Hemidactylus platyurus (Schneider, 1792)

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 : 114-115

Hemidactylus platyurus (Schneider, 1792) — Native.

Stellio platyurus Schneider, 1792: 30 . Type material: None designated; type material apparently lost, according to Amarasinghe et al. (2009: 92). Type locality: None stated/traced.

Flat-tailed Gecko

( Figure 13H )

Singapore records.

Hemidactylus platyurus — Hanitsch, 1898: 19.— Flower, 1899: 629.—Ridley, 1899: 206.—Weitlaner, 1902: 483 (“Hotel de la Paix” [= Peninsula Excelsior Hotel], Coleman Street).— Boulenger, 1912: 45.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 14.—Sworder, 1925a: 64.— Cox et al., 1998: 80.— Das, 2010: 221.— L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 131.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 493, 496.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 79, 159.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 67.— Kroner & Davis, 2015: 483.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 52 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 6, 7 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo).— D’Rozario, 2016: 83 (Kew Drive).—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: 158, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, after R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997).— Cross, 2020n: 5, 7 (Changi).—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 6 (Changi).—Siddall et al., 2021: 9.— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 96, 161.

Hemidactylus garnoti (non Duméril & Bibron, 1836)— Chuang, 1973: 4.

Platyurus platyurus —L.M. Chou, 1975: 136.

Cosymbotes [sic] platyurus —K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 314.— K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 119, 150.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 13 (Ulu Sembawang; Upper Peirce Reservoir Park).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—K. Lim, 1995: 18 (Pulau Ubin; Sentosa; Sungei Buloh Nature Park [= SBWR]; Ulu Sembawang).—R. Subaraj, 1995: 35 (Pulau Ubin).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 390, 391.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 217.—P.K.L. Ng & Sivasothi, 1999: 146.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).

Cosymbotus platyurus —N. Koh, 1986: 1–2.—L.M. et al., Chou 1988: 349.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 146 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 23.—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 60.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 150.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 79, 159.— Ang et al., 2012: 51 (Hort Park).

Remarks. As mentioned above in the H. frenatus account, H. platyurus is so common in Singapore that Teo & Rajathurai (1997) declared that along with H. frenatus , it is virtually “found in every housing block in Singapore ”. Indeed, Flower (1899b) found H. platyurus extremely common around houses in Singapore and was surprised that it was not reported from Singapore earlier. Yet, Sworder (1925) described H. platyurus as more of a forest species than H. frenatus . Hemidactylus platyurus was first documented in Singapore from specimens at the Raffles Museum ( Hanitsch 1898). Unlike H. frenatus , H. platyurus went unreported from Singapore for 48 years ( Table 2 ). Also unlike H. frenatus , H. platyurus was reported in The Pangolin journal (Subaraj 1994, 1995; Lim 1995).

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1897.12.28.10–12 (no date), ZRC.2.1247 (Apr-1898) , ZRC.2.1243– ZRC.2.1246 (27-Apr-1898); Greenbank Park : ZRC.2.6251 (25- Oct-2003); Jurong Campus [ NTU] : ZRC.2.1968– ZRC.2.1974 (16-Apr-1980) , ZRC.2.2003– ZRC.2.2013 (Mar-1981); Stamford Road : ZRC.2.1249 (Jun-1898) , ZRC.2.1248 (15-Jun-1898) , ZRC.2.1250– ZRC.2.1251 (Jul-1898) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, MCZ, NMW, SAMA, UMZC, ZMUC; Havelock Road: UF; Nanyang University: WAM.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Coleman Street— Greenbank Park—Havelock Road—Hort Park—Kent Ridge Park—Kew Drive—Nanyang Technological University Jurong Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Night Safari—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Sentosa—Singapore Zoo—Stamford Road—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Peirce Reservoir Park.

Genus Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (1 species)

Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860: 327 (type species: Hemiphyllodactylus typus Bleeker, 1860 , by monotypy; gender masculine).

Figures

FIGURE 13. A) Gekko horsfieldii, B) Gekko hulk, C) Gekko kuhli, D) Gekko monarchus, E) Hemidactylus brookii, F) Hemidactylus craspedotus, G) Hemidactylus frenatus, and H) Hemidactylus platyurus. Photographs by: Evan S.H. Quah [A], Francis L.K. Lim [B], Kelvin K.P. Lim [C, G], Alex Figueroa [D, H], Joys Tan [E], and Holly Siow [F].