Pachydactylus vansoni, commonly known as Van Son's gecko or Van Son's thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa.

Van Son's thick-toed gecko
In the Soutpansberg, South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Gekkonidae
Genus: Pachydactylus
Species:
P. vansoni
Binomial name
Pachydactylus vansoni
      range
Synonyms
  • Pachydactylus capensis vansoni
    V. Fitzsimons 1933[1][2]
  • Pachtdactylus vansoni
    Bauer & Good, 1996[2]

Etymology

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The specific name, vansoni, is in honor of Russian-born Dutch entomologist Georges Van Son (1898-1967), who worked at the Transvaal Museum (1925-1967).[3]

Geographic range

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P. vansoni is distributed in Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. The geographic range of this species is estimated to be larger than 100,000 km2 (38,610 sq mi).[1]

Habitat

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The preferred natural habitats of P. vansoni are grassland and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,300 m (7,500 ft).[1]

Reproduction

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P. vansoni is oviparous.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Bates, M.F.; Bauer, A.M. (2018). "Pachydactylus vansoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T174124A115657940. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T174124A115657940.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Pachydactylus vansoni Fitzsimons, 1933. The Reptile Database". Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  3. ^ 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. (Pachydactylus vansoni, pp. 272-273).

Further reading

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  • Barts M, Colacicco F (2015). "Die Dickfingergeckos des südlichen Afrikas. Tiel XVII: Pachydactylus vansoni FITZSIMONS, 1933 ". Sauria 37 (1): 41–48. (in German).
  • 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. (Pachydactylus vansoni, pp. 262–263 + Plate 83).
  • FitzSimons VFM (1933). "Descriptions of Five New Lizards from the Transvaal and Southern Rhodesia". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 15 (2): 273–280. (Pachydactylus capensis vansoni, new subspecies).
  • Girard F (2013). "Pachydactylus vansoni FitzSimons, 1933, Van Son's Thick-toed Gecko. Captive Breeding". African Herp News (60): 19–20.
  • Rösler H (1993). "Contributions to the knowledge of African geckos (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae). 1. Records of a five year period of maintenance and reproduction of Pachydactylus vansoni FitzSimons 1933". Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 42 (1): 13–19.
  • Rösler H (2000). "Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)". Gekkota 2: 28–153. (Pachydactylus vansoni, p. 99). (in German).
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