Hemidactylus lanzai Šmíd, Mazuch, Nováková, Modrý, Malonza, Elmi, Carranza, and Moravec, 2020

Kirchhof, Sebastian, Wasonga, Victor, Mazuch, Tomáš, Spawls, Stephen & Malonza, Patrick Kinyatta, 2023, An annotated checklist of the herpetofauna of the Sibiloi National Park in northern Kenya based on field surveys, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 324) 17 (1 / 2), pp. 1-18 : 8

Hemidactylus lanzai Šmíd, Mazuch, Nováková, Modrý, Malonza, Elmi, Carranza, and Moravec, 2020 et al. 2020

Vouchers: NMK-391L (field no. SK16 1021); NMK-383L/1–2 (field nos. SK16 1029, SK16 1033); NMK-395L (field no. SK16 1039); NMK-392L (field no. SK16 1053); NMK-393L (field no. SK16 1037)

Additional tissue samples: SK105 2016

Localities: AB ( R), IL ( R, G, B), KA ( R, B), KF ( R, G), LO ( R)

Remarks: Recently elevated to a full species from the synonymy of its sister species Hemidactylus isolepis Boulenger, 1895 , this small, terrestrial gecko is a typical inhabitant of the dry, semi-desert areas in northern Kenya ( Spawls et al. 2018). This species ( Fig. 4G ) was one of the most common reptiles in SNP, with 96 individuals recorded. The highest abundance was along the shores of Lake Turkana, where individuals were hiding in the root system under dried reeds, but it also was found in dry laggas and bushland under dead logs, trees, and rocks. It was exclusively active at night, foraging on sand, gravel, and compact soils. The average T b was 34.0 ± 1.5 °C (30.5–35.8 °C; N = 10) with T sub ranging from 24–47 °C and T a ranging from 28–38 °C.

Figures

Fig. 4. Reptile species recorded during the surveys: (A) Crocodylus niloticus; (B) Agama lionotus; (C) Agama rueppelli; (D) Holodactylus africanus; (E) Hemidactylus angulatus; (F) Hemidactylus barbierii; (G) Hemidactylus lanzai; (H) Hemidactylus ruspolii; (I) Homopholis fasciata; (J) Lygodactylus somalicus; (K) Stenodactylus sthenodactylus; (L) Heliobolus spekii; (M) Latastia longicaudata; (N) Philochortus rudolfensis; (O) Chalcides bottegi; (P) Mochlus sundevallii; (Q) Trachylepis striata; (R) Varanus albigularis; (S) Eryx colubrinus; (T) Platyceps brevis; (U) Psammophis cf. tanganicus; (V) Psammophis punctulatus; (W) Rhamphiophis rostratus; (X) Naja pallida; (Y) Bitis arietans; and (Z) Echis pyramidum.