BAUER, DEBOER, & TAYLOR: ATLAS OF THE REPTILES OF LIBYA 
197 
Libyan Records (Map 17): TRIPOLITA- 
NIA: Misratah : 77: Zavattari 1930. Nalut : 
100: Frynta et al. 2000. 101: BMNH 
1965.1169., 1965.1172; MCSN 1981. 104: 
BMNH 1965.1171. 105: AIC no number pro¬ 
vided; MNHN 2003.2963; Ibrahim and Ineich 
2005. 106: BMNH 1965.1162-64. 118: NHMC 
80.3.88.4, 80.3.88.46; Metallinou et al. 2012. 
124: MZUF 39089. 127: MCCI R1449; Met¬ 
allinou et al. 2012. Jabal al Gharbi : 159: 
BMNH 1965.1165-66. 160: MCSN 1982. 161: 
CUP R 094, 099, 113, 114; Frynta et al. 2000. 
Sirte : 198: NMBA-REPT 17791. 199: ZMB 
17977-78; Peters 1880, 1881; Werner 1909; 
Zavattari 1934; Loveridge 1947. “Tripolita- 
nia”: FMNH 82945. “Jebel Erdcul” [unlocat¬ 
ed]: BMNH 1901.10.28.3. FEZZAN: Jufra : 
224: NMBA-REPT 15436-38; Schnurrenberg- 
er 1962. 226: MCSN 2011; Scortecci 1935b; 
Loveridge 1947. 227: Loveridge 1947. Ghat : 
235: CUP R 057, 089, 125; Frynta et al. 2000. 
Wadi al Hayaa : 274: CUP R 020; Frynta et al. 
2000. 296: ZCT 2006.49; Ibrahim 2008a. Sabha : 281: ZCT 2005.11-12; Ibrahim 2008a. 291: 
NMBA-REPT 15289-91,15396. Murzuo : 298: ZCT 2005.32; Ibrahim 2008a. 303: ZCT 2006.56; 
Ibrahim 2008a; Essghaier et al. 2015. 308: ZCT 2006.25; Ibrahim 2008a. 310: ZCT 2006.58; 
Ibrahim 2008a. 313: ZCT 2005.24; Ibrahim 2008a. 334: MCZ R 21907; UMNH 4237. “Fezzan”: 
Loveridge 1947. “probably between Ghat and Sebha”: MHNG 1520.20; Perret 1976. CYRE- 
NAICA: Butnan : 520: Vinciguerra 1931; Zavattari 1934; Loveridge 1947. 521: Vinciguerra 1927; 
Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934, 1937; Gestro and Vinciguerra 1931. Al Wahat : 560: Scortecci 1935b; 
Loveridge 1947. 564: Zavattari 1929, 1930, 1934, 1937; Loveridge 1947. Kufrah : 566: MCSN 
2001. 575: MZUF 21100. Cyrenaica: “between Agedabia and Gialo”: Vinciguerra 1931. 
Comments. — Many early records of this species refer to Stenodactylus elegans Fitzinger, 
1826, a junior synonym of S. sthenodactylus . Metallinou et al. (2012) found S. mauritanicus and 
S. sthenodactylus to be reciprocally monophyletic and deeply divergent from one another. Libyan 
specimens were sister to specimens from western North Africa, especially Algeria, and more dis¬ 
tantly related to geckos from the Red Sea coast of Egypt and Kenyan material, and even more dis¬ 
tantly related to material from northern Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Metallinou and Crochet (2013) 
regarded S. s. zavattarii Scortecci, 1943 based on Kenyan material, as conspecific with the nomi¬ 
nate form, pending a more complete study. Although desert records are unambiguously attributa¬ 
ble to this species, some records closer to the Mediterranean coast could be referable to S. mauri¬ 
tanicus and require careful reexamination. A locality “Bosco” listed by Loveridge (1947) in an 
error for “Bosco fra Sidi Garbaa e Gubba” [woods between Sidi Garbaa and Gubba], a locality 
given by Calabresi (1923). 
IUCN Threat Status.— Not evaluated, but anticipated to be Least Concern. 
Map 17. Distribution of Stenodactylus sthenodactylus in 
Libya. The distribution of this species is primarily in more 
xeric areas in Libya. The allocation of many records to this 
species and its more mesic adapted sister species, S. mauri¬ 
tanicus, are tentative and based on geography rather than 
confirmation of specimens. 
