Hemidactylus angulatus Hallowell 1852

Hemidactylus angulatus Hallowell, 1852

This species was only recently elevated to specific rank, having been elevated from a subspecies of the Asian H. brookii, to which it is very distantly related (Carranza and Arnold 2006). It is widespread in tropical Africa. Loveridge (1947) recorded localities from Sudan to Angola and in neighboring Nigeria. Dunger (1968) considered it the most common and widespread of all Nigerian gecko species, occupying a diversity of natural and edificarian habitats. This is certainly also the most commonly encountered gecko in Bénin. It is highly variable in color pattern (Loveridge 1947; Dunger 1968) and may sometimes be confused for the broadly sympatric H. mabouia. The biology of this species was recently considered by Gramentz (2000). Hemidactylus angulatus is the only gecko species in Bénin to have been reported from multiple localities by multiple earlier authors (Chabanaud 1917; Loveridge 1947, 1952). Chabanaud (1917) recorded specimens from Agougon (=Agouagon) as both H. brookii and H. stellatus Boulenger. Most of the new material was collected from edificarian habitats, but specimens from Niaouli were found in semi­deciduous forest. The largest Bénin specimen (IRSNB 17168­3) measured 66.2 mm SVL.

Localities

Ajuda (Ouidah), Département de l’Atlantique: Loveridge (1947); Zomai (Ouidah), Département de l’Atlantique: Loveridge (1947); Godomey (=Godomé), Département de l’Atlantique: Loveridge (1947); Attogon, Département de l’Atlantique (06°43’N, 02°09’E): IRSNB 17168­1, 17168­2, 17168­3, 17168­4; Niaouli, Département de l’Atlantique (06°44’N, 02°08’E): IRSNB 17173­2; Amou Oblo, Togo, IRSNB 17166­1, 17166­2; Grand Popo, Département du Mono: Loveridge (1947); Abomey, Département du Zou: Loveridge (1952); Porto Novo, Département de l’Ouémé: Loveridge (1947); Agougon (=Agouagon), Département des Collines: Chabanaud (1917); Collines de Dassa­Zoumè, Département des Collines (07°45’N, 02°10’E): IRSNB 17150­1; Bassila, Département de la Donga: Loveridge (1952); Manigri, Département de la Donga: IRSNB 17245­1–17245­ 9; Koussokoinga (=Koussoukoingou), Département de l’Atacora: Loveridge (1952), MCZ R 51759­60; Parc National de la Pendjari, Département de l’Atacora (11°23’N, 01°31’E); IRSNB 17170­3; without specific locality: IRSNB 17171­2, 17171­3; MCZ R 159974; YPM 8133 (39 specimens), 8422 (3 specimens).