Methuen's dwarf gecko explained

Methuen's dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus methueni), also known commonly as the Woodbrush dwarf gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southern Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, methueni, is in honor of British naturalist Paul Ayshford Methuen.^[1]

Geographic range

L. methueni is endemic to South Africa and is found near Haenertsburg in the Woodbush Forest area and Haenertsburg Common.

Description

L. methueni is olive-grey.

Behaviour

L. methueni basks on the boles of large trees or on rocky outcrops.

Reproduction

L. methueni is oviparous.^[2]

Conservation status

Forestry plantations and frequent fires pose a threat to the habitat of L. methueni and have resulted in a reduction in the population.^[3]

Further reading

• Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Lygodactylus methueni, pp. 247–248 + Plate 91).
• FitzSimons V (1937). "Three New Lizards from South Africa". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 17 (4): 275–279. (Lygodactylus methueni, new species, pp. 275–276, Figures 1–2).

Notes and References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Lygodactylus methueni, p. 177).
2. . www.reptile-database.org.
3. Web site: "METHUEN'S DWARF GECKO". Friends of the Haenertsburg Grasslands (FroHG). 1 November 2014.