das regiões interiores. Com base na observação morfológica de espécimes históricos e recentes, bem como dados moleculares gerados recentemente, levou-se a cabo a revisão taxonómica deste putativo complexo de espécies. Os resultados suportam a separação destas duas formas em duas espécies diferentes. A forma costeira pertence à população nominotípica, enquanto a forma das regiões interiores é aqui descrita como uma nova espécie, Pachydactylus maiatoi sp. nov.. Apresentam-se ainda as implicações biogeográficas desta nova descoberta.
Africa, biogeography, integrative taxonomy, reptiles, type specimens
África, biogeografia, espécimes tipo, répteis, taxonomia integrativa
The genus Pachydactylus Wiegmann, 1834 is represented in Angola by 10 species (
Despite a considerable number of Pachydactylus species being described in recent decades (
Subsequent records were given by
Further specimens of this species were collected by Charles Koch, on an expedition to southwest Angola in September 1956, as well as Wulf D. Haacke in 1971 and 1974. Koch’s and Haacke’s specimens were deposited in the Transvaal Museum (TM; today Ditsong National Museum of Natural History) but these records were only published much later by
Due to the violent civil war that afflicted Angola from 1975 to 2002, decades passed without the sighting or the collection of additional specimens of this species in Angola. Between 2013 and 2019 several specimens of this species were collected in both Namibe and Benguela provinces by our team. In December 2013 a juvenile specimen was collected during the California Academy of Sciences (CAS), Villanova University (VU) and Instituto Nacional da Biodiversidade e Áreas de Conservação (INBAC) joint expedition to southwestern Angola. This specimen (CAS 254887), reported by
Approximately 180 km southeast of Chimalavera, in August 2018, two of the authors of this study (MPM and LMPC) collected an additional specimen of P. angolensis under some rocks near the old Portuguese fort of the coastal town of Bentiaba [–14.2733°, 12.3850°] (Fig.
At around the same time, during surveys further inland in Namibe Province — mostly in the Serra da Neve inselberg and the surrounding regions of Maungo — additional specimens resembling P. angolensis were collected. These were, however, morphologically different from all the remaining coastal material collected so far, having a duller dorsal coloration without the presence of any kind of scattered white spots (as reported by
Together with the review of the existing historical specimens of P. angolensis, these newly collected specimens from several localities across southwestern Angola allowed us to investigate the taxonomic identity of these two forms in Angola. Based on a combination of morphological, meristic, and coloration characters and DNA sequence data, we found evidence that supports the recognition of the “coastal” and “inland” forms of P. angolensis as two different taxa. We adopt the general lineage species concept (
In order to stabilize the taxonomy and to provide an improved estimate of the distribution of the genus in southern Africa, we describe the inland form as a new species and provide additional data on the distribution and ecology of these two taxa. Presumptive specimens of P. angolensis from far northern Namibia have been determined to be P. parascutatus (
Newly collected specimens for this study were euthanized with MS-222 following an approved IACUC protocol (Villanova University #1866), fixed in 10% buffered formalin in the field, and transferred to 70% ethanol for long-term storage at the conclusion of field work. Liver tissue was removed before formalin fixation and preserved in either RNAlater and transferred to 95% ethanol or directly in 95% ethanol for long-term storage. For mensural and meristic comparisons, we examined other Angolan and Namibian Pachydactylus specimens (including the type series of P. angolensis), deposited in the collections of the
American Museum of Natural History (
Taxon sampling includes 16 specimens of Pachydactylus angolensis sensu lato from across their coastal and inland range in Angola, along with six specimens of their presumed sister species P. caraculicus. Additional sampling includes specimens representing all species in the “northwestern group” of Pachydactylus, as well as exemplars of other species groups of Pachydactylus (
Specimens used for morphometric and genetic analyses and corresponding GenBank accession numbers for genes used in the study. Locality data and elevation are reported in the form of decimal degrees and use the WGS 84 map datum and meters above sea level, respectively. See Materials and Methods section for collection abbreviations. Catalog and field number acronyms not cited in the Material and Methods section as follows: LSUMZ H, Genetic Resources, Louisiana State University Museum of Zoology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; NMZB, Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; AMB, Aaron M. Bauer field numbers; JET, James Titus-McQuillan field numbers; JVV, Jens V. Vindum field numbers; LMPC, Luis M.P. Ceríaco field numbers; NMB, National Museum Bloemfontein, Bloemfontein, South Africa; NMNW: National Museum of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia; PEM, Port Elizabeth Museum, Bayworld, Gqeberha, South Africa. All genotyped specimens of Pachydactylus maiatoi sp. nov. are part of the type series. Newly generated sequences are denoted with an asterisk (*).
