Hemidactylus pfindaensis Lobón-Rovira, Conradie, Buckley, Ernst, Veríssimo, Baptista and Vaz Pinto, 2021

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 pfindaensis Lobón-Rovira, Conradie, Buckley, Ernst, Veríssimo, Baptista and Vaz Pinto, 2021

Figures 8H–I

Material. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • Nganzi; –5.5213, 12.3233; 98 m a.s.l. ; EI 1135; GenBank: PQ455980. • Caio Cacongo; –5.0618, 12.2588; 43 m a.s.l.; FKH 0980–82 ; GenBank: PQ455981–83. • Fazenda Mandarim; –5.0401, 12.0508; 14 m a.s.l. ; P4.067, P4.107−08; GenBank: PQ455985–87. • between Dinge and Chindende ; –5.1208, 12.3667; 15 m a.s.l. ; FKH 0178–79 ; GenBank: PQ455988–89. • Lagoa Massabi; –5.0603, 12.0488; 10 m a.s.l. ; FKH 0984–86 , P2.120; GenBank: PQ455990–92, PQ455984. • Mayombe NP, Sanga Mongo; –4.6661, 12.4407; 146 m a.s.l. ; P2.106; GenBank: PQ455993. • Mayombe NP, Mbundu; –4.6875, 12.4981; 127 m a.s.l.; P3.131; GenBank: PQ455994. • Mayombe NP, Sanga Wanda; –4.6253, 12.4583; 221 m a.s.l.; P3.105–06, P3.194, P3.510; GenBank: PQ455995–98. • Mayombe NP, Miconge; –4.4860, 12.8780; 377 m a.s.l.; FKH 1061 ; GenBank: PQ455999. • Mayombe NP, Quissoki; –4.6028, 12.8736; 336 m a.s.l. ; P3.152; GenBank: PQ456000. • Mayombe NP, Vaku; –4.6323, 12.8937; 319 m a.s.l.; FKH 0975 , FKH 0983 ; GenBank: PQ456001–02 .

Identification. A medium-sized Hemidactylus (max. SVL = 49 mm) with a moderately long snout ( Lobón-Rovira et al. 2021). The species usually has a characteristic black spot in the occipital region; however, some specimens from the Coastal Drier Belt do not have this black spot. The specimens reported here are segregated into four different lineages based on 16S, which differ among themselves by <2.8%. Each lineage corresponds to the four ecological zones considered here (Upper Mayombe, Lower Mayombe, Littoral Peneplain and Coastal Drier Belt), with the lineage from Upper Mayombe being the most divergent, differing by a maximum of 2.8% from conspecific material. Material from Cabinda Province is topotypic and differs by 5.5−6% (16S p -distance) from material collected from Macocola, Uíge Province ( FKH 004, see Lobón-Rovira et al. 2021).

Biology and distribution. A nocturnal, arboreal gecko frequently found on tree branches or large leaves. We recorded material from all four ecological zones considered in this work. However, at Fazenda Mandarim, where the species was found in syntopy with H. mabouia , individuals were actively hunting on the floor among leaf litter, perhaps a consequence of ecological competition with H. mabouia . The species is known to occur in Cabinda Province and Uíge Province, Angola ( Lobón-Rovira et al. 2021). It is the most abundant gecko in Cabinda Province, having been collected or observed in most surveyed sites. It is expected to occur in the neighbouring areas of the Republic of the Congo and DRC.

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).