Hemidactylus depressus Gray, 1842

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 253

Hemidactylus depressus Gray, 1842 — Non-native; Introduced.

Kandyan Gecko

Singapore records.

Nubilia Argentii — Gray, 1845: 273.— Hoffmann, 1890a: 1196.

Hemidactylus depressus — Boulenger, 1885: 135.— Flower, 1896: 865.—Ridley, 1899: 206.— Boulenger, 1912: 43.—Sworder, 1925a: 64.— Chasen, 1925: 100.—Smedley, 1932: 11.

Remarks. Endemic to Sri Lanka (Somaweera & Somaweera 2009a), a specimen of H. depressus was attained by Argent and is preserved at NHMUK with the locality Singapore ( Gray 1845; Boulenger 1885). Boulenger (1912) stated that H. depressus inhabits Sri Lanka, but did not mention whether he found the Singapore specimen dubious. Sworder (1925) did doubt the locality of the specimen and stated that the individual likely reached Singapore as a stowaway. Smedley (1932) also agreed that the locality was incorrect and removed it from Peninsular Malaysia’s checklist. Subsequently, Taylor (1953) corrected and restricted the type locality for N. argentii to “ Ceylon ”, and Batuwita & Pethiyagoda (2012) agreed that the type locality is “ Sri Lanka ”.

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. No specimens.

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.