Last updated May 5 2003: added complete list of species and Quick Index, and updated introductory notes, navigation and Bibliography.

Subfamily GEKKONINAE - the Typical Geckos

Genus LYGODACTYLUS - Dwarf Geckos

There are over 50 species in the Lygodactylus genus, most of which come from some part of Africa (usually sub-Saharan). As their common name suggests, these are small and slender geckos, not often seen for sale in the UK outside of herpetological specialist outlets. This is not to suggest that they are particularly difficult to care for, apart from the need to obtain smaller than usual sizes of insect prey. Most of them are rather attractive little creatures.

Behaviourally Lygodactylus are also interesting. They are active by day and live in a variety of habitat, both natural (mostly trees, but also bushes and boulders) and human (particularly fences). Here they form territorial colonies dominated by a single adult male, who keeps out other males and forces out juvenile males when they reach a certain size. Some species also exhibit communal egg laying. Ants are the preferred diet, and SHDA (see note below) note that individuals will often sit beside an ant trail and lick up the ants as they pass. However, I have not seen any claim that ants are the sole diet for these geckos (unlike, say, some Phrynosoma or agamid species), so it is probably the case that captives will take equally small-sized insects. Branch notes that wild specimens also take termites.

The genus can be characterised as follows: rudimentary inner toe: other toes have large retractile claw and paired and oblique scansors: snout short and rounded: large eyes with round pupils and distinct eyelids: short, cylindrical body: tail cylindrical with modified scales at tip which act as a fifth scansor: tail makes up about half of total length: femoral pores absent, preanal pores present in only males: two hard-shelled eggs laid.

SHDA also note that there is considerable taxonomic confusion (at least in the East African range) over some if not many of the species, at least some of which were based on a few or even single specimens (see SHDA for a full discussion).

NOTES: SHDA refers to the Field Guide to Reptiles of East Africa, Branch to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. To go to the Bibliography from a given entry, click on B: to return to the Quick Index, click on I.

  QUICK INDEX  
L. angolensis, Angola Dwarf Gecko L. angularis, Angulate Dwarf Gecko L. arnoulti
L. bernardi, Bernard's Dwarf Gecko L. blancae L. blanci
L. bradfieldi, Bradfield's Dwarf Gecko L. broadleyi, Broadley's Dwarf Gecko L. capensis, Cape Dwarf Gecko
L. chobiensis, Chobe Dwarf Gecko L. conradti, Conradt's Dwarf Gecko L. conraui
L. decaryi L. depressus L. expectatus
L. fischeri L. grandisoni, Bunty's Dwarf Gecko L. graniticolus , Granite Dwarf Gecko
L. gravis, Usambara Dwarf Gecko L. grzimeki, Grzimek's Dwarf Gecko L. guibei
L. gutturalis, Chevron- Throated/Forest Dwarf Gecko L. heterurus L. howelli
L. inexpectatus, Dar Es Salaam Dwarf Gecko L. insularis L. intermedius
L. keniensis, Kenya Dwarf Gecko L. kimhowelli, Kim Howell's Dwarf Gecko L. klemmeri
L. klugei L. laterimaculatus, Side-Spotted Dwarf Gecko L. lawrencei, Lawrence's Dwarf Gecko
L. luteopicturatus, Yellow-Headed Dwarf Gecko L. madagascariensis L. manni, Mann's Dwarf Gecko
L. methueni, Methuen's Dwarf Gecko L. miops L. mirabilis
L. montanus  L. nigropunctatus, Black-Spotted Dwarf Gecko  L. ocellatus, Spotted Gecko 
L. ornatus L. pauliani  L. picturatus,White-Headed/ Painted Dwarf Gecko 
L. pictus  L. praecox  L. rarus 
L. rex  L. scheffleri, Scheffler's Dwarf Gecko L. scorteccii, Scortecci's Dwarf Gecko
L. septemtuberculatus  L. somalicus, Somali Dwarf Gecko  L. stevensoni, Stevenson's Dwarf Gecko
L. thomensis  L. tolampyae  L. tuberosus 
L. ulugurensis, Uluguru Dwarf Gecko L. verticillatus L. viscatus, Copal Dwarf Gecko
L. waterbergensis, Waterberg Dwarf Gecko L. wetzeli L. williamsi, Turquoise Dwarf Gecko

