Gekko kaengkrachanense (Kaeng-Krachan Parachute Gecko)
The common name of this Gecko in English is commonly called Kaeng-Krachan Parachute Gecko and Thai name called ตุ๊กแกบินแก่งกระจาน (Tukgae bin Kaeng Krachan).
ตุ๊กแกบินแก่งกระจาน : Gekko kaengkrachanense (Sumontha, Pauwels, Kunya, Limlikhitaksorn, Ruksue, Taokratok, Ansermet & Chanhome, 2012)
Gekko kaengkrachanense is a species of the Tokay Gecko Genus (Gekko) within the Gecko Lizard Family (Gekkonidae), Superfamily Gekkota, in the Lizard and Snake Order (Squamata), in the Reptile Class (Reptilia), in the Chordate Phylum (Chordata) in the Animal Kingdom (Animalia).
Published in Sumontha, Montri; Olivier S.G. Pauwels, Kirati Kunya, Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, Sirichai Ruksue, Apirat Taokratok, Michel Ansermet & Lawan Chanhome. A new species of Parachute Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: genus Ptychozoon) from Kaeng Krachan National Park, western Thailand. Zootaxa 3513: 68–78. (2012).
Formerly treated under genus Ptychozoon now placed under Gekko.
The specific epithet "kaengkrachanense" is a reference to Kaeng Krachan National Park and Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi Province (the type locality of the new species).
Geographic Range
This species has only been recorded from Kaeng Krachan National Park in Amphoe Kaeng Krachan, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand, at approximately 970 m asl (Sumontha et al. 2012).
It is likely to occur also in the adjacent Myanmar and the mountainous, forested areas in Ratchaburi Province and it has been found in northern Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, which are contiguous with those of Kaeng Krachan National Park (Sumontha et al. 2012).
Type locality: Khao Phanernthung (coordinates UTM UPS ca. 47 p0539530 1417468 = 12°49'18.8"N 099°21'51.4"E; elevation ca. 970 m asl), Kaeng Krachan National Park, Amphoe (= District) Kaeng Krachan, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand.
Habitat and Ecology
This species lives in montane evergreen forests, where it has been found inhabiting man-made structures such as wooden houses. It rests under roofs during the day and hunts insects on the walls at night, sometimes around neon lights.
Other species observed in the same wooden buildings and at the same time are Cyrtodactylus brevipalmatus, Hemidactylus platyurus, Gehyra mutilata and Gekko (Ptychozoon) lionotum (Sumontha et al. 2012).
Diagnosis
Gekko (Ptychozoon) kaengkrachanense is a medium-sized Ptychozoon species, reaching an apparent maximum SVL of at least 86 mm. It differs from all known Ptychozoon species by
- having three dark dorsal chevrons between limbs insertions,
- homogeneous dorsal scalation without enlarged scales,
- original tail without long terminal flap,
- supranasals widely in contact,
- a continuous series of 14–19 enlarged precloacofemoral scales,
- bearing 13–17 pores in males (pores absent in females),
- the absence of predigital notch in the preantebrachial cutaneous expansion and the presence of cutaneous expansions on sides of head.
Synonym
- Ptychozoon kaengkrachanense Sumontha, Pauwels, Kunya, Limlikhitaksorn, Ruksue, Taokratok, Ansermet & Chanhome, 2012
- Gekko (Ptychozoon) kaengkrachanense Wood et al. 2019