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PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 65, Supplement II 
Angola, and elevated it to a full species. Although occasionally considered a valid species or sub¬ 
species of P. punctatus, Bauer and Branch (1995a) tentatively included amoenoides in the syn¬ 
onymy of P. punctatus. Heinz (2011) identified deep, species-level divergences within P. puncta¬ 
tus sensu lato, and there are a minimum of four taxa in the complex that occur in Angola. A phy- 
logeographic study of P punctatus is being undertaken (Bauer et al. unpublished). 
Pachydactylus rangei (Andersson, 1908) Namib Web-Footed Gecko 
Palmatogecko rangei Andersson 1908:299, pi. 1, figs. a-c. Holotype: MWNH 460 (collector P. Range). 
“Luderitzbuch in the German South-West Africa,” Karas Region, Namibia. 
Palmatogecko rangei: Mertens (1937a:6), Haacke (1976b:22-23), Russel and Bauer (1990:198), Branch 
(1998:263), Bauer (1999:57). 
Pachydactylus rangei: Bauer and Lamb (2005:116), Herrman and Branch (2013:98), Bates et al. (2014:140), 
Ceriaco et al. (2016a:5 5). 
Global conservation status (lUCN): Least Concern. 
Global distribution: The species is 
restricted to the Namib Desert and immediate¬ 
ly adjacent areas, from the Holgat River in the 
Northern Cape, South Africa to extreme south¬ 
western Angola. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 143): The 
species occurs in the Nambi Desert, in south¬ 
western Angola. Namibe: “Mossamedes” 
[-15.20000, 12.15000] (Haacke 1976b;22-23; 
Ceriaco et al. 2016a:55); “Coroca River” 
[-15.78333, 12.06667] (Haacke 1976b;22-23; 
Ceriaco et al. 2016a:55); “Porto Alexandre” 
[-15.80000, 11.83333] (Haacke 1976b:22-23; 
Ceriaco et al. 2016a:55); “Cunene mouth” 
[-17.28333, 11.80000] (Haacke 1976b:22-23); 
“Lacrau” (Haacke 1976b:22-23; Ceriaco et al. 
2016a:55); “Namib desert” (Mertens 1937a:6; 
Hermann and Branch 2013:98; Ceriaco et al. 
2016a;55). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: This species was initially described as the type species 
of the genus Palmatogecko Andersson, 1908 (Bates et al. 2014). Joger (1985) used immunological 
data to infer its close affinities with Pachydactylus and Bauer and Lamb (2005) synonymized the 
genus Palmatogecko with Pachydactylus, within which it is most closely allied to P. vanzyli (Steyn 
and Haacke, 1966) and P austeni Hewitt, 1923 (Heinicke et al. 2017). Pachydactylus rangei occu¬ 
pies compacted windward dune faces in the Namib sand seas and other areas of loose sand, includ¬ 
ing dry river beds, penetrating inland as far as the Namib fog belt (Haacke 1976b; Russell and 
Bauer 1990; Branch 1998; Bauer 1999; Bates et al. 2014). 
Map 
Angola. 
143. Distribution of Pachydactylus rangei in 
Pachydactylus scherzi Mertens, 1954 Scherz’s Thick-Toed Gecko 
Pachydactylus scherzi Mertens 1954:175, fig. 1. Holotype: SMF 45696 (eolleetors R. Mertens and 
E. Seherz). Type loeality: “Welwitsehia-Flaehe der Namib am Sudwestrand des Brandberg-Massivs, 
Damaraland, Siidwest-Afrika” [= Welwitsehia area of the Namib on the southwestern slope of the Brand- 
berg massif, Damaraland], Namibia. 
