Hemidactylus, Oken, 1817

Carranza, Salvador & Arnold, Edwin Nicholas, 2012, 3378, Zootaxa 3378, pp. 1-95 : 73-74

Key to the genus Hemidactylus from Oman

1a - No enlarged tubercles on upper surface of body, hind legs and tail or, if present, tubercles on body few and weak.......... 2

1b - Numerous enlarged tubercles, which are usually raised and keeled, on the upper surface of the body, limbs and tail; those on the body usually arranged in regular longitudinal rows........................................................ 8

2a - Adults up to about 45 mm from snout to vent; 3–6 preanal pores in males only; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 4–6; 4 th toe of pes 7–11............................................................................................. 3

2b - Adults over 50 mm from snout to vent, often considerably so; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6–10; 4 th toe of pes 9–14.... 6

3a - Adults from Oman up to 34 mm from snout to vent; scaling fine, without any tubercles; expanded subcaudal scales beginning some way from tail base, dorsal pattern spotted.................................................. H. homoeolepis

3b - Adults larger than 34 mm (up to 45 mm) from snout to vent; tubercles present on the body, nape, and hind legs; expanded subcaudal scales usually extend almost to tail base.............................................................. 4

4a - Adults larger than 39 mm (up to 45 mm) from snout to vent; presence of enlarged tubercles beyond mid-body; 4 preanal pores in males; lamellae under the 1 st finger of pes 6; lamellae under the 4 th toe of pes 10–11............................... 5

4b - Adults up to 39 mm from snout to vent; usually with flat enlarged tubercles on sides of dorsum as far forwards as mid-body that are also present on sides of dorsal tail base and on the hind legs, and may also occur on the lower forelimb; 6 preanal pores in males; lamellae under the 1 st finger of pes 4–5; lamellae under the 4 th toe of pes 7–9........ H. paucituberculatus sp. nov.

5a - Low conical or weakly keeled tubercles on back and neck, arranged in 14 regular rows at mid-body, largest on lateral dorsum compared with mid-back and flank; larger tubercles present on hind limbs and tail; adhesive pads narrow; 4 preanal pores in males, lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6; lamellae under the 4 th toe of pes 10–11................. H. inexpectatus sp. nov.

5b - Presence of flat enlarged tubercles mainly on the sides of the body and hind limbs; very contrasting tail with black bands with pale interstices, even in adults, that extend to the ventral surface; 4 preanal pores in males; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6; lamellae under the 4 th toe of pes 10–11; Masirah Island..................................... H. masirahensis sp. nov.

6a – Enlarged tubercles present on sides of tail; tail depressed; males with a series of femoral pores interrupted on the preanal region, 4–16 pores on the underside of each thigh….......................................................... 7

6b - No enlarged tubercles on the sides of the tail; tail round (not depressed); 3–8 pores present in front of vent in both sexes.............................................................................................. H. lemurinus

7a - Adults up to 95 mm from snout to vent; tubercles never present on back; tail with clear regular segments; 4–14 femoral pores on the underside of each thigh; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 7–10; dorsal coloration yellowish-gray, pale yellow or yellowish-green, unmarked or with rather feeble dark wavy transverse bands; underside pale to bright yellow....... H. flaviviridis

7b - Adults up to 80 mm from snout to vent; upper surface of body covered with small granules, uniform or intermixed with more or less numerous scattered round tubercles; 10–20 femoral pores on the underside of each thigh; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6–7, under the 4 th toe 9–12; dorsal coloration grey, with darker markings, forming undulating cross bars, rhomboidal spots on the middle of the back, or regular longitudinal bands; a dark stripe form the eye tothe shoulder; lower surface white…............................................................................................ H. leschenaultii

8a - Femoral pores present, at least in males, 7 under each thigh, broadly separated medially by 6 scales; tubercles on the back large, strongly keeled and striate; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6; 4 th toe of pes 9................. H. endophis sp. nov.

8b - Preanal pores 4–10 in males, either in a continuous row or separated by one or two scales but never extend on to thighs.... 9

9a - Adults up to 55 mm from snout to vent; adhesive pads not strongly expanded, not much wider than toe; claws short; tubercles on back rather small and not clearly striated; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 5–7; 4 th toe of pes 9–11; a very distinctive black streak running from the nostril through the eye to the ear opening....................................... H. robustus

9b - Adults up to 88 mm from snout to vent, although one species does not exceed 53 mm; adhesive pads on digits strongly expanded, much wider than toe; tubercles on back of moderate to large size and striated; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6–11; 4 th toe of pes 10–14.................................................................................. 10

10a - Lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 7–11; 4 th toe of pes 11–14; endemic to the Hajar Mountains, North Oman.............. 11

10b - Lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 6–8; 4 th toe of pes 10–12; South Oman......................................... 12 11a - Adults up to 67 mm from snout to vent; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 7–9...................... H. hajarensis sp. nov.

11b - Adults up to 88 mm from snout to vent; lamellae under the 1 st toe of pes 10–11.................... H. luqueorum sp. nov.

12a - Adults up to 53.6 mm from snout to vent; preanal pores 6; slender habitus; distinctive pattern of narrow dark bands—one on neck, three on body and one on anterior sacrum, often suffused with yellow in life; tail very light distally with a pattern of 7–9 widely separated dark bands, the more distal of which extend to the ventral surface................... H. festivus sp. nov.

12b - Adults up to 74.5 mm from snout to vent; preanal pores 6–10; more robust habitus; tail not light distally, with pattern of 11–14 dark bands that are not especially widely separated and only extend ventrally towards the tail tip where they are not very conspicuous............................................................................. H. alkiyumii sp. nov.