SEAVR 2016: 91-94
ISSN : 2424-8525
Date of publication: 29 June 2016.
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

Three records of Cyrtodactylus sp. from'Bilip', Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea
Nick BAKER
nbaker @ ecologyasia.com

SIGHTING RECORD : 1
Identity of subject: Bent-toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus cf. serratus (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae)
Observer: Nick Baker.
Photographs by: Nick Baker.
Subject identified (tentative) by: Paul Oliver.
Location: 'Bilip', Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. (Lat 6° 52.575'N Long 143° 55.335'E) i.e. 17 km south ofSamberigi airstrip, Southern Highlands Province (Fig 3.).
Elevation: 730 metres.
Habitat: Tall, primary forest on karst limestone, with a complex understorey including many fallen, rotting trees
covered with lichens and mosses.
Date and time: 30 November 2002, 20:00 hrs.
Description of record: The subject was found consuming a winged insect on a mound of vegetation at the edge ofan unsealed road through primary forest (Figs. 1 and 2.) : the vegetation comprised felled tree trunks, bulldozed
saplings, canopy vegetation and forest floor vegetation pushed to the side of the road during recent road
construction. Its snout-vent length was unrecorded, however it was relatively small in size (possibly a juvenile)
and, based on the size of the insect being consumed, had a minimum estimated snout-vent length of 4 cm.

Fig. 1. (Inset : close-up of the lateral skin fold near the right hindlimb).

91© Nick Baker

Fig. 2.

© Nick Baker

Remarks : The shape of the head and body, slender digits and large eyes identify this gecko as Cyrtodactylus sp.
The colours and markings on the head, nape, body and tail are similar to Cyrtodactylus serratus Kraus, in particular
the dark chevron on the nape and paired dark blotches either side of the vertebral line which morph into darkbands on the tail. Cyrtodactylus serratus is diagnosed by having "highly raised, dentate tubercles arrayed along thelength of each skin fold" (Kraus, 2007). Fig. 1 (inset) is a close-up of the lateral skin fold near the right hindlimb: thisgrainy image hints at the possible presence of dentate tubercles, although the arrangement of tubercles appears
more sparse than might be expected for Cyrtodactylus serratus.

Fig. 3 : Map showing location of Bilip, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea.

92© Google Earth

The holotype of Cyrtodactylus serratus was collected in 1987 from Tabubil, West Sepik Province, Papua NewGuinea, around 350 km northwest of Bilip (Fig 3.). Note that the coordinates of Tabubil (now a large mining town)
are in error in Kraus (2007) : these are incorrectly quoted as 9° 15'S 152° 12'E (which is a marine location off theeast coast of Papua New Guinea). The catalogue of the Australian Museum collection gives the coordinates of theholotype as 5° 15'S 141° 12'E (accessed online 29 June 2016).

SIGHTING RECORD : 2
Identity of subject: Bent-toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus sp. "Gobe Ridge" (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae)
Observer: Nick Baker.
Photograph by: Nick Baker.
Subject identified (tentative) by: Fred Kraus.
Location: 'Bilip', Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. (Lat 6° 52.575'N Long 143° 55.335'E) i.e. 17 km south ofSamberigi airstrip, Southern Highlands Province.
Elevation: 720 metres.
Habitat: Primary forest on karst limestone, as per Sighting Record 1.
Date and time: 31 November 2002, 20:15 hrs.
Description of record: A gecko of estimated snout-vent length of 4.5 cm was found exploring an area of fallen
vegetation, next to an unsealed road through primary forest (Fig 3.).

Fig. 4.

© Nick Baker

Remarks : The shape of the head and body, the long slender digits, and the large eyes identify this gecko asCyrtodactylus sp. The relatively large head suggests this may be a juvenile. The orange-brown nape and dorsum of
this specimen bear eight dark, narrow, clearly-defined, wavy bands : the upper surface of the hind limbs also
appear banded. The forelimbs are notably more slender than the hindlimbs.
The gecko in this image shows some similarity to the in-life image of Cyrtodactylus sp. 'Gobe Ridge' (Rösler et al,2007: 207, Fig. 13.).

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SIGHTING RECORD : 3
Identity of subject: Bent-toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus sp. "Gobe Ridge" (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae)
Observer: Nick Baker.
Photograph by: Nick Baker.
Subject identified (tentative) by: Fred Kraus.
Location: 'Bilip', Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. (Lat 6° 52.575'N Long 143° 55.335'E) i.e. 17 km south ofSamberigi airstrip, Southern Highlands Province.
Elevation: 710 metres.
Habitat: Primary forest on karst limestone, as per Sighting Record 1.
Date and time: 30 November 2002, 20:30 hrs.
Description of record: A gecko of estimated snout-vent length of at least 8 cm was found partly concealed
beneath fallen vegetation, next to an unsealed road through primary forest (Fig 4.).

Fig. 5.

© Nick Baker

Remarks : The shape of the head and body, the long slender digits, and the extremely large eyes identify this gecko
as Cyrtodactylus sp. and, based on the relative size of the head, probably an adult. The brown dorsum of thisspecimen bears nine or ten dark, well-defined, wavy bands. The forelimbs and hindlimbs are of roughly equal
thickness, and the upper surfaces of both are mottled.
Like Sighting Record 2, this gecko shows some apparent similarity to Cyrtodactylus sp. 'Gobe Ridge' (Rösler et al,
2007: 207, Fig. 13.).
References:
Kraus, F. (2007). A new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from western Papua New Guinea.
Zootaxa 1425: 63-68.
Rösler, H., Richards, S. J. & Günther, R. (2007). Remarks on morphology and taxonomy of geckos of the genus
Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827, occurring east of Wallacea, with descriptions of two new species (Reptilia: Sauria:Gekkonidae). Salamandra 43 (4): 193-230.

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