Last updated 28 August 2022: added entries for L. buleli, L. euanensis, L. guppyi, L. pulcher, L. pusilus and L. tapukapili and updated listings for L lugubris and Bibliography.

A look at the

Subfamily GEKKO - Typical Geckos

Family GEKKONIDAE

Genus LEPIDODACTYLUS - Scaly-Toed Geckos

A moderately large Indo-Pacific genus of small geckos.

Cogger gives the characteristics of the genus as follows: rostral and mental shields rounded; labials much larger than adjacent scales; postmentals enlarged; digits moderately long, somewhat depressed, and expanded distally to form broad pads; apical subdigital lamellae not enlarged but continuous with a single or double series of narrow transverse lamellae extending across the full width of the pad; digits lying flat on the substrate when viewed laterally; all digits clawed, the large claws rising from the edge of the pad and not retractile in a distal median groove; preanal pores present.

Many geckos genera have their renowned "travelling" species, which here is represented by L. lugubris. This appears also to be the species most normally seen in the pet trade. Rogner has husbandry details.

	QUICK INDEX
L. aureolineatus, Golden Scaly-Toed Gecko	L. balioburius, Bataan ~	L. browni, Brown's ~
L. christiani, Christian ~	L. euaensis, Eua ~	L. flaviocularis, Yellow-Eyed ~
L. gardineri, Rotuman Forest Gecko	L. guppyi, Solomon ~	L. herrei, Negros ~
L. intermedius	L. listeri, Christmas Island Chained Gecko	L. lombocensis
L. lugubris, Mourning Gecko, Common ~	L. magnus, Mountain ~	L. manni, Fiji ~
L. moestus	L. mutahi, Bougainville ~	L. novaeguineae, New Guinea ~
L. oortii	L. orientalis, Oriental	L. paurolepis
L. planicaudus, Mindanao ~	L. pulcher, Wild ~	L. pumillus, Slender Chained Gecko
L. pusillus, Cope's	L. ranauensis, Sabah ~	L. shebae, Guadalcanal ~
L. tepukapili	L. vanuatensis	L. woodfordi, Woodford's ~
L. yami, Lanyu ~

