Ramigekko

Ramigekko swartbergensis, sometimes called the Swartberg (African) leaf-toed gecko, is a species of African gecko which is a localized endemic of the Cape Fold Belt in South Africa.[2] It is monotypic in the genus Ramigekko.

Swartberg leaf-toed gecko

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Gekkonidae
Genus: Ramigekko
Heinicke, Daza, Greenbaum, Jackman & Bauer, 2014
Species:
R. swartbergensis
Binomial name
Ramigekko swartbergensis
(Haacke, 1996)
Synonyms
  • Afrogecko swartbergensis
  • Phyllodactylus swartbergensis

Anatomy

Like other "leaf-toed" geckoes, they have a single pair of enlarged adhesive pads on the terminally end of each digit. Only this species however has smoothed and flattened tubercles on its dorsal parts.[3] The head has a deeper contour and some cranial differences (fusion of nasal and parietal bones) set them apart from most other gecko species.[4]

Range and habitat

It is found along the crests of the Swartberg and Klein Swartberg ranges, from Towerkop in the west to the vicinity of Meiringspoort. They favour north-facing sandstone outcrops in montane fynbos, from 1,300 to 2,100 m a.s.l.[5] They occur in protected areas and are not endangered.

Habits

They hide in rock cracks or under rock flakes, emerging to feed on insects. Like all "leaf-toed" geckoes they are nocturnal and lay hard-shelled eggs, which are deposited in clutches of two.[3]

gollark: According to public records on some thread or other TJ09 actually killed EATW's API access when the viewbombing happened, ostensibly to prevent people from submitting eggs while it was happening.
gollark: Viewbombers did not directly kill it.
gollark: Well, yes.
gollark: eatw.net EATW EATW EATW EATW eggs around the world EATW score = clicks * 12 + uv * 6 + v EATW EATW
gollark: I believe it's mostly to bludgeon down stuff TJ09 happens to disagree with.

References
  1. Tolley, K., Bates, M.F. & Branch, W.R. 2018. Ramigekko swartbergensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T196903A115661608. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T196903A115661608.en. Downloaded on 10 January 2019.
  2. "Ramigekko swartbergensis". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
  3. Alexander, Graham (2013). A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. South Africa: Penguin Random House. ISBN 9781431702251.
  4. Daza, Juan D.; Mapps, Aurelia A.; Lewis, Patrick J.; Thies, Monte L.; Bauer, Aaron M. (August 2015). "Peramorphic traits in the tokay gecko skull". Journal of Morphology. 276 (8): 915–928. doi:10.1002/jmor.20389.
  5. "Ramigekko swartbergensis K. Kuppusamy, W. Lin, G. Cizek, E. Haacke, 1996". Sanbi Red List. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
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