Pachydactylus oculatus HEWITT 1927
Weibchen von Pachydactylus oculatus.
© W.D. Haacke.
Männchen von Pachydactylus oculatus.
© T. Ulber.
Pärchen von Pachydactylus oculatus.
© F. Colacicco
Männchen von Pachydactylus oculatus.
© M. Barts.
Pachydactylus oculatus von Calvinia. © J. Marais.
Frisch geschlüpftes Jungtier von Pachydactylus oculatus.
© M. Barts.
Lebensraum von Pachydactylus oculatus. Südafrika.
© M. Barts.
Originalbeschreibung / Original description
Type: a single male specimen taken on the farm Cyrilhurst about six miles from Tarkastad, C.P., by Mr. Robert Essex in August, 1925. This subspecies is at once recognised by its remarkable colour pattern, and in other respects has characters which are more or less intermediate between those of capensis Smith and maculatus Gray, so that oculatus might reasonably be referred to either species. The type locally is moreover in an intervening region between the areas of these two species, capensis ranging widely over the high plateau and central districts of the Cape, whilst maculatus is limited to the coastal and adjoining districts as far inland as Queenstown. However, from another locality in the Tarkastad district we have a young example of what may fairly be regarded as typical capensis, and from the same district we have also typical maculatus: so oculatus may be merely a hybrid. The characters of oculatus are as follows:—Nasorostrals separated by a single moderate-sized granule, scales over snout small and granular, becoming subconical though small just before the orbit, mostly granular over the occiput but the granules of varying size, on the back with large and small granules closely intermingled, the former subconical, the latter not strongly flattened but tending to become subconical, each larger scale being generally surrounded by a single ring of smaller ones, the mid-dorsal line devoid of enlarged scales: scales adjoining mental and lower labials all minutely granular, and all the scales on the throat small and granular, under neck, on breast and belly flattened and imbricate, mid-ventral and ventrolateral scales subequal in size. Subdigital lamellae 5, including the small divided distal lamella: scales along the mid-ventral line flattened like the rest of the scales but not enlarged. On each side of the vent, a pair of enlarged sub conical scales. Upper surface of hind-limb with enlarged sub conical scales both on femur and on tibia, those on the femur a trifle larger. Above light brown with four series of elongate oval blotches along the back and neck: each blotch is brown with, a conspicuous creamy white edge, and the brown becomes darker, almost black towards the margin. The median blotches arranged in pairs are the largest, and their white edges coalesce to some extent. At the side of the head, a dark band extends from nostril to above the ear: this band closely approaches the first median blotch, which is obliquely arranged. Upper surfaces of head and of limbs pale brown with small dark irregular spots. Reproduced tail light brown with irregular dark blotches.
Length from snout to vent 37.5 mm.
A juvenile specimen possessing an original tail has a regular series of blotches continued along the upper surface of the tail. This form differs from maculatus in the more pronounced differentiation of dorsal tubercles and the scales throughout are not so minute, the nasorostrals for instance, being separated by several granules in maculatus. On the other hand, the scales of the head are more granular than in capensis: in the latter, the scales adjoining the mental and lower labials are small and flat or sometimes granular.
It may be added that maculatus is not constant in the pattern and scaling of the dorsal surface. The spots may be large or small and may be edged with white or partially so. The dorsal scales may be all more or less of equal size, as in a specimen from Tarkastad: or, as in a male from Port Alfred, the enlarged scales may be very conspicuous, conical and sharply pointed and those on the tibia and at the base of the tail laterally very large and sharply pointed.