Gehyra mutilata Wiegmann, 1834

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 103-104

Gehyra mutilata Wiegmann, 1834 — Native.

Hemidactylus (Peropus) mutilatus Wiegmann, 1834: 236 , 238–239. Lectotype: ZMB 370 A, designated by Bauer & Ģnther (1991: 289); paralectotype: ZMB 370 B, designated by Bauer & Ģnther (1991: 289). Type locality: “ Manila ”, Philippines .

Four-clawed Gecko

( Figure 12E )

Singapore records.

Peripia mutilata —Strauch, 1887: 28.

Gehyra mutilata — Flower, 1896: 866.— Hanitsch, 1898: 19.— Flower, 1899: 630.—Ridley, 1899: 206.— Hanitsch,1908: 41.— Boulenger, 1912:47.— Hanitsch,1912b:14.—Sworder, 1925a:64.— Chuang, 1973: 4.—L.M. Chou, 1975: 133.—N. Koh, 1986: 1–2.—K. Lim, 1990a: 10 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Anonymous, 1991b: 12.— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 314.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 120, 150.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 13 (MacRitchie North Forest; Mandai Track 15).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 146.—K. Lim, 1995: 18 (Mount Serapong [Sentosa]; Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 390, 391 (Nee Soon [NSSF]).—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 24.— Gill et al., 2001: 354.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 107 (Pulau Ubin).—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 61.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 150.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 80, 160.— Das, 2010: 218.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 123.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 452, 455.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 323.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 80, 160.— Ang et al., 2012: 54 (Hort Park).—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 70.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 32, 52 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 6, 7 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 177 (Pulau Tekong).—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 125 (Alexandra Woodlands).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 133 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 157, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Cross, 2020f: 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020g: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020k: 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020n: 6, 7 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 5 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 159.— Kurniawan et al., 2022: 109.

Gehira [sic] mutilata —D.H. Murphy, 1973: 58, 65 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).

Remarks. Gehyra mutilata was first reported from Singapore by Strauch (1887) who examined a specimen stored at ZIN acquired by Deyrolle in 1879. Flower (1896) found G. mutilata very common in homes and buildings and described it as the most common gecko in Singapore ( Flower 1899). However, Sworder (1925a) declared that G. mutilata was not as common as Hemidactylus frenatus , and Chuang (1973) attested that G. mutilata only occasionally enters homes as it prefers residing on trees and hunting on tree trunks (Murphy 1973). If what all these authors say is true, then it would appear there was a shift in habitat use, with H. frenatus displacing G. mutilata from homes and buildings. Nowadays, G. mutilata does frequent artificial landscapes, but seems more relegated to forested areas than H. frenatus or H. platyurus (see Teo & Rajathurai 1997). Yet, Teo & Rajathurai (1997) only recorded one during their CCNR surveys and Teo & Thomas (2019) only recorded two during their BTNR surveys.

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Bukit Timah : ZRC.2.1450 (Feb-1898) , ZRC.2.1108 (4-Sep-1898) , ZRC.2.1107 (May-1894); Depot Road : ZRC.2.2507 (30-Apr-1989); Headquarter House [= Fort Canning] : BMNH 1896.6 .25.12 (no date); Kent Ridge Campus [ NUS] : ZRC.2.3265 (Mar-1991); Jurong Campus [ NTU] : ZRC.2.1999 (Mar-1981); Napier Road : ZRC.2.2534– ZRC.2.2535 (13-Feb-1990); Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.2.3189 (14-Nov-1990); Pulau Bukom : ZRC.2.5945 (27-May-1931) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, MCZ, NMW, UMZC; Bukit Timah: USNM; Havelock Road: UF.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Depot Road—Fort Canning—Havelock Road—Hort Park—Kent Ridge Park—MacRitchie North Forest—Mandai Track 15—Napier Road—Nanyang Technological University Jurong Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Night Safari—Pulau Bukom—Pulau Tekong— Pulau Ubin—Sentosa—Singapore Island Country Club—Singapore Zoo.

Genus Gekko Laurenti, 1768 (6 species)

Gekko Laurenti, 1768 : “34”, 44 (type species: Gekko verticillatus Laurenti, 1768 [= Lacerta gecko Linnaeus, 1758 (see Stejneger, 1936: 135; Taylor, 1963: 790)], by subsequent designation by Stejneger, 1936: 135; gender masculine).

Figures

FIGURE 12. A) Cyrtodactylus majulah, B) Cyrtodactylus pantiensis, C) Cyrtodactylus quadrivirgatus, D) Cyrtodactylus semenanjungensis, E) Gehyra mutilata, F) Gekko browni, G) Gekko gecko, and H) Gekko horsfieldii. Photographs by: Alex Figueroa [A, C, G], Tan Heok Hui [B], Nick Baker [D], and Kelvin K.P. Lim [E–F, H].