Species | Specimen ID | Locality | Coordinates | Elevation | GenBank Accession Number | ||
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Field No. | Museum No. | ND2 | RAG-1 | ||||
Pachydactylus angolensis Loveridge, 1944 | n/a |
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Angola: Benguela, Hanha | –12.2450°, 13.7075° | 24 | — | — |
n/a |
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Angola: Benguela, Lobito Bay | –12.3500°, 13.5500° | 7 | — | — | |
AMB 9961 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, camp | –12.9337°, 13.1699° | 252 | OQ680165* | OQ680144* | |
AMB 9962 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, camp | –12.9337°, 13.1699° | 252 | OQ680166* | OQ680145* | |
AMB 9979 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, camp | –12.9337°, 13.1699° | 252 | OQ680167* | OQ680146* | |
AMB 9980 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, camp | –12.9337°, 13.1699° | 252 | OQ680168* | OQ680147* | |
AMB 10002 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, camp | –12.9337°, 13.1699° | 252 | OQ680174* | OQ680148* | |
AMB 10003 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, camp | –12.9337°, 13.1699° | 252 | OQ680169* | OQ680149* | |
AMB 10004 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, camp | –12.9337°, 13.1699° | 252 | OQ680170* | OQ680150* | |
AMB 10034 |
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Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera National Park, waterhole | –12.7917°, 13.1274° | 207 | OQ680173* | — | |
AMB 10024 |
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Angola: Benguela, Dombe Grande, Cuio rd | –12.9781°, 13.0739° | 69 | OQ680171* | — | |
AMB 10025 |
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Angola: Benguela, Dombe Grande, Cuio rd | –12.9781°, 13.0739° | 69 | OQ680172* | OQ680151* | |
n/a |
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Angola: Namibe, Praia das Conchas | –15.1333°, 12.1167° | 16 | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Namibe, environs de Moçamedes (Moçâmedes surroundings) | — | — | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Namibe, environs de Moçamedes (Moçâmedes surroundings) | — | — | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Namibe, environs de Moçamedes (Moçâmedes surroundings) | — | — | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Namibe, San Nicolau (=São Nicolau) | –14.2577°, 12.3969° | 22 | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Namibe, San Nicolau (=São Nicolau) | –14.2577°, 12.3969° | 22 | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Namibe, Saco de Giraul | –15.0688°, 12.1422° | 38 | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Benguela, 24 km S | –12.6975°, 13.2522° | 98 | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Benguela, 30 km N of Dombe Grande | –12.7309°, 13.2302° | 86 | — | — | |
n/a |
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Angola: Benguela, Hanha, 20 km N of Lobito | –12.2585°, 13.6734° | 82 | — | — | |
AMB 9863 |
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Angola: Namibe, Bentiaba fort | –14.2733°, 12.3850° | 51 | — | — | |
Pachydactylus austeni Hewitt, 1923 | AMB 3295 | LSUMZ H1629 | South Africa: Northern Cape, Port Nolloth | –29.2519°, 16.8697° | 14 | KY224250 | JQ945321 |
Pachydactylus bicolor Hewitt, 1926 | AMB 7631 | NMNW (pending) | Namibia: 2 km S Erwee | –19.7048°, 14.3143° | 1182 | JN543870 | JN543911 |
Pachydactylus boehmei Bauer, 2010 |
|
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Namibia: Farm Uisib | –19.5516°, 17.2364° | 1400 | JN543906 | JN543947 |
Pachydactylus capensis (Smith, 1846) | AMB 8361 |
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South Africa: Limpopo, Kgama | –24.0516°, 28.4342° | 1267 | HQ165962 | HQ165992 |
Pachydactylus caraculicus FitzSimons, 1959 | AMB 10347 |
