MARQUES ET AL.; AMPHIBIANS AND TERRESTRIAL REPTILES OF ANGOLA 
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Taxonomic and distributional notes: Bauer et al. (2002a) re-examined the types of 
P. s. angolensis and revised the P. scutatus group, revalidating P angolensis as a full species, 
although closely allied to P. scutatus. Bauer and Lamb (2005) did not include the species in their 
phylogenetic analyses of southern African Pachydactylus, but they suggested that it was a member 
of the “northwestern clade.” This has recently been verified by Heinicke et al. (2011), who subse¬ 
quently (Heinicke et al. 2017) identified a sister group relationship between P. angolensis and 
P caraculicus FitzSimons, 1959. Ongoing molecular work has identified putative species-level 
diversity within the species. 
Pachydactylus caraculicus FitzSimons, 1959 Angola Banded Thick-Toed Gecko 
Pachydactylus caraculicus FitzSimons 1959:407. Holotype: TM 22880 (collector C. Koch). Type loeality: 
“Caraeul, S. Angola” [= Caraeulo, Namibe Province, Angola]. 
Pachydactylus angolensis'. Laurent (1964a:37), Haaeke (1970:280), Braneh (1998:253), Bauer and Lamb 
(2005:116), Bauer et al. (2002a: 12), Bauer (2010:266), Heinieke et al. (2017:12), Mashinini and Mahlangu 
(2013:174); Ceriaeo et al. (2016a:55). 
Global conservation status (lUCN): Not Evaluated. 
Global distribution: The species is known from southwestern Angola and northwestern 
Namibia. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 140): The 
species is known from the type locality “Carac- 
ulo” and nearby areas in Namibe Province. 
Namibe: “Lungo, Vila Arriaga district, 
S. Angola” [-14.76667, 13.36667] (FitzSimons 
1959:407; Ceriaeo et al. 2016a:55); “36 mi 
northwest of Mocamedes [Namibe]” 
[-14.82533, 12.54417] (Bauer 2010:266; 
Ceriaeo et al. 2016b:55); “Caracul, S. Angola” 
[-15.01667, 12.66667] (FitzSimons 1959:407; 
Haaeke 1970:280; Mashinini and Mahlangu 
2013:174; Ceriaeo et al. 2016a:55); “Cima, 
Giraul River district” [-15.06667, 12.15000] 
(FitzSimons 1959:407; Ceriaeo et al. 
2016a:55). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: In 
the original description, FitzSimons (1959) 
considered Pachydactylus caraculicus to be 
geographically and phylogenetically intermedi¬ 
ate between Pachydactylus scutatus angolensis Loveridge, 1944 (= Pachydactylus angolensis) and 
Pachydactylus scutatus scutatus Hewitt, 1927. However, this interpretation was challenged by 
Laurent (1964a) who noted that P. s. angolensis occurs in sympatry with P. caraculicus in south¬ 
ern Angola, and therefore must be specifically distinct (Bauer et al. 2002a). Bauer and Lamb (2005) 
and Heinicke et al. (2011) provided phylogenetic analyses that demonstrated that P. caraculicus is 
part of a diverse, primarily rupicolous “northwestern clade” of Pachydactylus, and this has been 
verified by Heinicke et al. (2017), who identified a sister group relationship of P. caraculicus with 
P. angolensis Loveridge, 1944. 
Map 140. Distribution of Pachydactylus caraculicus in 
Angola. 
