Hemidactylus homoeolepis Blanford 1881

Hemidactylus (Liurus) homoeolepis Blanford, 1881: 464. Fig. 1, pl. 42.2—Locus Typicus: “ Socotra ”. Hemidactylus homoeolepis.— Peters, 1882b: 43.

Hemidactylus homoeolepis. — Boulenger, 1885: 117.

Hemidactylus homaeolepis [sic].— Wranik, 1998b: Fig. [150]. Hemidactylus homoeolepis.— Rösler & Wranik, 1998: 119. Hemidactylus homoeolepis.— Joger, 2000: 343.

Hemidactylus cf. homoeolepis.— Joger, 2000: 343.

This species is considered “ fairly common, found under rocks and stones generally in the dry beds of the streams” (Ogilvie-Grant in Boulenger, 1903) but in our experience it is by no means limited to the dry beds of the streams. As usual, most of the bibliographic data are relative to the surroundings of Hadiboh and the Hajhir massif with three exceptions: Qalansiyah (Steindachner, 1903), Homhil (Boulenger, 1903) and Wadi Di-Farhoh (Schätti & Desvoignes, 1999).

We observed this species almost everywhere on Socotra Island, from sea level up to 995 m a.s.l. in the Diksam Plateau. This is by far the most widespread and common nocturnal reptile in Socotra (cf. table 1). It seems less common on the small islands of Darsa and Samha.

Habitat. Encountered chiefly in rocky and stony areas. It is active mostly on the ground or in the lower part of big rocks, large boulders and cliffs, but it climbs also trees, palm trunks and buildings (it has been found even inside houses at Hadiboh). During daytime it can be found under stones, trunks and dead vegetation.

Original data. Fig. 10. Socotra Island: NE Coast, Homhil, Momi plateau, Timeroh area, Go'o area, Wadi Di- Fa'rhoh, Wadi Di Asrhon, Firmihin, Dheroh, Diksam plateau, SW Diksam, Central Noged, Qa'arah area, Qabheten area, Plateau W of Qabhete, Neet, Shu'ab inland, Shu'ab area, Ma'alah plateau, Qeysoh, Qalansiyah, Ghubbah area, Mori West, Terr Ditrur, Mouri plain, Wadi Trubah, Skand, Wadi Ayhaft, Kadheb E, Hadiboh plain, Howlef, Kariyah area. Samha Island. Darsa Island.

Bibliographic data. Blanford (1881), Steindachner (1903), Boulenger (1903), Schätti & Gasperetti (1994), Wranik (1998b), Rösler & Wranik (1998, 2004), Schätti & Desvoignes (1999).

General distribution. Southern Arabian Peninsula (SW Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman), including the islands of Masirah and Kuria Muria, and the Socotra archipelago. A distribution map was published by Sindaco & Jeremčenko (2008: 302).

All authors reporting this species from Abd al-Kuri Island refer to the paper of Steindachner (1903), but this record is wrong as the specimens that he studied are in fact H. forbesii. These specimens are still present in the collection of the Naturhistorisches Museum (Vienna) (NMW 17785:1–2), as verified by two of the authors (R. Sindaco and C. Grieco, May 2010). Despite having been correctly identified by H. Rösler in May 2000, this author continued to report the species as occurring in Abd al-Kuri.

Remarks. According to Arnold (1980), the “ differences between some of the known populations regarded here as belonging to H. homoeolepis are greater than those between some recognised species of Hemidactylus ”; therefore the taxonomic status of populations assigned to H. homoeolepis needs to be revised also on the basis of molecular studies.