[Herpetology • 2025] Ptenopus adamanteus, P. circumsyrticus, P. sceletus, ... • Singing on Key: An integrative Taxonomic Revision of Barking Geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Ptenopus) with six additional species and keys for morphology and advertisement calls

Ptenopus adamanteus 

 Ptenopus circumsyrticus

Ptenopus sceletus 

Becker, Alexander & Tolley, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/vz.75.e153514

 

Abstract

Barking geckos, Ptenopus Gray, 1866 are burrowing geckos that occur across the xeric regions of southern Africa. They possess unique vocal abilities, with males producing loud advertisement calls to attract females. The taxonomy of the genus has remained stable for six decades, with three recognised species: Ptenopus garrulus (Smith, 1849), P. kochi Haacke, 1964, and P. carpi Brain, 1962. Within P. garrulus, two subspecies have been recognised since 1935: the nominotypical form (P. g. garrulus) and P. g. maculatus Gray, 1866. A recent phylogenetic analysis of the genus found that it contains eight to ten putative species. We used an integrated taxonomic approach to delimit a total of nine species, including evidence from phylogenetics, ecology, calls, and morphology. Ptenopus g. maculatus is elevated to full species, thereby restricting the geographic range of P. garrulus sensu stricto to the greater Kalahari. Additionally, four new species are named which were previously included in ‘P. g. maculatus’: Ptenopus adamanteus sp. nov. from the southern Namib Desert, P. circumsyrticus sp. nov. from the central Namib Desert, P. kenkenses sp. nov. from the northern Nama Karoo, and P. australis sp. nov. from southern Nama Karoo. As a result, the range of P. maculatus sensu stricto is restricted to the central northern Namib Desert. Furthermore, one new species previously included in P. carpi is named P. sceletus sp. nov. from the Skeleton Coast (northern coastal Namib Desert), thereby restricting the range of P. carpi sensu stricto to a small strip of coastal Namib Desert between the Swakop and Kuiseb rivers. The Namib Desert is the centre of diversity for the genus Ptenopus, containing seven of the nine species including the oldest divergent lineages. Two species-level keys are provided: a morphological key and a unique bioacoustic key to the advertisement calls.

Keywords: Bioacoustics, mate selection, phylogeography, substrate specificity, systematics

Life colour variation and substrate matching in Ptenopus adamanteus sp. nov.
(A–D: northern populations; E–H: southern populations):
A NMNW R11390 (holotype), from Grosse Bucht, ||Karas Region, Namibia (–26.7338, 15.1041); B, C NMNW R11393 (paratype) from near locality A (–26.7208, 15.1026); D NMNW R11391 (allotype), from locality A;
E NMNW R11610 from 30 km E of Port Nolloth, Northern Cape Province, South Africa (–29.3049, 17.1836), not on native substrate; F NMNW R11611 from the same locality as E on native substrate; G NMNW R11598 from Oranjemund, ||Karas Region, Namibia (–28.5541, 16.4982); H unvouchered specimen from Port Nolloth (–29.2403, 16.8631), only 30 km W of locality of E/F.

Photos by Francois S. Becker.

Life colour variation in Ptenopus circumsyrticus sp. nov.:
 A NMNW R11394 (holotype) from Gobabeb, Erongo Region, Namibia (–23.5732, 15.0368); B FB2003 (unvouchered) from Keerwerder, NamibRand, Hardap Region, Namibia (–24.9818, 15.9338); C, D FB2080 from NE of Gobabeb (–23.3175, 15.5700); E unvouchered specimen from near locality of C; F NMNW R11355 (paratype) from near locality of B (–24.9495, 16.0397). Photos by Francois S. Becker.

Life colour variation and substrate matching in Ptenopus kenkenses sp. nov.:
 A, C NMNW R11388 (paratype) from Giant’s Playground, ||Karas Region, Namibia (–26.4538, 18.3097); B NMNW R11655 from S of Aus, ||Karas Region, Namibia (–26.7073, 16.2829); D NMNW R11648 from locality B; E FB454 from W of Aus (–26.5700, 15.8389); F FB456 from W of Aus (–26.6478, 16.2147). Photos by Francois S. Becker.

Life colour variation in Ptenopus sceletus sp. nov.:
 A NMNW R12103 (paratype) from N of Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia (–22.6259, 14.5457); B NMNW R12101 (allotype) from locality A; C NMNW R11763 from Hoanib River, Kunene Region, Nambia (–19.3539, 13.1453); D NMNW R11754 from Henties Bay, Erongo Region, Namibia (–22.1584, 14.3086); E NMNW R12100 (holotype) and NMNW R011771 from the same locality as A, showing sexual dichromatism in gular patches of this species (male gular patch may be divided or undivided, while female only has slight shades of yellow on lateral edges); F NMNW R11771 from N of Swakop River near Swakopmund (–22.6652, 14.57619) and NMNW R11755 from N of the Omaruru River near Henties Bay (–21.7703, 14.5520), showing iris colour variation from silver (most common in the sourthern extreme of the range) to brown (more common further north). Photos by Francois S. Becker.

Ptenopus adamanteus sp. nov. 

Ptenopus australis sp. nov.

Ptenopus circumsyrticus sp. nov.

Ptenopus kenkenses sp. nov.

Ptenopus sceletus sp. nov.

Ptenopus maculatus (raised from a subspecies)

François S. Becker, Graham J. Alexander, Krystal A. Tolley. 2025. Singing on Key: An integrative Taxonomic Revision of Barking Geckos (Gekkonidae: Ptenopus) with six additional species and keys for morphology and advertisement calls. Vertebrate Zoology. 75: 277-323.  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/vz.75.e153514