Gekko horsfieldii ( Gray, 1827 )

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 : 106-107

Gekko horsfieldii ( Gray, 1827) — Native; Indeterminate.

Pteropleura Horsfieldii Gray, 1827: 56 . Holotype: BMNH 1946.8 .25.86, by original designation. Type locality: “ India … Java ” (= India and Java, Indonesia); later restricted to “ Singapore ” and “ Java ” by Gray (1845: 164); later restricted to “ Singapore ” by Stejneger (1907: 170).

Horsefield’s Flying Gecko

( Figures 12H & 13A )

Singapore records.

Pteropleura Horsfieldii — Hardwicke & Gray, 1827: 222.

Ptychozoon homalocephala — Gray, 1845: 164.

Ptychozoon homalocephalum (part)— Cantor, 1847a: 627.— Cantor, 1847c: 1068, 1074, 1075.— Ģnther, 1864: xiv, 105.— Boulenger, 1885 a: 190.

Ptychozoon homalocephalum — Hanitsch, 1898: 8.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 14 (Botanic Gardens).

Ptychozoon horsfieldii —F. M̧ller, 1895: 209.— Boulenger, 1912: 53.—Stejneger, 1907: 170.—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 315.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 151.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 150.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 169.— Das, 2010: 224.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 520, 523.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 168.— Kurniawan et al., 2017b: 020002–5.

Ptychozoon horsfieldi — Flower, 1896: 868.— Flower, 1899: 635.—Ridley, 1899: 206.— de Rooij, 1915: 61.—Sworder, 1925a: 65.

Gekko horsfieldii — Janssen & Sy, 2022: 87, 160.

Remarks. Just recently, the genus Ptychozoon was placed into Gekko based on molecular analysis using ultraconserved elements (Wood 2019). Very early on, G. kuhli and G. horsfieldii were confused with one another as Cantor (1847a), Ģnther (1864), and Boulenger (1885 a) mistook them for the same species. Boulenger (1885 a) listed three specimens of G. horsfieldii from Singapore, two collected by Cantor and one by Hardwicke. The Hardwicke specimen is the type-specimen for G. horsfieldii (see Gray 1827) and the Cantor specimens most likely are the two specimens of G. kuhli that he collected in Penang ( Flower 1896). Boulenger later rectified the confusion by splitting the two species ( Boulenger 1912). The occurrence of G. horsfieldii in Singapore is known from just two specimens, the original description of the type-specimen in Hardwicke’s collection ( Gray 1827) and specimen ZRC.2.1464 ( Fig. 12H ) collected from SBG in 1894 ( Hanitsch 1912b). Hence, at least 125 years has transpired since this last specimen was collected. Gekko horsfieldii was described as a new species twice by Gray ( Gray 1827; Hardwicke & Gray 1827); however, the former publication was published first and takes priority and lists India instead of Singapore as the locality, which was corrected in the latter publication. Evidently, G. horsfieldii is a relatively rare species, only being known from less than five specimens in Peninsular Malaysia ( Grismer 2011b).

Occurrence. Only known from two specimens predating 1894. Likely extirpated.

Singapore conservation status. Not Evaluated.

Conservation priority. Immediate priority, if rediscovered.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2018].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1946.8 .25.86 (no date) [holotype]; Botanic Gardens : ZRC.2.1464 (1-17-1894) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. Singapore Botanic Gardens*.

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].

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].