Methuen's dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus methueni), also known commonly as the Woodbrush dwarf gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southern Africa.
| Methuen's dwarf gecko | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Lygodactylus |
| Species: | L. methueni
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lygodactylus methueni V. Fitzsimons, 1937
| |
Etymology
editThe specific name, methueni, is in honor of British naturalist Paul Ayshford Methuen.[2]
Geographic range
editL. methueni is endemic to South Africa and is found near Haenertsburg in the Woodbush Forest area and Haenertsburg Common.[3]
Description
editL. methueni is olive-grey.[3]
Behaviour
editL. methueni basks on the boles of large trees or on rocky outcrops.[3]
Reproduction
editConservation status
editForestry plantations and frequent fires pose a threat to the habitat of L. methueni and have resulted in a reduction in the population.[3]
References
edit- ^ Tolley, K.A.; Weeber, J.; Pietersen, D.; Conradie, W.; Alexander, G.J. (2022). "Lygodactylus methueni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T12439A197400102. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Lygodactylus methueni, p. 177).
- ^ a b c d ""METHUEN'S DWARF GECKO". Friends of the Haenertsburg Grasslands (FroHG)". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ Species Lygodactylus EMBL at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
Further reading
edit- Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Lygodactylus methueni, pp. 247–248 + Plate 91).
- FitzSimons V (1937). "Three New Lizards from South Africa". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 17 (4): 275–279. (Lygodactylus methueni, new species, pp. 275–276, Figures 1–2).