Paroedura tanjaka
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| Paroedura tanjaka | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Paroedura |
| Species: | P. tanjaka |
| Binomial name | |
| Paroedura tanjaka | |
 | |
| Approximate distribution of Paroedura tanjaka | |
Paroedura tanjaka is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to northwestern Madagascar, and is currently known only to occur in Bemaraha and Namoroka. This nocturnal species is found in karstic dry forests at night, and is known to dwell in caves during the day. It is one of the largest species in the genus Paroedura, reaching up to 18 cm in length.
The species was first discovered in 1996 and officially named in 2000. Because its range is extremely limited and its habitat is declining, it is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. While it is not the subject of any conservative measures, its known locations have been designated as national parks.
The species Paroedura tanjaka was first erected in 2000 by Nussbaum and Raxworthy. The holotype (UMMZ 224225) is a mature male collected from Bemaraha Nature Reserve in Madagascar on 18 March 1996. Several other individuals from the Bemaraha and Namoroka reserves were collected as paratypes. The specific name tanjaka is a Malagasy word for "strength".[2]
Genetic analysis has found that Paroedura tanjaka is a member of the Paroedura bastardi clade, and is a sister taxon to Paroedura neglecta. The following cladogram shows the position of P. tanjaka among its closest relatives according to Piccoli et al. (2023):[3]
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Distribution and habitat
This gecko is one of many species endemic to the island nation of Madagascar, and is currently known only from Tsingy de Bemaraha and Tsingy de Namoroka in the west-central region of the country. It has only been found at elevations of 100 to 500 m in areas representing deciduous dry forests with limestone outcrops.[2] The known extent of occurrence of this species is only 964 km², and while it could be more widespread, it is unlikely to have an extent of occurrence over 5,000 km².[1] It is known to inhabit caves within its range during the day.[4]
Description
This species is among the largest Paroedura species, reaching a snout–vent length of 10.2 cm and a total length of 18 cm.[5] The head is wider than the neck, and the rostral scale makes contact with the nostrils. The prominent canthal bridge is concave and the snout is steeply sloped in front of the eyes. Enlarged tuberculate scales are present on the dorsal surface and not arranged in clear rows, with smaller tubercles and flat scales separating them. Unlike in some congeneric species, the tail is not spiny. The digits end with widened toe pads, each over twice the width of the rest of the digit.[2]
The head has an immaculate tan color and posterolaterally bordered by light lines, differing from the rest of the body. The dorsalateral surface has grayish background colors, with irregular brown spots and bands all over. These bands of color extend to the tail, but are more faded in regenerated tails. Juveniles have three distinct light crossbands on the torso and black to brown dorsal colors.[2]
