Rediscovery of the Frilled Tail Gecko Hemidactylus platyurus (Schneider, 1792) in Sri Lanka after more than 160 years

Article Sidebar

PDF/A HTML
Published: Dec 26, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2866.8.14.9663-9666
Keywords:
Arboreal, behavior, Ceylon, Hemidactylus, Kelaart.

Main Article Content

Anslem de Silva
Amphibia and Reptile Research Organization of Sri Lanka, 15/1, Dolosbage Road, Gampola, Sri Lanka
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7899-5237
Majintha Madawala
South Australian Herpetology Group, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3786-2283
Aaron M. Bauer
Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6839-8025
Suranjan Karunarathna
Nature Explorations and Education Team, No: B-1/G-6, De Soysapura Flats, Moratuwa 10400, Sri Lanka
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0965-7781

Abstract

Eight species of Hemidactylus are currently recognized in Sri Lanka—frenatus, leschenaultii, scabriceps, parvimaculatus, depressus, hunae, lankae, and pieresii—with the latter four endemic to the island.  A ninth species, Hemidactylus platyurus, was until now only confirmed from Sri Lanka by two specimens sent to the British Museum of Natural History by E.F. Kelaart in 1855.  There was no exact collection locality recorded for these specimens, which are associated simply with the provenance “Ceylon†(now Sri Lanka).  The present communication reports the rediscovery of the gecko H. platyurus and confirms its occurrence in Sri Lanka.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 8 No. 14 (2016)
Section
Short Communications

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.

Author Biography

Suranjan Karunarathna, Nature Explorations and Education Team, No: B-1/G-6, De Soysapura Flats, Moratuwa 10400, Sri Lanka

Suranjan Karunarathna is reading his Mater degree from the University of Colombo. His scientific exploration of biodiversity began with Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka in early 2000 and former president in 2007. As a field biologist he is conducts research on herpetofaunal ecology, taxonomy, and promot­ing science base conservation awareness of the importance of biodiversity among the Sri Lankan community. Also he is an active member of many specialist groups in the IUCN/SSC, and expert committee member of Herpetofauna in National Red List development programs, Sri Lanka

References

Amarasinghe, A.A.T., M.B. Madawala, D.M.S.S. Karunarathna, S.C. Manolis, A. de Silva & R. Sommerlad (2015). Human-crocodile conflict & conservation implications of Saltwater Crocodiles Crocodylus porosus (Reptilia: Crocodylia: Crocodylidae) in Sri Lanka. Journal of Threatened Taxa 7(5): 7111–7130; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o4159.7111-30

Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (2001). Threatened herpetofauna of Sri Lanka, pp. 91–101. In: Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. & V.N. Samarasekara, (eds.). An Overview of the Threatened Herpetofauna of South Asia. IUCN Sri Lanka and Asia Regional Biodiversity Programme, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 118pp.

Bartlett, R.D. & P.P. Bartlett (1999). A Field Guide to Florida Reptiles and Amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas, 278pp.

Batuwita, S. & R. Pethiyagoda (2012). Rediscovery of the Sri Lankan ‘house gecko’ Hemidactylus pieresii Kelaart (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) with a redescription of Hemidactylus depressus Gray. Zootaxa 3359: 17–30.

Bauer, A.M. & K. Henle (1994). Das Tierreich, Teilband 109. Familia Gekkonidae (Reptilia, Sauria). Part 1. Australia and Oceania. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 306pp.

Bauer, A.M., T.R. Jackman, E. Greenbaum, V.B. Giri & A. de Silva (2010). South Asia supports a major endemic radiation of Hemidactylus geckos. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57(1): 343–352; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2010.06.014

Boulenger, G.A. (1890). The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor and Francis, London, 541pp.

Carranza, S. & E.N. Arnold (2006). Systematics, biogeography, and evolution of Hemidactylus geckos (Reptilia:Gekkonidae) elucidated using mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38(2): 531–545;

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2005.07.012

Das, I. (2010). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd., London, 376pp.

Das, I. & A. de Silva (2005). A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Sri Lanka. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd, London, 144pp.

Deraniyagala, P.E.P. (1932). The Gekkonoideae of Ceylon. Spolia Zeylanica 16(3): 291–310.

Deraniyagala, P.E.P. (1953). A Colored Atlas of Some Vertebrates from Ceylon, Tetrapod Reptilia. Vol. 02. National Museums of Sri Lanka, Colombo, 101pp.

de Silva, A. (1996). The Herpetofauna of Sri Lanka: A Brief Review. Published by author, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 99pp.

de Silva, A. (2006). Current status of the Reptiles of Sri Lanka, pp. 134–163. In: Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (ed.). Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. IUCN Sri Lanka, Colombo, 308pp.

Ferguson, W. (1877). Reptile Fauna of Ceylon: Letter on a collection sent to the Colombo Museum. Government printers, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), 42pp.

IUCN-SL and MOE-SL (2007). The 2007 Red List of Threatened Fauna & Flora of Sri Lanka. Colombo, Sri Lanka, 148pp.

Kluge, A.G. (2001). Gekkotan Lizard Taxonomy. Hamadryad 26(1): 1–209.

Manamendra-Arachchi, K. (1995). The geckos of Sri Lanka. Lyriocephalus 2(1&2): 82.

Manthey, U. & W. Grossmann (1997). Amphibien und Reptilien Südostasiens. Natur und Tier - Verlag, Münster, 512pp.

Meshaka, Jr. W.E. & J. Lewis (1994). Cosymbotus platyurus in Florida: ten years of stasis. Herpetological Review 25(3): 127.

Meshaka, Jr. W.E., B.P. Butterfield & J.B. Hauge (2004). The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. Krieger, Melbourne, Florida, 166pp.

MOE-SL (2012). The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 476pp.

Pethiyagoda, R. (2007). Pearls, Spices and Green Gold: An Illustrated History of Biodiversity Exploration in Sri Lanka. Wildlife Heritage Trust Ltd. Publications, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 241pp.

Punzo, F. (2005). The introduction of hemidactyline geckos in Florida: Colonization and impact on native fauna, pp. 231–237. In: Meshaka, W.E. & K.J. Babbitt (eds.). Amphibians and Reptiles, Status and Conservation in Florida. Krieger Publishing Co., Malabar, Florida, 334pp.

Smith, M.A. (1935). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma; Reptilia and Amphibia. Taylor and Francis, London, 440pp.

Somaweera, R. & N. Somaweera (2009). Lizards of Sri Lanka, a Colour Guide with Field Keys. Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, 304pp.

Taylor, E.H. (1953). A review of the lizards of Ceylon. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 35(2): 1525–1585.

Uetz, P. & J. Hošek (2016). The Reptile Database. http://www.reptile-database.org (accessed 09.06.16).

Ulber, T. & E. Ulber (1991). Cosymbotus platyurus (Schneider).

Sauria Supplement 13(1–4): 201–204.

Wickramasinghe, M. & R. Somaweera (2002). Distribution and current status of the endemic geckos of Sri Lanka. Gekko 3(1): 2–13.

Wickramasinghe, M. & R. Somaweera (2008). Changes in the distribution ranges of the Sri Lankan Hemidactylus geckos. Gekko 5(2): 44–60.