Lygodactylus genus of diurnal geckos with approximately 60 species . They are commonly referred to as dwarf geckos . They are mainly found in Africa and Madagascar although two species are found in South America . Lygodactylus picturatus , the best known species, is found in Kenya and commonly known as the white-headed dwarf gecko. Recently, illegal importation from Tanzania of brightly colored (and critically-endangered), Lygodactylus williamsi, known as electric blue geckos, has been gaining attention for Lygodactylus geckos in the reptile trade.
Since all trade in wild-caught Lygodactylus williamsi is illegal, shipments of these geckos are often intentionally mislabelled as Lygodactylus spp. or as Lygodactylus capensis . As some customs officials have difficulty identifying members of this genus, a Lygodactylus spp. identification guide has been published online by CITES .
Species in alphabetical order by specific name :
Lygodactylus angolensis Bocage , 1896Lygodactylus angularis Günther, 1893 – angulated dwarf geckoLygodactylus arnoulti G. Pasteur, 1965 – Pasteur's dwarf geckoLygodactylus bernardi V. FitzSimons, 1958 – Bernard's dwarf gecko, Arnoult’s dwarf geckoLygodactylus bivittis (W. Peters , 1883) Lygodactylus blancae G. Pasteur, 1995 ‡ Lygodactylus blanci G. Pasteur, 1967 ‡ – Blanc's dwarf geckoLygodactylus bradfieldi Hewitt , 1932Lygodactylus broadleyi G. Pasteur, 1995 – Broadley's dwarf geckoLygodactylus capensis (A. Smith , 1849) – Cape dwarf geckoLygodactylus chobiensis V. FitzSimons, 1932 – Okavango dwarf gecko, Chobe dwarf geckoLygodactylus conradti Matschie , 1892Lygodactylus conraui Tornier , 1902Lygodactylus decaryi Angel, 1930 – Angel's dwarf geckoLygodactylus depressus K.P. Schmidt , 1919Lygodactylus expectatus G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1967 – Ambilobe dwarf geckoLygodactylus fischeri Boulenger , 1890Fischer's dwarf geckoLygodactylus grandisonae G. Pasteur, 1962 – Kenya dwarf geckoLygodactylus graniticolus Jacobsen, 1992 – granite dwarf geckoLygodactylus gravis G. Pasteur, 1965 – Usambara dwarf geckoLygodactylus grotei Sternfeld , 1991Lygodactylus guibei G. Pasteur, 1965 – western dwarf geckoLygodactylus gutturalis (Bocage, 1873) – Uganda dwarf geckoLygodactylus heterurus Boettger , 1913Lygodactylus howelli G. Pasteur & Broadley, 1988 Lygodactylus inexpectatus G. Pasteur, 1965 – Dar es Salaam dwarf geckoLygodactylus insularis Boettger, 1913 – insular dwarf geckoLygodactylus intermedius G. Pasteur, 1995 Lygodactylus keniensis Parker , 1936Lygodactylus kimhowelli G. Pasteur, 1995 Lygodactylus klemmeri G. Pasteur, 1965 – Malagasy dwarf geckoLygodactylus klugei H.M. Smith , R.L. Martin & Swain, 1977Lygodactylus lawrencei Hewitt, 1926 – Lawrence's dwarf geckoLygodactylus luteopicturatus G. Pasteur, 1964 – dwarf yellow-headed gecko, yellow-headed dwarf geckoLygodactylus madagascariensis (Boettger, 1881) – Madagascar dwarf geckoLygodactylus manni Loveridge , 1928Lygodactylus methueni V. FitzSimons, 1937 – Methuen's dwarf gecko, Woodbrush dwarf geckoLygodactylus miops Günther, 1891 – Günther's dwarf geckoLygodactylus mirabilis (G. Pasteur, 1962) Lygodactylus mombasicus Loveridge, 1935 Lygodactylus montanus G. Pasteur, 1965 – Mount Ivohibe (dwarf) geckoLygodactylus nigropunctatus Jacobsen, 1992 – black-spotted dwarf geckoLygodactylus ocellatus Roux, 1907 – ocellated dwarf geckoLygodactylus ornatus G. Pasteur, 1965 – ornate dwarf geckoLygodactylus pauliani G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1991 Lygodactylus picturatus (W. Peters, 1871) – white-headed dwarf gecko, painted dwarf geckoLygodactylus pictus (W. Peters, 1883) – robust dwarf geckoLygodactylus rarus G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1973 – thin dwarf geckoLygodactylus regulus Portik, Travers, Bauer & Branch, 2013 Lygodactylus rex Broadley, 1963 – king dwarf geckoLygodactylus scheffleri Sternfeld, 1912 – Scheffler's dwarf geckoLygodactylus scorteccii G. Pasteur, 1959 – Scortecci's dwarf geckoLygodactylus somalicus Loveridge, 1935 – Somali dwarf geckoLygodactylus stevensoni Hewitt, 1926 – Stevenson's dwarf geckoLygodactylus thomensis (W. Peters, 1881) – Annobon dwarf geckoLygodactylus tolampyae (Grandidier , 1872) – Grandidier's dwarf geckoLygodactylus tuberosus Mertens , 1965Lygodactylus verticillatus Mocquard, 1895 – Mocquard's dwarf geckoLygodactylus waterbergensis Jacobsen, 1992 – Waterberg dwarf geckoLygodactylus wetzeli H.M. Smith, R.L. Martin & Swain, 1977 – South American dwarf geckoLygodactylus williamsi Loveridge, 1952 – Williams' dwarf gecko
‡ L. blancae (feminine , genitive , singular ) is named for (Ms) Françoise Blanc, a French geneticist ; but L. blanci (masculine, genitive, singular) is named for (Mr.) Charles Pierre Blanc, a French herpetologist .
Nota bene binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was original described in a genus other than Lygodactylus .