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Angola: Namibe, N’Dolondolo | –13.8133°, 13.1362° | 681 | OQ680175* | OQ680152* |
AMB 10622 |
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Angola: Namibe, Virei | –16.1196°, 12.8346° | 522 | OQ680176* | OQ680153* | |
AMB 10626 |
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Angola: Namibe, between Copopolo and Tchitundulo, outcrop near camp | –16.0913°, 12.8357° | 564 | OQ680177* | OQ680154* | |
JET157 | n/a | Angola: Namibe, 52 km N on road to Lucira from jct. with Lubango-Namibe road | –14.65806°, 12.52717° | 586 | OQ680178* | OQ680155* | |
JET158 | n/a | Angola: Namibe, 52 km N on road to Lucira from jct. with Lubango-Namibe road | –14.65806°, 12.52717° | 586 | OQ680179* | OQ680156* | |
|
|
Namibia: 32 km S of Epupa Falls on Okangwati Rd. | –17.2358°, 13.2292° | 975 | JN543889 | JN543933 | |
Pachydactylus gaiasensis Steyn & Mitchell, 1967 | AMB 7596 |
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Namibia: 22.4 km N. Ugab River Crossing on Gai-As Rd. | –20.7816°, 14.1086° | 520 | JN543891 | KM073533 |
Pachydactylus geitje (Sparrman, 1778) | n/a | PEM R11226 | South Africa: Farm Gunsfontein | –32.5664°, 20.6811° | 1548 | JN543887 | JN543931 |
Pachydactylus kladeroderma Branch, Bauer & Good, 1996 | n/a | PEM R1253 | South Africa: Western Cape | — | — | KY224251 | JQ945323 |
Pachydactylus kochii FitzSimons, 1959 | AMB 6326 |
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Namibia: 59 km N Swakopmund | –22.1992°, 14.3267° | 9 | KY224212 | KY224311 |
Pachydactylus labialis FitzSimons, 1938 |
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South Africa: Northern Cape, Port Nolloth Dump | –29.2558°, 16.9131° | 26 | KY224227 | KY224325 |
Pachydactylus maiatoi sp. nov. | AMB 10284 |
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Angola: Namibe, N’Dolondolo | –13.8133°, 13.1362° | 681 | OQ680180* | — |
AMB 10345 |
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Angola: Namibe, N’Dolondolo | –13.8133°, 13.1362° | 681 | OQ680181* | — | |
JVV 8564 |
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Angola: Namibe, Namibe-Lubango rd, 2 km E of Mangueiras | –15.0436°, 13.1600° | 625 | KY224217 | OQ680164* | |
AMB 10216 |
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Angola: Namibe, Serra da Neve base camp | –13.7770°, 13.2591° | 1488 | OQ680182* | — | |
LMPC 1182 | MB03-001246 | Angola: Namibe, Serra da Neve, Maylowe village | –13.8355°, 13.2755° | 798 | — | — | |
AMB 11349 |
|
Angola: Namibe, Maungo | –14.5383°, 12.7474° | 363 | — | — | |
AMB 11402 |
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Angola: Namibe, Maungo, abandoned health post | –14.5397°, 12.7447° | 368 | — | — | |
Pachydactylus maraisi Heinicke, Adderly, Bauer & Jackman, 2011 | JV 1856 | NMNW (pending) | Namibia: 2.7 km S of Wlotzkasbaken | –22.4314°, 14.4612° | 8.8 | JN543871 | JN543912 |
Pachydactylus mariquensis Smith, 1849 | n/a | NMB R10936 | South Africa: N. Cape, along N10 from Britstown to Prieska | –30.1925°, 23.0957° | 1042 | JN569157 | JN569190 |
Pachydactylus oreophilus McLachlan & Spence, 1967 | AMB 10449 | pending accession | Angola: Namibe, Omahua | –16.1986°, 12.4007° | 340 | OQ680183* | OQ680157* |
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Namibia: N of Okangwati | –17.2900°, 13.1586° | 1180 | JN543892 | JN543936 | |
Pachydactylus otaviensis Bauer, Lamb and Branch 2006 |
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Namibia: Farm Varianto | –19.3794°, 17.7408° | 1530 | JN543893 | JN543937 |
Pachydactylus parascutatus Bauer, Lamb and Branch 2002 | AMB 6512 |
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Namibia: 8 km W Sesfontein | –19.1681°, 13.5675° | 523 | JN543894 | JN543938 |
Pachydactylus punctatus Peters, 1854 | AMB 10464 | pending accession | Angola: Namibe, Omahua | –16.1986°, 12.4007° | 340 | OQ680184* | OQ680158* |
