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 | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Ramigekko Heinicke, Daza, Greenbaum, Jackman & Bauer, 2014 |
| Species: | R. swartbergensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Ramigekko swartbergensis (Haacke, 1996)
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| Synonyms | |
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Anatomy
editLike 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
editIt 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
editThey 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]
References
edit- ^ Tolley, K.A.; Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R. (2018). "Ramigekko swartbergensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T196903A115661608. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T196903A115661608.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "Ramigekko swartbergensis". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
- ^ a b Alexander, Graham (2013). A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. South Africa: Penguin Random House. ISBN 9781431702251.
- ^ 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. PMID 26010648. S2CID 12215963.
- ^ "Ramigekko swartbergensis K. Kuppusamy, W. Lin, G. Cizek, E. Haacke, 1996". Sanbi Red List. Retrieved 11 February 2020.