Subfamily GEKKONINAE - "True" Geckos

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S. brosseti, Morocco Lizard-Fingered Gecko

S. elmoudenii

S. fasciatus, Banded Lizard-Fingered Gecko

S. harrisii

S. mauritanicus, Morocco Lizard-Fingered Gecko

S. slimanii

S. splendidus, Petri's Thin-Fingered Gecko

Scientific Name

Common Name

Distribution

Size

Notes

S. brosseti

Morocco Lizard-Fingered Gecko

W Morocco

Formerly considered a subspecies of S. mauritanicus. Range includes Atlas mountains. According to KKS, this is very common over much of Atlantic southwest Morocco. Scalation details: nasal shields usually touch each other, whereas they are separated by two small scales in S. harrisi. Nasals are separated from labials by two slender plates. Median subcaudal scales similar to lateral ones. Coloration: variable dorsal color, beige to dark brown; differs from all other species in the S. brosseti complex by not exhibiting large white or yellow spots on the back; spots are minute or absent; tail is typically covered with irregular yellow spots on a brownish surface; white v-shaped line is usually present on the top of the head, but not extending to the neck. [SOURCE: Javanmardi et al, 2019: Saurodactylus brosseti Bons & Pasteur 1957 (zenodo.org), KKS]

S. elmoudenii

Morocco

Found in the central part of the Anti-Atlas (Tafraoute basin). Scalation details: internasals large, broadly in contact; 4-5 plates in contact with nostril; i.e., internasals separated from 1st labials by one or two plates. This is an intermediate state between S. slimanii sp. nov. (5 plates bordering nostril) and S. splendidus sp. nov. (4 plates bordering nostril). Coloration: there are two pattern types: 1) Spots are arranged in two parallel rows; they are smaller and more numerous than the transverse spots in the southeast clade; tail yellowish with dark bands; light bands on head go to neck or shoulder. 2) Spots are distributed irregularly; tail yellow or light brown with dark marble marks; light bands on head do not reach neck. [SOURCE: Javanmardi et al, 2019: Saurodactylus elmoudenii Javanmardi & Vogler & Joger 2019, sp. nov. (zenodo.org) ]

S. fasciatus

Banded Lizard-Fingered Gecko, Banded Lizard-Toed Gecko

Morocco

TL 9.5 cm, tail 1.2-1.5 SVL in adults

See KKS for habitat preferences, but appears to prefer rocky terrain. Scalation details: about 50 scales between the eyes; nasals always separated in the middle of the snout by 1 (sometimes 2-3) granule(s): 6 (sometimes 7) supralabials and 5-7 infralabials on each side; postmentals in contact or separated; dorsal granules round and pointed; enlarged granules 2-3 times as large as others; 120-130 scales around midbody; midventral scale series of original tail consists of 1 very large scale followed by 2 smaller scales; laterally the very large scales contact 3 small scales on each side, the smaller ones 2; regenerated tail lacks broad trapezoid scales. Other: digits laterally compressed and thinned towards their ends. Coloration: either basically greyish brow with some roughly aligned white dots and some black dots, or basically grey with transverse rows of white dots, the rows pointing forwards with their lateral ends, being interrupted middorsally and bordered with a black line anteriorly. Dark brown temporal stripe without light borders; no sharp delineation between dorsal and tail pigmentation, tail being patterned similarly to dorsum; ventrally pale grey, touched with yellow in those individuals with greyish-brown dorsum. Reproduction: hibernation period end October to end of February. See KKS for start of reproduction period, but at least 3 clutches of 2 eggs each laid each year. Sexual maturity reached at over 7 cm TL. [SOURCE: KKS]

S. harrisii

Morocco

Found in the Atlantic coastal area from the mouth of Oued Souss to Boujdour, Moroccan Sahara. Scalation details: internasal shields separated from each other by two granules. Four shields bordering nostril, i.e., the rostral, internasal, one postnasal and the first supralabial. Coloration: ground color light to dark brown. Irregularly distributed large spots with dark margins, or smaller spots, concentrated on the lateral side. Tail yellowish or light brown with dark marble pattern. V-shaped light mark on top of head not reaching the neck. [SOURCE: Javanmardi et al, 2019: Saurodactylus harrisii Javanmardi & Vogler & Joger 2019, sp. nov. (zenodo.org) ]

S. mauritanicus

Morocco Lizard-Fingered Gecko

Morocco, Western Sahara, NW Algeria

SVL approx 6 cm

KKS consider this a rare species. Head: little depressed; snout rounded. Upper surfaces covered with uniform juxtaposed round scales. Rostral pentagonal ; nostril between the rostral, the first labial, and three nasals ; five upper and as many lower labials ; mental very large, rhomboidal ; one or two pairs of chin-shields. Digits long and very slender, cylindrical. Abdominal scales rhomboidal, larger than dorsals. No femoral nor praeanal pores. Tail: cylindrical, covered above with uniform rounded scales which are larger than those on the back, inferiorly with a series of enlarged transverse plates. Coloration: grey-brown above, dotted with darker and with a few white, black-edged spots; a dark streak on the side of the head; lower surfaces whitish, throat brownish; brown temporal stripe not bordered with white in contrast to S. brosseti. [SOURCE: Boulenger, KKS]

S. slimanii

Morocco

Known from two areas at the southern margin of the High Atlas chain. Coloration: dorsum usually brown or blackish (no light morphs are known). In specimens with darker back, tail is dark, too. Dorsal spots often arranged in two longitudinal rows. Light dorsolateral streaks on both sides of head usually extending beyond neck/shoulder (not in the holotype). [SOURCE: Javanmardi et al, 2019: Saurodactylus slimanii Javanmardi & Vogler & Joger 2019, sp. nov. (zenodo.org) ]

S. splendidus

Morocco

Known only from two localities about 120 km apart. Scalation details: internasals large, touching each other only in a limited area of contact; proximally and distally they are separated by two small granules. Only one narrow postnasal shield separates nasals from 1st labial, this configuration being unique to this species. Coloration: very peculiar pattern of dark brown or blackish ground colour, a V-shaped whitish-yellow mark on the head, terminating at the neck; 4 pairs of large whitish-yellow spots, each pair forming a band: one between the shoulders, two on the back and one between the hind legs; unregenerated tail dark brown with 5-6 transverse pale yellow to white bands; Legs sometimes much lighter than back. Contrary to other members of the S. brosseti species complex, dorsal color pattern of juveniles does not differ from that of adult animals; tail rings in juveniles are usually intensely yellow or orange (juveniles from the North, South and Anti-Atlas have a completely dark background, mostly devoid of spots, and a bright reddish tail; pers. observation; Bons & Pasteur 1957). [SOURCE: Javanmardi et al, 2019: Saurodactylus splendidus Javanmardi & Vogler & Joger 2019, sp. nov. (zenodo.org) ]