Scientific Name	Common Name	Distribution	Size	Notes
Lepidodactylus
L. aureolineatus	Golden Scaly-Toed Gecko/ Yellow-Lined Smooth-Scaled Gecko	Philippines (Mindanao - according to Alcala, also Camiguin, Basilan, Samar and Antique)	32-44 mm SVL	Alcala describes this as "endemic and common". Found in aerial ferns, leaf axils of Pandanus and shrubs in the rain forests and the leaf axils of coconut trees from sea level to 1,200m. Scalation: 115-140 midbody scale rows: 30-40 preanal and femoral pores in a continuous series in males: spinose scales at intervals on tail. Other: quarter to third webbed between 3rd and 4th toes. Coloration: dorsally light- to rusty tan and relatively uniform, or tan, reddish-tan to light brown and less uniform with some darker dorsolateral blotches, or sometimes a few small dark spots. Light bar of 1+ (often 2-4) rows of scales extends from top of snout through eye to ear region, or may be mainly limited to area between eye and ear: usually some or all of these scales appear golden yellow. Ventrally uniform cream to light tan or with numerous flecks, especially along the sides.
L. balioburius	Bataan ~	Philippines
L. browni	Brown's ~	Papua New Guinea
L. buleli	Vanuatu Ant-Nest Gecko	Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu	TL approx 8 cm, SVL approx 4 cm	Known from a single forest site, from a very limited number of specimens. Description: small, stout-bodied, with well-developed limbs. 13-14 subdigital lamellae on 4^th toe of hindfoot, of which distal 2-3 are medially divided. Males lack preanal and femoral pores. Scalation details: small, equal-sized granular, juxtaposed scales on dorsal and lateral surfaces of head, neck and trunk; scales remain granular but increase in size towards venter. Small, smooth, plate-like scales border mouth and nares; series of postmentals on chin, of which middle pair slightly larger and grading smaller. Tail: thick, subcylindrical, gradually tapering to blunt tip, unsegmented, covered in granular scales above which grade into small flat scales ventrolaterally and slightly larger and smoother scales below. Coloration: dorsally light beige with a wash of reddish brown on top of head and posterior trunk; series of five dark-brown, broken transverse bars from shoulders to sacrum; dark stripe running from snout to eye; broad golden-tan strip, edged above and below by broad brown stripes, extends from eye diagonally downwards on the jowls; lips are golden-tan. Tail is light brown with dark-brown bands. Venter is mainly white, with yellowish chin and small brown flecking on abdomen. Reproduction: 2 eggs per clutch: no other details available. [SOURCE: Zug]
L. christiani	Christian ~ , Negros Broad-Tailed Smooth-Scaled Gecko	Philippines (Negros)	3-4cm SVL	According to Alcala, "endemic and rare". Found in aerial ferns, leaf axils of coconut trees at 250-800m elevation and arboreal ferns in tropical rain forests at 700-1,200m elevation. It shares these habitats with L. herrei and Pseudogekko brevipes respectively but is rarer than either. Scalation: 10-13 supralabials, 10-12 infralabials; 20-28 preanal and femoral pores in a continuous series in males: spinose scales at intervals on tail. Other: quarter to half webbed between 3rd and 4th toes but only at base between 1st and 2nd; 4th toes have 7-9 scansors, of which last two are divided at midline. Coloration: dorsally light to dark brown, may have vague darker blotches or a few dark brwon and blackish spots in region of limbs and tail; two longitudinal rows of dark spots may be present on back, dark spots sometimes appearing as inverted V-marks; yellow flecks on jaws; dark lateral band from snout to eye, usually broader between eye and ear, narrowing or fading between ear and forelimb; ventrally yellow, becoming yellowish-orange towards tail. See Alcala for coloration in preservative. Reproduction: eggs are laid in leaf axils of coconut trees or aerial ferns.
L. euaensis	Eua Forest Gecko	Tonga		Known only from the Tongan islands of 'Eua and 'Ata.
L. flaviocularis	Yellow-Eyed ~	Solomons Islands
L. gardineri	Rotuman Forest Gecko ~	Fiji (Rotuma)
L. guppyi	Solomon Forest Gecko	Bismarck Islands, New Britain, Solomon Islands, Oceania, Renell, Santa Cruz Islands	TL approx 9.5 cm	Zug describes this as a secretive gecko that is rarely found on buildings, but rather in a variety of arboreal sites, from well-developed secondary growth forest. Description: head small, oviform, very convex; snout once and one third the diameter of the orbit, which equals the distance between the latter and the ear-opening ; forehead slightly concave; ear-opening very small, round. Body elongate, limbs moderate. Digits moderate, inner well developed, webbed at the base; 11 lamellae under the median digits, the 2-3 proximal divided. Scalation details: scales uniformly granular, the granules larger on the snout, largest and flat on the belly, rostral quadrangular, more than twice as broad as high ; nostril pierced between the rostral, the first upper labial, and three nasals ; 11-12 upper and as many lower labials; 3-4 rows of very small chin-shields. 110-133 scale rows at midbody. Tail: cylindrical, tapering, covered with small equal flat scales. Coloration: pinkish brown above, sides with darker spots; a dark streak on the side of the head, passing through the eye; tail with dark annuli; lower surfaces whitish, throat speckled with reddish brown. [SOURCE: Boulenger]
L. herrei	Negros ~	Philippines (Negros, Cebu)
L. intermedius		Indonesia (Lesser Sundas)		Considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of L. lugubris.
