THE CHINESE LIZAEDS OF THE GENUS GEKKO 



By Leonhard Stejneger 



Head Curator, Department of Biology, United States National Musenm 



The recent accession of material by the National Museum has 

 helped clear up several doubtful points in the taxonomy and distribu- 

 tion of the lizards belonging to the genus Gekko, so that a summary 

 of our present knowledge of this interesting group may not be out of 

 place. 



Genus GEKKO Laurenti 



1768. Geklco LAtnREOsrTT, Syn. Rept., p. 43 (type, G^. verticillatus Laurenti = 



Lacerta gecko Linnaeus). 

 1792. Stellio Schneidee, Amph. Physiol., vol. 2, p. 2 (tyi>e, S. gecko; not of 



Laurenti). 

 1800. Gecko Cuvier, Legons d'Anat. Comp., vol. 1, tabl. Ill (emendation). 

 1810. Gecus Eafinesqub, Caratteri, p. 9 (emendation). 

 1817. Ascalahotes Cuvieb, Regne Animal, vol. 2, p. 44 (subst. for Stellio 



Schneider). 

 1817. Platydactylus Oken, Isis, 1817, p. 1183 (based on "Platy-Dactyles" Cuvier, 



1817; type designated in 1843 by Fitziiiger, G. guttatiis Daudin). 

 1833. Somatodactylus Van deb Hobve;n, Handb. Dierk., vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 342 



(type, G. vittattis Houttuyn). 

 1843. Scelotretus Fitzingek, Syst. Rept., p. 101 (type, G. vittatus). 



KEY TO CHINESE! SPECIES AND STTBSPEXJIBS OF GEaCKO 



a\ Rostral not entering nostril gecko 



a". Rostral entering nostril. 



&\ No web at base of toes, or a mere trace, 

 c^. Dorsal tubercles numerous, usually more or less evenly dis- 

 tributed on the back to and often invading occiput. 

 d\ On each side of base of tail normally 2 or 3 tubercles 

 close together, or a cluster of smaller tubercles (oc- 

 casionally only one large) japonicus 



(Z^ On each side of base of tail normally a single large 



tubercle japonicus hokouensis 



c'. Dorsal tubercles less numerous, especially on the anterior 



half of the back and rarely invading occiput swinhonis 



6^ A distinct vpeb at base of toes. 

 c\ Back without tubercles ; male with 9 to 11 preanal pores. 

 d^. Back grayish, uniform or with obscure dark markings 



or cross bands subpalmatus 



d*. Back with distinct dark, broad cross bands subpalmatus melli 



c^. Back with numerous small tubercles; males with 17 or 



more preanal pores in one row chinensis 



No. 2944.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum. Vol. 82, Art. 3 



129572—32 t 



