''Pachydactylus robertsi'', commonly known as the large-scaled gecko, shielded thick-toed gecko, or ''Rauhschuppen-Dickfingergecko'' in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, is an

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species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

Geographic range

''P. robertsi'' is found near

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and Karasburg where the type specimen was caught in the Great Karas Mountains in southern

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Conservation status

Although there are no obvious immediate threats to the species ''P. robertsi'', it appears to have a limited distribution which would make it more vulnerable to habitat loss.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''robertsi'', is in honour of

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zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

J. Austin Roberts, who was part of the Expedition to South-West Africa and Little Namaqualand when the types specimen was collected on 12 August 1937. (''Pachydactylus robertsi'', new species, pp. 177-178).

Description

The shielded thick-toed gecko is a light olive brown colour with darker spots that cover the back; a line of these darker spots runs down the spine. It has a dark line that runs from the snout through the eye; this line is bordered on either side by pale lines. The underside of the head, throat, body and limbs are a much paler colour. The tail is a more uniform olive brown colour. ''Pachydactylus robertsi'' may be confused with '' Pachydactylus scutatus'' but can be differentiated by the exclusion of the

rostral scale The rostral scale, or rostral, in snakes and other scaled reptiles is the median plate on the tip of the snout that borders the mouth opening. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: ...

from the nostril. Also, ''P. robertsi'' has a wider (2–3 scale rows) nuchal band (vs 1 scale row in ''P. scutatus'').

References

External links