Scientific Name Common Name Distribution Size Notes
L. angolensis Angola Dwarf Gecko Zambezi drainage basin (Mozambique, W Zimbabwe, N Botswana, Caprivi Strip, NE Namibia, E Angola) 5-6½cm B I
L. angularis Angulate Dwarf Gecko Kenya, Malawi, N Zambia 7-9½cm Some of the species records are open to question: see SHDA. B I
L. arnoulti ? Dwarf Gecko Madagascar ? B I
L. bernardi Bernard's Dwarf Gecko E Zimbabwe (Inyanga District) 6-8cm ??. B I
L. blancae ? Dwarf Gecko Madagascar ? B I 
L. blanci ? Dwarf Gecko C Madagascar ? B I 
L. bradfieldi Bradfield's Dwarf Gecko South Africa (NW Cape Province), S. Angola, Botswana, Namibia 5-6cm Very rarely seen in the trade. However, Coborn recommends care as for the two preceding species, except that the humidity should be much lower as this is primarily a desert lizard, ie it needs to be kept dry. B I.
L. broadleyi Broadley's Dwarf Gecko Tanzania 6cm B I 
L. capensis Cape/Common Dwarf Gecko RSA (N Cape Province, Transvaal & Natal), Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Island Pemba 6-7½cm L. capensis is an inhabitant of open woodlands or savanna. It is arboreal and hides in bark crevices, but is also occasionally found in homes or old huts. It is nocturnal. The female lays two eggs by stroking them out and pulling them with her hindlegs. Occasionally offered for sale, mainly in the US. B I
L. chobiensis Chobe Dwarf Gecko Okavango basin (Zambezi valley to Tete, Zimbabwe plateau and adj. Zambia) 3½" Sometimes available, partly because of its very wide distribution. In the wild L. picturatus is a good climber, having adhesive disks on its toepads plus a double row of adhesive lamellae on the tip of its tail. For this reason it is often found basking on tree limbs and occasionally near human dwellings. In mountainous areas it can be found at altitudes of up to 3,000 ft (1,000 m). Its preferred habitats are always sem-moist or semi-humid. Sexual dimorphism is marked: both sexes have grey bodies, but in addition the males have yellow heads with long dark stripes. Being primarily diurnal, these small geckos are good display animals. John Coborn (to whom I am indebted for the natural history here) recommends a 12 x 12 x 24in terrarium with a mixture of coarse sand and peat as substrate, some branches for natural activity and bark pieces for hiding places, and to fully complete the furnishings, a potted Sansevieria or Aloe plant. Temperature gradient should be 77-86 deg. F during the day, dropping to room temperature at night, with a small basking lamp and full-spectrum UV light. Spraying should be used to keep humidity at 40-70% and has the added advantage that the lizards will drink the droplets, although a shallow container may also be provided. B I
L. conradti Conradti Dwarf Gecko E Tanzania (Usambara mtns and coastal forests nearby) 2cm Little is known about this species, one of the smallest geckos: distribution seems to be broken into small patches of forest. B I