AMB 10036 | INBAC/AMB 10036 | Angola: Benguela, Chimalavera Nature Reserve, waterhole | –12.7917°, 13.1274° | 207 | OQ680185* | OQ680159* | |
|
|
Namibia: Farm Omandumba | –21.5391°, 15.5456° | 2215 | OQ680186* | OQ680160* | |
— | PEM R12461 | South Africa: Northern Cape, Riuchtersveld, Sendelingsdrift | –28.1233°, 16.8934° | 698 | KY224233 | KY224331 | |
Pachydactylus rangei (Andersson, 1908) | AMB 10436 |
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Angola: Namibe, Curoca River | –16.2653°, 12.3209° | 190 | OQ680187* | OQ680161* |
Pachydactylus rugosus Smith, 1849 | AMB 5050 |
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South Africa: Northern Cape, Richtersveld National Park, Sendelingsdrif dump | –28.0980°, 16.8778° | 718 | KY224252 | JQ945325 |
Pachydactylus sansteynae Steyn & Mitchell, 1967 | AMB 6350 |
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Namibia: 1 km S Huab Bridge | –20.9008°, 13.5336° | 29 | JN543898 | KY224334 |
Pachydactylus scherzi Mertens, 1954 | JVV 8387 |
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Angola: Namibe, Iona National Park, Espinheira | -16.7858°, 12.3547° | 456 | OQ680188* | OQ680162* |
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Namibia: W. Side of Grootberg Pass | –19.8400°, 14.1136° | 1380 | KY224236 | KY224335 | |
Pachydactylus scutatus Hewitt, 1927 | JVV 8451 |
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Angola: Namibe, Espinheira | –16.7977°, 12.3542° | 474 | OQ680189* | OQ680163* |
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NMNW 11150 | Namibia: Windpoort farm | –19.3501°, 15.4833° | 1182 | JN543901 | JN543943 | |
Pachydactylus serval Werner, 1910 | n/a |
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Namibia: Brukkaros Mountain, S Slope | –25.8969°, 17.7772° | 1096 | HQ165956 | HQ165986 |
Pachydactylus wahlbergii (Peters, 1869) | n/a | NMZB 16974 | Zambia: Southern Province, Kazungula District, Kalamba Station | –17.8838°, 26.2137° | 573 | JN569158 | JN569191 |
Pachydactylus weberi Roux, 1907 | n/a | PEM R12449 | South Africa: Northern Cape, 1.4 km S of Garies | –30.5749°, 17.9965° | 222 | HQ165960 | HQ165990 |
Chondrodactylus bibronii (Smith, 1846) | AMB 4853 |
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South Africa: Northern Cape, 28 km E Pofadder | –29.0214°, 19.6517° | 795 | JN543886 | JN543930 |
Gene | Primer | Sequence | Source | Use |
ND2 | ND2 f17 | 5’-TGACAAAAAATTGCNCC-3’ |
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Sequencing |
ND2 | CO1 R1 | 5’-AGRGTGCCAATGTCTTTGTGRTT-3’ |
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Amplification and Sequencing |
ND2 | CO1 R8 | 5’-GCTATGTCTGGGGCTCCAATTAT-3’ |
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Amplification and Sequencing |
tRNATrp | Trp R3 | 5’-TTTAGGGCTTTGAAGGC-3’ |
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Sequencing |
tRNAMet | Met F1 | 5’-AAGCTTTCGGGCCCATACC-3’ |
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Amplification and Sequencing |
RAG1 | RAG1 g396 | 5’-TCTGAATGGAAATTCAAGCTGTT-3’ |
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Amplification and Sequencing |
RAG1 | RAG1 g397 | 5’-AAAGGTGGCCGACCGAGGCAGCATC-3’ |
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Amplification and Sequencing |
RAG1 | RAG1 f700 | 5’-GGAGACATGGACACAATCCATCCTAC-3’ |
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Sequencing |
RAG1 | RAG1 r700 | 5’-TTTGTACTGAGATGGATCTTTTTGCA-3’ |
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Sequencing |
Specimens were measured with a digital caliper to the nearest 0.1 mm. Lepidosis was examined under a stereo-microscope. Scale nomenclature, scale counts, and measurements used in the description follow
Morphological and meristic comparisons between Pachydactylus angolensis and P. maiatoi sp. nov.. Data presented as “mean [minimum–maximum]”, measurements are presented in millimeters (mm). Abbreviations are those described in Materials and Methods section.
