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Abstract
A new species of the ‘northwestern clade’ of Pachydactylus is described from the coast of central Namibia. It has long been considered a population of the widespread species Pachydactylus bicolor, from which it differs in body proportions, in having at least six adhesive lamellae on some digits and in having juxtaposed to subimbricate, rather than strongly imbricate, scales on the original tail. Additionally, the new species is unique in maintaining, as an adult, a more-or-less uniform colour pattern of white flecks on a dark brown background, with no evident underlying banded pattern. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of all species of the ‘northwestern clade’ of Pachydactylus, using RAG1 and ND2 nucleotide sequences, confirm the placement of the new species as the closest relative of P. bicolor, with genetic distances between P. bicolor and the new species similar to those observed between other pairs of species in Pachydactylus. Phylogenetic relationships of the new species and P. bicolor to other members of the northwestern clade are discussed.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Namibian authorities for permission to collect and export specimens. Johan Marais, Randy Babb, Paul Moler, Jens Vindum, Hedi Roebuck, David King, Trip Lamb, Glenn Shea, Anthony P. Russell, Tony Gamble, Amanda Cottone, and Heather Jamniczky provided field companionship and assistance, Eli Greenbaum assisted in the laboratory, and Jens Vindum (CAS), José Rosado (MCZ), Denise Hamerton (SAM), Lauretta Mahlengu (TM), and Bill Branch (PEM) provided access to specimens and data. Mirko Barts kindly provided information on his field and captive experiences with P. maraisi. Funding was provided by grant DEB-0844523 from the National Science Foundation, USA.