Notes on the Heyden’s gecko (Hemidactylus robustus) (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Tunb-e Bozorg and Faror Islands, Persian Gulf, Iran

The Heyden's gecko (Hemidactylus robustus) is a rare taxon in the Iranian herpetofauna, and its distribution range in Iran has remained largely unclear. In this study, we report on relatively recently collected specimens from Tunb-e Bozorg and Faror Islands, Persian Gulf, and compare them with published data. The specimens examined show morphological congruence in the main taxonomic features and colour patterns with those previously described in the existing literatures. This study provides for the first time molecular evidence for the specimens of Hemidactylus robustus on the southern coast of Iran. The results show that the prevailing hypothesis of a recent, possibly anthropogenically favored dispersal of the species in its range is not sufficiently supported.The Heyden's gecko (Hemidactylus robustus) is a rare taxon in the Iranian herpetofauna, and its distribution range in Iran has remained largely unclear. In this study, we report on relatively recently collected specimens from Tunb-e Bozorg and Faror Islands, Persian Gulf, and compare them with published data. The specimens examined show morphological congruence in the main taxonomic features and colour patterns with those previously described in the existing literatures. This study provides for the first time molecular evidence for Iranian specimens of Hemidactylus robustus. The results show that the prevailing hypothesis of a recent, possibly anthropogenically favored dispersal of the species in its range is not sufficiently supported.

کلیدواژه ها:

Iranian Islands ، Persian Gulf ، Gekkonidae ، mtDNA ، Haplotype ، taxonomy