P. angolensis (“coastal form”) (n = 18) | P. maiatoi sp. nov. (“inland form”) (n = 7) | |
SVL | 34.2 [21.9–40.8] | 32.1 [17.8–40.5] |
TL | 30.2 [17.9–39.6] | 27.1 [31.5–22.6] |
ForeaL | 4.2 [2.6–5.2] | 3.8 [1.7–4.8] |
CrusL | 4.9 [3.1–6.4] | 4.9 [2.7–6.2] |
TailW | 2.6 [1.3–3.2] | 3.0 [4.0–1.9] |
TrunkL | 15.2 [9.7–18.3] | 15.4 [8.8–20.5] |
HeadL | 10.0 [7.2–11.7] | 9.6 [5.8–11.8] |
HeadW | 5.9 [4.1–19] | 6.2 [3.6–7.5] |
HeadH | 3.8 [2.4–4.7] | 3.6 [2.9–4.4] |
OrbD | 2.2 [1.4–2.8] | 2.2 [1.5–2.7] |
EyeEar | 2.6 [1.8–3.5] | 2.5 [1.5–2.5] |
SnEye | 3.4 [2.3–4.1] | 3.6 [2.7–4.2] |
NarEye | 2.4 [1.3–3.3] | 2.3 [1–3.0] |
InterOrb | 2.6 [1.2–3.4] | 2.5 [1.3–3.3] |
EarL | 0.6 [0.4–0.7] | 0.6 [0.3–0.9] |
Mensural (in mm) counts of the holotype and paratypes of Pachydactylus maiatoi sp. nov.. Abbreviations are the same as those described in the Materials and Methods section.
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MB03-001246 | |
Holotype | Paratype | Paratype | Paratype | Paratype | Paratype | Paratype | |
Sex | ♂ | juvenile/♂ | ♀ | ♂ | ♂ | ♂ | ♂ |
SVL | 36.1 | 17.8 | 37.8 | 23.4 | 40.5 | 36.1 | 32.7 |
ForeaL | 4.7 | 1.7 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.1 |
CrusL | 5.5 | 2.7 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
TailL (total) | 4.0 | — | — | 22.7 | 27.9 | 10.3 | — |
TailL (regen) | 23.7 | — | — | — | 3.6 | 4.6 | 2.7 |
TailW | 4.0 | — | — | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.7 |
TrunkL | 16.3 | 8.8 | 18.5 | 10.0 | 20.5 | 15.9 | 17.7 |
HeadL | 10.3 | 5.9 | 11 | 7.5 | 11.2 | 11.8 | 9.6 |
HeadW | 6.9 | 3.6 | 7.5 | 4.5 | 7.5 | 6.8 | 6.6 |
HeadH | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 |
OrbD | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.3 |
EyeEar | 3.2 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
SnEye | 4.1 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
NarEye | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
InterOrb | 3.3 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 |
EarL | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
Coloration pattern was reported, and high-resolution photographs of preserved specimens taken. These data were compared with relevant literature on the group (
Locality data are reported in the form of decimal degrees and use the WGS 84 map datum. Older (non-GPS) records are mostly derived from
The final concatenated alignment includes 51 terminals and 2079 nucleotide sites. The best partitioning scheme includes four partitions, with the three ND2 codon positions treated as three separate partitions and the full RAG1 alignment grouped as a fourth partition. The following best-fitting models of evolution were used in the analysis: GTR + F + I + Γ (ND2 1st position); TIM3 + F + I + Γ (ND2 2nd position); TIM + F + Γ (ND2 3rd position); HKY + F + Γ (RAG1). The phylogeny (Fig.
The genetic distinctiveness of the inland from the coastal form is substantial, far greater than that between some other species pairs within the northwestern clade lowercase. The uncorrected mean ND2 sequence distance between the two species is 21%. In comparison, the uncorrected mean ND2 distance between P. bicolor and P. maraisi is 16%, that between P. scutatus and P. parascutatus is 17%, and that between P. punctatus and P. scherzi is 18%.