L. conraui   Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial New Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana ? B I 
L. decaryi   S Madagascar ? B I 
L. depressus   Congo ? B I
L. expectatus   N Madagascar ? B I 
L. fischeri   Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial New Guinea, poss. Congo ? B I 
L. grandisoni Bunty's Dwarf Gecko NE Kenya, S Ethiopia 5cm B I 
L. graniticolus Granite Dwarf Gecko RSA (Percy Fyfe Nature Reserve in N Province) 7-8cm  ??. B I
L. gravis Usambara Dwarf Gecko E Tanzania (Usambara mtns) 9cm (max) B I 
L. grzimeki Grzimek's Dwarf Gecko Tanzania (Lake Manyara National Park) 6cm Originally regarded as subspecies of L. angularis. B I
L. guibei   W Madagascar ? B I 
L. gutturalis Chevron- Throated/Forest Dwarf Gecko Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, NW Tanzania, Nigeria, Senegal 7-9cm ??. B I
L. heterurus   Madagascar, Nosy Be ? B I 
L. h. heterus Madagascar, Nosy Be B I 
L. h. trilineigularis NE Madagascar (Ampahana) B I 
L. howelli   Tanzania (Zanzibar Island) ? See EMBL database entry for notes on taxonomy. B I
L. inexpectatus Dar Es Salaam Dwarf Gecko E Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) 8cm (max) Known from a single specimen: may be critically endangered or extinct [SHDA]. B I
L. insularis   Mozambique (Juan de Nova Island) ? B I 
L. intermedius   Madagascar ? B I 
L. keniensis Kenya Dwarf Gecko N Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, S Somalia 6-7½cm ??. B I
L. kimhowelli Kim Howell's Dwarf Gecko Tanzania (Amboni Caves, Tanga) 7cm Known only from two specimens: at least endangered or critically endangered [SHDA]. B I
L. klemmeri   Madagascar, poss. NW Tanzania ? B I 
L. klugei   NE Brazil (Bahia) ? Some authorities list this under the genus Vanzoia: see EMBL database entry. B I
L. laterimaculatus Side-Spotted Dwarf Gecko Kenya (Voi, Taita Hills and Mt Kilimanjaro) 5-7cm Poorly known [SHDA]. B I
L. lawrencei Lawrence's Dwarf Gecko N Nambia (Kaokoveld), S Angola 6-7cm  Rarely available. B I
L. luteopicturatus Yellow-Headed Dwarf Gecko SE Kenya, E Tanzania 6-8½cm Formerly considered part of L. picturatus until 1964. This species is found in fairly high population densities within its range, not least because it has learnt to take advantage of human habitation. B I
L. madagascariensis   Madagascar, Nosy Bé ? B I 
L. m. madagascariensis  
L. m. petteri  
L. manni Mann's Dwarf Gecko E Tanzania (Usambara mtns and coastal forests nearby) ? ?? B I
L. methueni Methuen's Dwarf Gecko RSA (Woodbush Forest in N Province) 7-8cm  ??. B I
L. miops   E Madagascar (Senbendrana) ? B I 
L. mirabilis   Madagascar (Mt Tsiafajovona) ? Formerly considered a Millotisaurus species: see EMBL database entry. B I
L. montanus   Madagascar, poss. Tanzania (Mt Ivohibé) ? Not mentioned by SHDA in their Field Guide: see EMBL database entry. B I
L. nigropunctatus Black-Spotted Dwarf Gecko

