Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès, 1818)

Lobón-Rovira, Javier, Lobón-Rovira, Baptista, Ninda L, Clark, Tyron, Verburgt, Luke, Jongsma, Gregory Fm, Conradie, Werner, and, Luis Veríssimo, Vaz, Pedro & Pinto, 2025, Filling the gaps: herpetological checklist of Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province (Angola) shed light on one of the most unexplored corners of tropical Central Africa, African Journal of Herpetology 74 (1), pp. 1-59 : 1-59

Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès, 1818)

Figure 8G

Material. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • Caio Cacongo; –5.0618, 12.2588; 43 m a.s.l.; P2.105; GenBank: PQ455975. • Fazenda Mandarim; –5.0401, 12.0508; 14 m a.s.l.; P4.068; GenBank: PQ455978. • Mayombe NP, Mbundu; –4.6875, 12.4981; 127 m a.s.l.; P4.106; GenBank: PQ455979. • Mayombe NP, Miconge; –4.4860, 12.8780; 377 m a.s.l.; P2.232– 33; GenBank: PQ455976–77.

Identification. A medium-sized Hemidactylus (SVL <68 mm) that can be distinguished from other Angolan Hemidactylus based on the presence of enlarged subcaudal scales, absent in other close relatives. The specimens collected at Mayombe NP are identical (16S p -distance) to other individuals from Angola, which represent H. mabouia sensu stricto (fide Agarwal et al. 2021). However, the specimens from Caio Cacongo differ by 1.3% (16S p -distance) from other relatives from Cabinda Province and other regions of Angola, which may suggest a posterior colonisation event of this invasive species.

Biology and distribution. Hemidactylus mabouia is a nocturnal gecko widely distributed across Africa, Madagascar and the Neotropics ( Agarwal et al. 2021). Frequently associated with human infrastructure, the species can also be found in trees at night near villages or construction. All material from Cabinda Province was collected while active at night in or next to human infrastructure, such as walls, fences and planted trees, in villages and farms.

Figures

Figure 8. Some of the reptile species recorded from from Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province, Angola. Codes in brackets represent field numbers. A. Kinixys erosa (P2.208) from Inhuca. B. Osteolaemus tetraspis (P2.064) from Vaku, Upper Mayombe. C. Chamaeleo dilepis (EI 817), D. Agama congica and E. Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus from near Nganzi. F. Holaspis guentheri from Vaku, Upper Mayombe. G. H. mabouia (P2.232) from Miconge, Upper Mayombe. G. Hemidactylus pfindaensis (EI 1136) from near Nganzi, and I. H. pfindaensis (P2.234) from Miconge, Upper Mayombe. J. Lygodactylus aff. laterimaculatus (P3.199) from Sanga Wanda, Lower Mayombe. K. Feylinia grandisquamis from near Nganzi. L. Panaspis breviceps (P2.205), from Miconge, Upper Mayombe. M. P. cabindae (EI 1135) from near Nganzi. N. Trachylepis albolabris (P3.130) from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe, and O. from near Nganzi. P. T. maculilabris and Q. T. polytropis (P3.218) from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe. R. Dipsadoboa weileri (P3.151) from Mbundu, Lower Mayombe S. Grayia ornata (P3.145) from Chimbete, Lower Mayombe. T. Hapsidophrys smaragdinus (P1.144) from Tando Zinze. U. Dendroaspis jamesoni, from near Nganzi. V. Naja melanoleuca killed by farmers at Nganzi. W. Psammophis mossambicus (EI 809) from near Nganzi. X. Python sebae from a street market in Cabinda City. Photographs by PVP (A–B, G, I–J, L, N, Q), JLR (R–S), TC (T–U, X), LV (C–E, V–W), Alex Rebelo (H, K, M), Rogério Ferreira (F, P).