Pachydactylus angolensis
–
Pachydactylus angolensis
“inland form” –
Pachydactylus angolensis
[partim] –
An adult male (
Six specimens: one adult male (
Namibe Province: Serra da Neve, rocky area near Catchi village [–13.7642°, 13.2573°, 1614 m a.s.l.] (
A small, rupiculous Pachydactylus with a depressed body form. SVL at least 40.5 mm (Table
Comparison with other Pachydactylus species. From other members of the “northwestern clade” of Pachydactylus (fide
Regarding the other species of Pachydactylus occurring in Angola but not belonging to the “northwestern group”, P. maiatoi sp. nov. differs from P. vanzyli by the presence of four (4) subdigital undivided lamellae on fourth toe (versus two (2) in the latter), from P. rangei and P. wahlbergii by having enlarged, keeled dorsal scales (versus atuberculate and very smooth skin). It can be further distinguished from P. vanzyli and P. rangei by its free digits (versus webbed digits of pes or both manus and pes in the latter), and its general color (pinkish in P. rangei versus cream to brown in P. maiatoi sp. nov.). Pachydactylus rangei only occurs in dunes and in very sandy regions including dry river beds, whereas the new species is rupiculous. It differs from P. cf. rugosus by its much less spiny appearance and by its dorsal coloration pattern (mostly homogeneous cream to brown in P. maiatoi sp. nov. versus cream bands on brown dorsum in P. cf. rugosus).
Adult male. SVL 36.1 mm (Fig.
Dorsum almost homogeneous brown with small and diffuse whitish spots (Fig.
Variation in mensural and meristic characters of the holotype and adult paratypes are presented in Table
Pachydactylus maiatoi sp. nov. appears to be restricted to southwestern Angola, namely in the inland regions of northern Namibe Province and along the highlands associated with the Angolan escarpment (Fig.
Pachydactylus angolensis as previously construed was evaluated as a stable species of Least Concern (
The species is named after the Angolan biologist Francisco Maiato Gonçalves (Huambo, 1982–) , a researcher and curator of the Herbarium of Lubango (ISCED), and vice-dean for Research and International Affairs at the University Mandume Ya Ndemufayo, Huíla Province, Angola. Francisco Maiato Gonçalves represents a new generation of Angolan researchers and a driving force in the study and conservation of southern Angolan biodiversity. The specific epithet is a patronym in the masculine genitive singular. We propose the English common name of Maiato’s thick-toed gecko and the Portuguese common name of osga-de-dedos-grossos-de-Maiato.
Southwestern Angola has been recognized by several authors as a hotspot of diversity for reptiles, especially associated with arid and hyper-arid habitats (
While these discoveries highlight the significance of southwestern Angola as a hotspot of diversity and endemism, considerable areas remain largely unexplored in terms of biodiversity and require further surveys and research efforts. The study of the Angolan radiation of Pachydactylus represents yet another contribution to the overall knowledge of biogeographic patterns in southwestern Angola. While the region supports endemic lizards that are generally widespread (e.g., Pedioplanis haackei Conradie, Measey, Branch & Tolley, 2012), it also hosts more geographically restricted endemics, like Pedioplanis huntleyi Conradie, Measey, Branch & Tolley, 2012 in the mountainous areas of southeastern Namibe Province, and several recently described species known only from the Serra da Neve inselberg (e.g., Lygodactylus baptistai
The present work is a result of the ongoing collaboration between the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidade e Áreas de Conservação (INBAC) from the Ministry of Environment of Angola and its international partners. Angolan specimens were collected and exported under permits issued by INBAC (155/INBAC.MINAMB/2017; 28/INBAC.MINAMB/2019). We also thank the provincial and local authorities for their support and cooperation during our fieldwork. We thank Ishan Agarwal, Suzana Bandeira, Joyce Janota, Hilária Valério, Sango de Sá, Edward L. Stanley, David C. Blackburn, Jens V. Vindum, Arianna Kuhn, and Pedro Baptista for their support during field work and collecting valuable material. Special thanks to Álvaro (“Varito”) Baptista and his team from Omahua Lodge, for all the assistance, great support, and friendship during the field work.
As in any major taxonomic revision, the access to Natural History Collections is critical, and therefore the authors want to present a special acknowledgement to the collection managers and curators who provided access and data from the collections under their care: David Kizirian and Lauren Vonnahme from the American Museum of Natural History (
This work was funded by U.S. National Science Foundation grants (DEB 1556255, 1556585, 1556559, 1657527), a grant from JRS Biodiversity Foundation to AMB, MPH, and David C. Blackburn, and the National Geographic Society Explorer Grant (NGS-73084R-20) to LMPC. LMPC was funded by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) of the Ministry of Education of Brazil, under the Programa Institucional de Internacionalização (PRINT), process number 88887.695166/2022-00. DMP is supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) grant (05238/2021.BD). MPM was supported FCT grants (SFRH/BD/129924/2017, COVID/BD/152155/2022). Work co-funded by the project NORTE-01-0246-FEDER-000063, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).