Hemidactylus longicephalus Bocage, 1873

Sánchez-Vialas, Alberto, Calvo-Revuelta, Marta & Riva, Ignacio De La, 2022, Synopsis of the terrestrial Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea, Zootaxa 5202 (1), pp. 1-197 : 35-38

Hemidactylus longicephalus Bocage, 1873

Figure 8C

Hemidactylus longicephalus Bocage, 1873: 210 . Type locality: Holotype lost from “Mossamedes (Capangombe) et de Catumbella, près de Benguella”. Neotype from “Kawa Camp, Kissama National Park (-9.18303°, 13.37063°, 136 m), Luanda Province, Republic of Angola ”.

Hemidactylus bocagii Boulenger, 1885: 125 (nomen novum pro H. longiceps ).

Hemidactylus mabouia var. molleri Bedriaga, 1892: 739 . Type locality: São Thomé.

Distribution. Widespread from Angola to Cameroon and West of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Equatorial Guinea it had never been recorded ( Map 8A ).

Comments. The presence of this species in Equatorial Guinea is currently based on a single specimen held at the Yale University Peabody Museum and catalogued as “YPM HERR 014399” from Los Altos de Nsork National Park, in southeastern Río Muni. This is the first record of this taxon from Equatorial Guinea. The specimen MNCN 15665, which is morphologically similar to H. longicephalus , was supposedly collected in Annobon together with some specimens of H. angulatus (MNCN 15664, MNCN 15666–15668). Altought H. longicephalus was introduced in São Tome (type locality of Hemidactylus mabouia var. molleri ), this seems not to be the case in Annobon, since several field expeditions carried out to the island failed to record it. Remarkably, H. aporus , a closely allied species (based on morphology) to H. longicephalus fide Boulenger (1906) has been never recorded since the original description (see H. aporus account). Hemidactylus longicephalus presents 8–11 subdigital lamellae in the fourth toe, 14–18 regular rows of dorsal tubercles, and 4–8 precloacal pores in males, whereas H. aporus presents 7 lamellae in the fourth toe, 16–20 regular rows of dorsal tubercles, and absence of precloacal pores in males ( Loveridge, 1947). The examined specimen MNCN 15665, a female (precloacal pores absent), has five subdigital lamellae in the first toe and nine in the fourth, and around 16 dorsal tubercles regularly arranged. The combination of these traits is mostly within the variability of H. longicephalus . Because of (1) the possibility of a labelling mistake, or (2) the taxonomic problem regarding the Annobon endemic H. aporus , we remain cautious and do not consider H. longicephalus as part of the Annobon fauna until more evidence is obtained.

Specimens examined. One specimen. Annobon? (missing original label) (MNCN 15665).

Figures

FIGURE 8. From left to right: dorsal, lateral, and ventral views of the head of. Hemidactylus angulatus (A) (MNCN 4473), Hemidactylus coalescens (B) (MNCN 4504); and dorsal view of the head, dorsal trunk surface and ventral view of the head of Hemidactylus cf. longicephalus (C) (MNCN 15665). Photos: AS-V.

MAPS 8 A–C. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Hemidactlyus aff. longicephalus (question mark represents a dubious record; see species account); (B) Hemidactylus mabouia; (C) Hemidactylus muriceus.