Family : GEKKONIDAE
Species : Cyrtodactylus pubisulcus
Size (snout to vent) : up to 77 mm
Size (total length) : up to ~ 160 mm

This species occurs in lowland forest and peat swamp forest in northern parts of Borneo. It is arboreal and nocturnal.

It is of typical Cyrtodactylus shape, with a slender body, slender forelimbs and moderate sized head. Its dorsal surface bears numerous tubercles and is greyish or brownish and patterned with dark brown or dark grey bars or pairs of blotches, and the tail is banded.

Its diet comprises insects including ants and cockroaches.

Cyrtodactylus pubisulcus is endemic to the island of Borneo, and appears to be restricted to Sarawak and Brunei.

A study published in 2021 (Davis et al, 2021) proposed the splitting of Cyrtodactylus pubisculus into 3 distinct species on the basis of genetic sequencing- Cyrtodactylus pubisculus, Cyrtodactylus hantu and Cyrtodactylus miriensis. Thus, the example shown here (Fig 1) is probably C. miriensis.

Fig 1 : Example from Lambir Hills, Sarawak, Malaysia Borneo found clinging to the trunk of a leafy sapling a few metres from a forest stream.

Fig 2 : Stream through lowland forest in Lambir Hills, Sarawak. The example Cyrtodactylus pubisulcus was found here.


References :

Das, I., 2010. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-east Asia. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd.

Hayden R. Davis, Indraneil Das, Adam D. Leaché, Benjamin R. Karin, Ian G. Brennan, Todd R. Jackman, Izneil Nashriq, Chan Kin Onn & Aaron M. Bauer (2021). Genetically diverse yet morphologically conserved: Hidden diversity revealed among Bornean geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus). Journal of Systematics and Evolutionary Research.