Monica's gecko explained

Monica's gecko (Pachydactylus monicae), also known commonly as Monica's thick-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, monicae, is in honor of Monica Frelow Bauer who is the wife of Aaron M. Bauer.^[1]

Habitat

Pachydactylus monicae is found in mesic microhabitats near rivers and adjacent rocky outcrops in arid habitats. P. monicae is generally found below elevations of 100 meters, but also can be found on the lower slopes of mountains.

Geographic range

P. monicae is found in the Lüdertiz and Karasburg districts of Namibia and the most northwestern part of the Northern Cape in South Africa.^[2]

Description

Relatively large for its genus, P. monicae may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.8cm (01.9inches).

Reproduction

P. monicae is oviparous.

Further reading

• Barts, Mirko (2011). "The Thick-toed geckos of Southern Africa. Part XII. Pachydactylus monicae Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006". Sauria Terraristik und Herpetologie, Berlin 33 (2): 9–14.
• Bauer, Aaron M.

Lamb, Trip; Branch, William R. (2006). "A Revision of the Pachydactylus serval and P. weberi Groups (Reptilia: Gekkota: Gekkonidae) of Southern Africa, with the Description of Eight New Species". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 57 (23): 595–709. (Pachydactylus monicae, new species, pp. 664–667 + Figures 82–87 on pp. 634–637).

Notes and References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Pachydactylus monicae, p. 182).
2. Bauer, Aaron (2014). Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. p. 136. ISBN 978-1-919976-96-9.