L. labialis		Philippines (Mindanao)		At times variously assigned to either Lepidodactylus or Pseudogekko. Very closely allied to L. lugubris, from which it differs in the following points : fourteen upper and fifteen lower labials ; no femoral pores, but on each side nine praeanal pores forming a doubly arched series, angular medially. Tail cylindrical. [SOURCE: Boulenger]
L. listeri	Christmas Island Chained Gecko	Christmas Island (Indian Ocean)
L. lombocensis		Indonesia (Lesser Sundas)
L. lugubris	Mourning Gecko, Common ~	Most of SE Asia from India and Sri Lanka (but not Thailand) to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, Australia (N & E Qld and Torres Strait islands), Japan, China, and the islands of Oceania: introduced into the Seychelles, Hawaii and South and Central America including parts of Galapagos Islands	3½-4½ cm SVL, tail length < SVL; approx TL 8 cm	This is a fairly ubiquitous species, including throughout the Pacific, even on small islands with a few shrubs or small trees [Zug]. Description: head much longer than broad; snout subacuminate, longer than the distance between the eye and the ear-opening, about once and a half the diameter of the orbit; forehead with a median groove; ear-opening small, round. Body and limbs moderate. Digits moderate, inner well developed, with a rudiment of web; inferior lamellae numerous, 7-8 under the fingers, 9-16 on 4^th toe. Scalation details: upper surfaces and throat covered with very minute granules, a little larger on the snout; scales on the belly much larger, fiat, juxtaposed, or slightly imbricate; rostral quadrangular, broad; nostril pierced between the rostral, the first upper labial, and 2-3 nasal shields, the upper separated from its fellow by one or three small shields; 11-13 upper and 10-11 lower labials; mental small, smaller than the adjacent labials; four transverse rows of small chin-shields. 120-140 scale rows at midbody. Preanal and femoral pores absent. Tail: flat inferiorly, with sharpish, sometimes feebly serrated, lateral edge; caudal scales small, flat, equal. Coloration: upper surfaces light pinkish-grey or brownish, generally with a series of small blackish or purplish-brown spots on each side of the vertebral line; a purplish-brown streak from the end of the snout to the ear, passing through the eye; labials generally finely dotted with brown; lower surfaces white. Reproduction: this is a unisexual species. [SOURCE: Boulenger, Zug]
L. magnus	Mountain ~	Papua New Guinea
L. manni	Fiji ~ , Mann's Forest Gecko	Fiji (Viti Levu, Ovalau and Kadavu)	3½-4½ cm SVL, tail length < SVL	As of 2003 little seems to be known about the behaviour and reproduction of this species. However it appears to favour high elevation sites, and during the day can be found in a variety of cover, including beneath tree bark, under rock chips or in various crevices. Scalation details: digits have long oblong pads; claw lacking on 1st digit; digital lamellae wide and undivided, 9-14 under 4th toe. Other: tail has uniform whorls of moderately sized scales. Coloration: dorsally dark brown with black, buff and chestnut markings; ventrally yellow; tongue and buccal cavity pinkish white. Reproduction: eggs have been found in rock crevices in March and July [SOURCE: Morrison].
L. moestus	Micronesia Flat-Tailed Gecko	Micronesia
L. mutahi	Bougainville's ~	Solomon Islands
L. novaeguineae	New Guinea ~	Indonesia, Papua New Guinea
L. oortii		Indonesia
L. orientalis	Oriental ~	Papua New Guinea
L. paurolepis	Palau Barred Gecko	Micronesia
L. planicaudus	Mindanao ~	Philippines (Mindanao)
L. pulcher	Wild ~	Papua New Guinea and Oceania	TL 10.5 cm	Differs from L. lugubris in the following characters : snout rather shorter. Seventeen preanal pores, forming a doubly arched series, angular medially. Tail cylindrical. Coloration: pinkish brown above, head with small black spots; limbs and sides of the back with minute blackish specks; tail with dark transverse blotches; throat and breast minutely speckled with brown. [SOURCE: Boulenger]
L. pumillus	Slender Chained Gecko	Australia (Cape York peninsula and Torres Strait islands in Queensland) and Papua New Guinea
L. pusilus	Cope's ~	Australia		Two cross rows of ovate chin-shields, those behind graduating through several rows to the gulars; two scales between the upper nasals ; nine superior labials to below the pupil. Tail cylindrical, swollen. Coloration: light brown, with a much paler dorsal shade: a brown band through orbit to axilla, and band across muzzle; tail with a series of pale rounded spots on the median line above. [SOURCE: Boulenger]
L. ranauensis	Sabah ~	Malaysia
L. shebae	Guadalcanal ~	Solomon Islands
L. tepukapili	Tuvalu Forest Gecko	Polynesia		Restricted to Funafuti Atoll: few specimens known, including just one female, as of 2013 [Zug].
L. vanuatuensis		Melanesia (Vanuatu)
L. woodfordi	Woodford's ~	Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
L. yami	Lanyu ~	Taiwan (Lanyu Island)

Bibliography

The information above was culled from a number of sources, including Mattison:

A Field Guide to the Herpetofauna of Fiji, Clare Morrison, Institute of Applied Sciences, University of the South Pacific, 2003. Useful guide to the herpetofauna of these islands.

Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Harold Cogger, 6th edition, to which I gratefully acknowledge my debt for the information on Australian species on this page.

A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Steve Wilson and Gerry Swan, Reed New Holland, Sydney, 2003. Somewhat less detailed than Cogger but still covers the most useful identifying characteristics of the genera and species, and certainly more portable!