
Fig 1

Fig 2
|
Family : GEKKONIDAE
Species : Cyrtodactylus semenanjungensis
Size (snout to vent) : 71 mm
Size (total length) : 163 mm
The Peninsular Bent-toed
Gecko inhabits lowland primary and secondary forest in the vicinity of
watercourses or swamp forest, in southern Peninsular Malaysia. It is fully
nocturnal in habits.
It is superficially similar to the
Marbled Bent-toed Gecko Cyrtodactylus quadrivirgatus, with which
it was once confused. The species was first described in 2005 (Grismer et al).
The body colour is grey to yellowish-brown, patterned with dark stripes,
bars and blotches.
In the field, Cyrtodactylus semenanjungensis can be identified
by the arrangement of dark bars, bands and blotches in the neck region.
Specifically, there is a dark stripe behind each eye which extends along the
side of the neck to end just behind the forelimbs. These two stripes
are connected over the back, just behind the nape, through a broken, dark
bar. At the nape there is a dark blotch which is enclosed by these features.
In addition, around 5 or 6 other dark, broken bars extend across the back.
The head and body shape of this species are similar to other bent-toed
geckos with an elongate body, a head which is wider than the body,
relatively long limbs and a relatively long banded tail. The eyes are large
with vertical pupils.
The Peninsular Bent-toed Gecko is known from parts of the southern state of
Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. The species is also recorded in Singapore
(Baker, 2014).
Fig 1 : Grey specimen from lowland, secondary forest in Singapore's central
forests. It was active amongst leaf litter some metres from a forest stream.
Fig 2 : Close-up of the same specimen, showing the arrangement of dark
stripes, bars and blotches in the nape region. Note the bright yellow
tubercles.
References :
Baker, N. & Lim, K. K. P. (2014). New record of peninsular bent-toed gecko in Singapore.
Singapore Biodiversity Records 2014: 331 - 332. National University of
Singapore. [pdf]
Grismer, L. L. (2011). Lizards of Peninsular
Malaysia, Singapore, and their Adjacent Archipelagos. Their Description,
Distribution, and Natural History. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main. 728
pp.
Grismer, L. L., Leong, T. M. 2005. New Species of Cyrtodactylus
(Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Southern Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of
Herpetology, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 584–591, 2005
|