 

 

 

RSA (C N Province, Soutpansberg, Blouberg) 6-7cm

 

 

 

See EMBL database entry for comment on the subspecies taxonomy. B I
L. n. nigropunctatus C N Province   
L. n. incognitus Soutpansberg  
L. n. montiscaeruli Blouberg & adj. Makgabeng Hills  
L. ocellatus Spotted Dwarf Gecko RSA (N Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland) 5-7cm B I 
L. o. ocellatus      
L. o. soutpansbergensis      
L. ornatus   Madagascar (Mt Mandritsara) ? B I 
L. pauliani   SE Madagascar (Senbendrana) ? See comments in EMBL database entry regarding the differences in scalation between this species and others in its supergroup. B I
L. picturatus White-Headed/ Painted Dwarf Gecko E. Africa (S. Ethiopia to Zimbabwe), C. Africa and probably W. Africa 8cm [NB - the following notes are probably more likely to apply to L. luteopicturatus, including the description. This section will be updated soon]. Sometimes available, partly because of its very wide distribution. In the wild L. picturatus is a good climber, having adhesive disks on its toepads plus a double row of adhesive lamellae on the tip of its tail. For this reason it is often found basking on tree limbs and occasionally near human dwellings. In mountainous areas it can be found at altitudes of up to 3,000 ft (1,000 m). Its preferred habitats are always semi-moist or semi-humid. Laurent et al found the species frequently on small trees in open situations, with 2 or 3 possible per single 2-3m tree, but that it was never seen within the villages or on the walls of huts. Sexual dimorphism is marked: both sexes have grey bodies, but in addition the males have yellow heads with long dark stripes. Being primarily diurnal, these small geckos are good display animals. John Coborn (to whom I am indebted for the natural history here) recommends a 12 x 12 x 24in terrarium with a mixture of coarse sand and peat as substrate, some branches for natural activity and bark pieces for hiding places, and to fully complete the furnishings, a potted Sansevieria or Aloe plant. Temperature gradient should be 77-86 deg. F during the day, dropping to room temperature at night, with a small basking lamp and full-spectrum UV light. Spraying should be used to keep humidity at 40-70% and has the added advantage that the lizards will drink the droplets, although a shallow container may also be provided. B I
L. pictus   S Madagascar ? See EMBL database entry for comments on this and "L. robustus". B I 
L. praecox   CW Madagascar ? ??. B I 
L. rarus   N Madagascar ? ?? B I
L. rex   Malawi, Mozambique ? ?? B I
L. scheffleri Scheffler's Dwarf Gecko Kenya (Chyulu Hills), Tanzania (SW of Mt Hanang) 4½-5cm Known only from two specimens. B I
L. scortecci Scortecci's Dwarf Gecko Kenya, S Somalia 7-8cm Validity of species questioned: may belong to L. picturatus [SHDA]. See note in latter species entry on Laurent's observations. B I
L. septemtuberculatus   Madagascar ? Considered synonymous with L. miops by some authors (see EMBL database entry). B I 
L. somalicus Somali Dwarf Gecko N Kenya, SE Ethiopia, S & C Somalia 5½-6cm ??. B I
L. s. somalicus
L. s. battersbyi
L. stevensoni Stevenson's Dwarf Gecko RSA (extreme N of Kruger National Park), S Zimbabwe 6-7½cm  Rarely available. B I
L. thomensis   Gulf of Guinea (W Africa)   B I 
L. t. thomensis
L. t. delicatus
L. t. wermuthi
L. tolampyae ? Madagascar (W coast)   Click here for a picture of this lizard (copyright Bill Love). B I
L. tuberosus   SW Madagascar ? ?? B I
L. ulugurensis Uluguru Dwarf Gecko Tanzania (Uluguru mtns) 6cm (max) Endangered due to small range and dependence on forest. B I
L. verticillatus   Madagascar ? ?? B I
L. viscatus Copal Dwarf Gecko E Tanzania (coastal plain) ? ??. B I
L. waterbergensis Waterberg Dwarf Gecko RSA (Waterberg escarpment in N Province) 7-8cm  B I 
L. wetzeli   Brazil, N Paraguay, E Bolivia ? Some authorities list this under the genus Vanzoia: see EMBL database entry. B I 
L. williamsi Turquoise Dwarf Gecko Tanzania (Kimboza Forest) 5½cm Males of this species are a spectacular blue coloration. Endangered due to small range. B I

Bibliography

Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa, Bill Branch, Struik, 1998. Best guide I have yet encountered on the members of this genus.

Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa by Stephen Spawls, Kim Howell, Robert Drewes and James Ashe. Detailed and invaluable review of all reptile species in the region.

Notes on a herpetological collection from the Somali Republic, Carl Gans, Raymond F Laurent and Hemchandra Pandit, Royal Museum of Central Africa, Terveuven, Belgium 1965.

Breeding and Keeping Geckos, John Coborn, TFH, 1995.

Lizards of the World, Mattison

Keeping and Breeding Lizards, Mattison

Geckos: Keeping and Breeding Them in Captivity, Walls and Walls, TFH 1999.

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