Geckoella Explained

Geckoella is a disputed genus of Gekkonidae endemic to India and Sri Lanka.^[1]

Classification of genus Geckoella

The phylogenetic relationships within the genus Geckoella has not been resolved to date. Based on morphology, suggested that it was a subgenus of Cyrtodactylus but a phylogenetic study by, though with inadequate sampling of taxa, restored it to generic status once again. They have all been placed under the genus Cyrtodactylus until a more definitive classification can be worked out.^[2]

Seven species have been recorded.

The five species found in India, listed alphabetically, are :

• Geckoella albofasciatus (Boulenger, 1885)– Boulenger's Indian gecko
• Geckoella collegalensis (Beddome, 1870) – Kollegal ground gecko
• Geckoella deccanensis (Günther, 1864)
• Geckoella irulaorum (Agarwal, 2023)
• Geckoella jeyporensis (Beddome, 1877) – Patinghe Indian gecko
• Geckoella nebulosus (Beddome, 1870)

Two species found in Sri Lanka, listed alphabetically, are :

• Geckoella triedrus (Günther, 1864) - Sri Lanka Gecko
• Geckoella yakhuna (Deraniyagala, 1945) - Northern Sri Lanka Gecko,

occur in the arid and moist zones of Sri Lanka respectively.

Works cited

• Bauer. Aaron M.. Two New Species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Myanmar. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 2002. 53. 7. 73–86.
• Feng. Jinye. Han. Demin. Bauer. Aaron M.. Zhou. Kaiya. Interrelationships Among Gekkonid Geckos Inferred from Mitochondrial and Nuclear Gene Sequences. Zoological Science. 2007. 24. 7. 656–665. 10.2108/zsj.24.656. 17824773. 46274800.

Notes and References

1. Beddome, R.H. . Descriptions of new reptiles from the Madras Presidency . 1878 . Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London . 1877 . 685–686 . 11 June 2013 .
2. Web site: A Phylogeny of the Only Ground-dwelling Radiation of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae): Diversification of Geckoella across peninsular India and Sri Lanka . novataxa. 31 January 2019.