Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi explained

Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi, also known commonly as the button-scaled gecko, FitzSimons' thick-toed gecko, Fitzsimons's thick-toed gecko, and FitzSimons' tubercled gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southwestern Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, fitzsimonsi, is in honor of South African herpetologist Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons.^[1]

Geographic range

C. fitzsimonsi is found in Angola and Namibia.^[2]

Description

C. fitzsimonsi is a large, heavy-bodied gecko. Adults average 6.5to snout-to-vent length (SVL). The record size is a male 9cm (04inches) SVL. Dorsally, it is olive-colored, with four or five dark undulating crossbands. Ventrally, it is white.^[3]

Habitat

The preferred habitat of C. fitzsimonsi is rocky outcrops in arid savanna or in semidesert,^[3] at altitudes of .

Reproduction

C. fitzsimonsi is oviparous.^[2]

Further reading

• Bauer AM, Lamb T (2005). "Phylogenetic relationships of southern African geckos in the Pachydactylus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae)". African Journal of Herpetology 54 (2): 105–129. (Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi, new combination).
• Heinz MD, Brennan IG, Jackman TR, Bauer AM (2021). "Phylogeny of the genus Chondrodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with the establishment of a stable taxonomy". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 163 (5): 151–210. (Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi, p. 180).
• Loveridge A (1947). "Revision of the African Lizards of the Family Gekkonidae". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College 98 (1): 1–469. (Pachydactylus laevigatus fitzsimonsi, new name, pp. 400–401).
• Rösler H (2000). "Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)". Gekkota 2: 28–153. (Pachydactylus fitzsimonsi, p. 98). (in German).

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
2. Web site: Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi . The Reptile Database. 2017-11-11.
3. [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]