The gecko lives in montane semideciduous forests in two localities in the Venezuelan Andes
Researchers have discovered a new species of dwarf gecko that is known to live on the eastern slope of the Andean Cordillera de Mérida mountains in northern South America.
The gecko, Pseudogonatodes quihuai is named in honor of José Daniel Quihua Ramírez. He is a self taught naturalist and wildlife photographer. He is especially fond of the reptiles and amphibians of Venezuela.
New Gecko Species Named After Hong Kong Movie Star Jackie Chan
How To Build A Bioactive Enclosure For Your Crested Gecko
Pseudogonatodes quihuai is dark brown in coloration with white dots throughout on the flanks. The head and trunk are darker than the body. Males have a snout to vent length (SVL) of 27.5 to 30.2 mm, while females are slightly larger, measuring 31.3 to 33.6 mm SVL. It differs from other seven Pseudogonatodes species in that it has a single large postnasal scale. The other species in the genus have two or three postnasal scales.
Panoramic view of the montane semideciduous forest (A) and its understory (B) in the eastern slope of theAndean Cordillera de Mérida, where Pseudogonatodes quihuai sp. nov. inhabits. (C) Holotype (MHNLS 21643) and (D, E) paratypes (MHNLS 21644 and 22709, respectively) of P. quihuai sp. nov. in life. Photos: F.J.M. Rojas-Runjaic (A, B) and D. Calcaño (C–E).
The gecko lives in montane semideciduous forests in two localities in the Venezuelan Andes; both in the state of Barinas. They were found at 1,120 to 1,319 meters above sea level, hidden in leaf litter on the forest floor and in coffee plantations with ample shade. The geckos were located at night in the leaf litter by removing the leaf litter, which in turn disturbed them, the researchers noted. They were not found actively foraging. The researchers note the natural history of Pseudogonatodes quihuai is not known.
An abstract of the paper, “A new dwarf gecko of the genus Pseudogonatodes (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) from the eastern slope of the Andean Cordillera de Mérida in northern South America” can be found on the Zootaxa website.
A more detailed description, “Pseudogonatodes quihuai, Rojas-Runjaic & Koch & Castroviejo-Fisher & Prudente, 2024” can be found on Treatment Bank.
