Pachydactylus goodi BAUER, LAMB & BRANCH 2006
Adult female of Pachydactylus goodi.
© F. Colacicco.
Close up view of Pachydactylus goodi.
© J. Marais.
Pachydactylus goodi from Aggenys, Northern Cape. © J. Marais.
Habiat of Pachydactylus goodi.
© M. Barts.
Originalbeschreibung / Original description
BAUER, A., T. LAMB & B. BRANCH (2006): A Revision of the Pachydactylus serval and P. weberi Groups (Reptilia: Gekkota: Gekkonidae) of Southern Africa, with the Description of Eight New Species. – Proc. California Acad. Sci., Fourth Series, 57 (23): 595–709. — Terra typica: South Africa, Northern Cape Province, 10 km S Vioolsdrif (2817Dc).
ETYMOLOGY.— The specific epithet is a patronym honoring our friend and colleague David A. Good who, with the first and third authors, performed a herpetofaunal survey of the Richtersveld and collected much of the material of the P. weberi group from along the lower OrangeValley during the mid-1990s. The name is constructed in the masculine genitive.
DIAGNOSIS.— A large species, to 50.0 mm SVL. Pachydactylus goodi may be distinguished from all other members of the P. serval/weberi group by the combination of the following characters: nasal region not strongly inflated laterally; rostral excluded from nostril; supranasals in contact anteriorly; scales on snout and canthus flattened to weakly domed, those of interorbital and parietal regions tiny, granular, with larger, rounded, conical tubercles interspersed; scales on snout equal to or greater than size to interorbital tubercles; dorsal scalation heterogeneous, with relatively large, oval, strongly keeled tubercles arranged in approximately 16–18 regular rows; large keeled to mucronate tubercles on thighs; toes relatively short, toe pads relatively narrow; five undivided lamellae beneath digit IV of pes; tail to at least 113% of SVL, annulate, bearing whorls of large, pointed, strongly keeled tubercles, separated from each other by a single, narrow scale row; adult pattern chocolate to purplish-brown with a series of three very bold, white, complete transverse bands with well-defined, thick, dark brown margins: one from posteroventral margin of orbits across nape, one at mid-body and one presacral; white markings also present on the dorsum of thighs and on proximal forelimbs and forelimb insertions; tail with alternating mid-brown and white to cream, dark edged bands (Figs 113–115); juvenile pattern as adult (Fig. 116).
DESCRIPTION (based on holotype).— Adult male. Snout-vent length (SVL) 50.0 mm. Body relatively depressed, relatively short (TrunkL/SVL ratio 0.41). Head elongate, large (HeadL/SVL ratio 0.28), wide (HeadW/HeadL ratio 0.71), not strongly depressed (HeadH/HeadL ratio 0.43), distinct from neck. Lores and interorbital region weakly inflated. Snout long (Sn-Eye/HeadL ratio 0.40), much longer than eye diameter (OrbD/Sn-Eye ratio 0.68); scales on snout and forehead smooth, domed; large on snout and canthus becoming granular on interorbital region, with larger, weakly conical tubercles interspersed; scales on snout much larger than those of parietal table. Enlarged, weakly conical tubercles regularly scattered across interorbital, parietal, and temporal regions as far posterior as nape. Eye moderately large (OrbD/HeadL ratio 0.27); orbits without extra-brillar fringes; 5–6 supracilliary scales at posterodorsal corner of orbit bearing small spines; pupil vertical, with crenelated margins. Ear opening rounded, moderately large (EarL/HeadL ratio 0.09); eye to ear distance greater than diameter of eyes (Eye-Ear/OrbD ratio 1.13). Rostral approximately 45% as deep (0.8 mm) as wide (1.8), no rostral groove, contacted by two enlarged supranasals and first supralabials; nostrils oval, oriented laterally and slightly dorsally, each surrounded by two postnasals, supranasal, and narrowly by first supralabial; supranasals in contact anteriorly, separated by a single granule posteriorly; dorsal postnasals larger than ventral postnasals, separated by 2–3 granules; nostril rims weakly inflated, bordered posteriorly by a distinct notch or pit; one row of scales separate orbit from supralabials; mental with nearly parallel sides, tapering only slightly posteriorly, approximately 2.3 times deeper (2.2 mm) than wide (1.0 mm); no enlarged postmentals or chin shields. Supralabials to angle of jaws 11/10 (9/9 to mid-orbit); infralabials 9/8; interorbital scale rows at midpoint of orbit 27 (7 across narrowest point of frontal bone).
Dorsal tubercles large (10–12 times size of adjacent scales), largest on dorsolateral surfaces and smallest along dorsal midline, rounded, with a pronounced median keel, forming 18 longitudinal rows on trunk; each tubercle surrounded by rosette of small granular scales; ventral scales flattened, subimbricate, becoming larger posteriorly, approximately 46 between lowest tubercular rows at midbody; tubercular scales on dorsum at midbody much larger than those on venter at same level; chin granules approximately one third to one fourth size of ventral scales, increasing in size rather abruptly on throat. No preanal or femoral pores. Scales on palm, sole, and ventral surface of forelimb smooth, granular; scales on ventral aspect of hindlimbs enlarged, continuous with enlarged scales of precloacal region; scales on dorsal aspect of forelimb smooth proximally, with small conical tubercles intermixed distally; scales on dorsum of thigh and crus greatly enlarged, conical or strongly keeled.
Forelimbs moderately short, stout (ForeaL/SVL ratio 0.14); hindlimbs moderately long (CrusL/SVL ratio 0.18); digits relatively short, claws absent; subdigital scansors, except for distalmost, entire, present only on distal portion of toes, 1.2–1.5 times wider than more basal (non-scansorial) subdigital scales; interdigital webbing absent. Relative length of digits (manus): III > IV > II > V > I; (pes): IV > III ~ V > II > I. Subdigital scansors (excluding small distal divided scansor) I (4), II (4), III (4), IV (4), V (4) – manus; I (4), II (5), III (5), IV (5), V (5) – pes. Tail sub-cylindrical, very slightly depressed; partially regenerated tail shorter than snout-vent length (TailL/SVL ratio 1.12); tail relatively thin basally, tapering, with distinct whorls of scales; each transverse row of enlarged, pointed, strongly keeled tubercles separated by 3–4 rows of smaller scales; adjacent keeled dorsal caudal tubercles separated by a single narrow, elongate scale; subcaudal scales imbricating; midventral caudal scales enlarged (5–7 times size of dorsal caudal scales); two enlarged, pointed, posterodorsally-projecting postcloacal spurs on each side of tailbase.
Coloration (in preservative): Dorsum purplish-brown with a bold pattern of three beige transverse bands with thick, well-defined dark brown borders. Anterior band extending from orbit to orbit across occiput and nape. Light portion of band continuous with pale labial scales; dark anterior margins of band continue through orbit to nostrils, becoming lighter on snout. Second band at midbody, third in presacral position. Top of head uniform yellowish-mid-brown with pair of welldefined pale stripes from anterior of orbit to postnasal scales. Forelimbs uniform purplish-brown; hindlimbs purplish-brown with a single dark edged pale band on thigh, continuous with presacral trunk band when limbs are protracted. Original portion of tail with bold alternating pattern of purplish-brown and dark-edged cream bands of approximately equal size; regenerated portion of tail uniform purplish-brown. Venter grayish-cream, unpigmented.