Stenodactylus sthenodactylus ( Lichtenstein, 1823:102 )

Bauer, Aaron M., DeBoer, Jonathan C. & Taylor, Dylan J., 2017, Atlas of the Reptiles of Libya, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64 (8), pp. 155-318 : 196-197

Stenodactylus sthenodactylus ( Lichtenstein, 1823:102) FIG . 17

1823 Ascalabotes sthenodactylus Lichtenstein, Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der Königl. Universität zu Berlin nebst Beschreibung vieler bisher unbekannter Arten von Säugethieren, Vögeln, Amphibien und Fischen. T. Trautwein, Berlin. x + 118 pp., 1 pl.

NEOTYPE.— MNHN 2012.0250 designated by Crochet et al. (2014), “Wadi El Natrun, Egypt (Lat: 30.4233/ Long: 30.2928).” A lectotype, ZMB 437A from “Aegypten” had previously been designated by Bauer and Günther 1991) [see Bauer and Günther 1991, Bauer 2000, and Metallinou and Crochet 2013) for more detail]. Metallinou and Crochet (2013), however, demonstrated that the type is actually representative of the species now regarded as S. mauritanicus and, in order to conserve current usage and maintain stability, Crochet et al. (2014) applied to the ICZN (Case 3641) to set aside all previous type fixations in favor of a neotype representing the form to which the name sthenodactylus has been applied.

1976 Garzoniella longipes Perret , Garzoniella : Un nouveau genre de Gekkonidae saharien. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 83:761–764, pls. 1–3.

HOLOTYPE.— MHNG 1520 .20, “Sud Sahara central, probablement entre Ghat et Sebha, Fezzan, Lybie ” [the type locality was uncertain because the specimen was collected somewhere on a trip from Tunis to Tripoli to Sebha to Ubari (= Abwari ) to Ghat to Madama ( Niger) to Djanet ( Algeria) to Ghadamès ( Libya) to Tozeur ( Tunisia) and return to Tunis ( Perret 1976)].

Stenodactylus sthenodactylus [part], Le Berre 1989:166.

Stenodactylus sthenodactylus [part], Schleich, Kästle, and Kabisch 1996:261.

Stenodactylus sthenodactylus sthenodactylus, Sindaco and Jeremčenko 2008:131 .

Stenodactylus sthenodactylus [part], Trape, Trape, and Chirio 2012:256.

Libyan Records (Map 17): TRIPOLITA-

NIA: MISRATAH: 77: Zavattari 1930. NALUT:

100: Frynta et al. 2000. 101: BMNH

1965.1169., 1965.1172; MCSN 1981. 104:

BMNH 1965.1171. 105: AIC no number provided; MNHN 2003.2963; Ibrahim and Ineich

2005. 106: BMNH 1965.1162–64. 118: NHMC

80.3.88.4, 80.3.88.46; Metallinou et al. 2012.

124: MZUF 39089. 127: MCCI R1449; Metallinou et al. 2012. JABAL AL GHARBI: 159:

BMNH 1965.1165–66. 160: MCSN 1982. 161:

CUP R 094, 099, 113, 114; Frynta et al. 2000.

SIRTE: 198: NMBA-REPT 17791. 199: ZMB

17977–78; Peters 1880, 1881; Werner 1909;

Zavattari 1934; Loveridge 1947. “ Tripolitania ”: FMNH 82945. “ Jebel Erdcul ” [unlocat-

ed]: BMNH 1901.10.28. 3. FEZZAN: JUFRA :

224: NMBA-REPT 15436–38; Schnurrenberg- MAP 17. Distribution of Stenodactylus sthenodactylus in Libya. The distribution of this species is primarily in more er 1962. 226: MCSN 2011; Scortecci 1935b; xeric areas in Libya. The allocation of many records to this Loveridge 1947. 227: Loveridge 1947. GHAT: species and its more mesic adapted sister species, S. mauri- 235: CUP R 057, 089, 125; Frynta et al. 2000. tanicus, are tentative and based on geography rather than WADI AL HAYAA: 274: CUP R 020; Frynta et al. confirmation of specimens.

2000. 296: ZCT 2006.49; Ibrahim 2008a. SABHA: 281: ZCT 2005.11–12; Ibrahim 2008a. 291: NMBA-REPT 15289–91, 15396. MURZUQ: 298: ZCT 2005.32; Ibrahim 2008a. 303: ZCT 2006.56; Ibrahim 2008a; Essghaier et al. 2015. 308: ZCT 2006.25; Ibrahim 2008a. 310: ZCT 2006.58; Ibrahim 2008a. 313: ZCT 2005.24; Ibrahim 2008a. 334: MCZ R 21907; UMNH 4237. “ Fezzan ”: Loveridge 1947. “ probably between Ghat and Sebha ”: MHNG 1520.20; Perret 1976. CYRENAICA: BUTNAN: 520: Vinciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934; Loveridge 1947. 521: Vinciguerra 1927; Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934, 1937; Gestro and Vinciguerra 1931. AL WAHAT: 560: Scortecci 1935b; Loveridge 1947. 564: Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934, 1937; Loveridge 1947. KUFRAH: 566: MCSN 2001. 575: MZUF 21100. Cyrenaica: “ between Agedabia and Gialo”: Vinciguerra 1931. COMMENTS.— Many early records of this species refer to Stenodactylus elegans Fitzinger, 1826 , a junior synonym of S. sthenodactylus . Metallinou et al. (2012) found S. mauritanicus and S. sthenodactylus to be reciprocally monophyletic and deeply divergent from one another. Libyan specimens were sister to specimens from western North Africa, especially Algeria, and more distantly related to geckos from the Red Sea coast of Egypt and Kenyan material, and even more distantly related to material from northern Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Metallinou and Crochet (2013) regarded S. s. zavattarii Scortecci, 1943 based on Kenyan material, as conspecific with the nominate form, pending a more complete study. Although desert records are unambiguously attributable to this species, some records closer to the Mediterranean coast could be referable to S. mauritanicus and require careful reexamination. A locality “Bosco” listed by Loveridge (1947) in an error for “Bosco fra Sidi Garbaa e Gubba” [woods between Sidi Garbaa and Gubba], a locality given by Calabresi (1923).

IUCN THREAT STATUS.— Not evaluated, but anticipated to be Least Concern.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Stenodactylus sthenodactylus and egg from Um Al-Aranib, Murzuq, Fezzan, Libya. Photo © Adel Ibrahim.