A REVIEW OF THE NAMAQUA GECKO, PACHYDACTYLUS-NAMAQUENSIS (REPTILIA, GEKKONIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA, WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF 2 NEW SPECIES

An analysis of morphological and allozyme variation in the Namaqua gec ko, Pachydactylus namaquensis from southern Africa is presented. Three separately evolving lineages, well defined by morphology and allozyme variation, are identified. The isolated southern population, occurrin g on the southern escarpment and Cape Fold Mountains surrounding the w estern Little Karoo, is named P. kladaroderma sp. nov., and is charact erized by a slit-like ear opening, low number of granules bordering th e mental (3-6) and mental and adjacent infralabials (5-13), the freque nt (79%) occurence of the supralabial entering the nostril, and its dr ab brown base colouration. A northern population, occurring in souther n Namibia and the Richtersveld is named P. haackei sp. nov., and is ch aracterized by its more rounded or squared ear opening; high number of granules bordering the mental and adjacent infralabials (11-19), the general exclusion of the supralabial from the nostril (only 3.7% entry ), and brighter, lighter colouration. It is further differentiated fro m P. kladaroderma on the basis of fixed differences at 11 allozyme loc i. Both new species differ from P. namaquensis, which is mainly restri cted to Little Namaqualand, but is sympatric with P. haackei in the Lo wer Orange River region, by their more heterogenous dorsal scalation, smaller cloacal spurs, lack of spine-like tubercles on the lateral sur faces of the tail, and more fragile skin. The type locality of P. nama quensis is restricted to 'the vicinity of Springbok, Little Namaqualan d, Northern Cape Province, South Africa'.