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SpeciesHistory

 Individual species record

Rhoptropella ocellata (Boulenger, 1885)
 

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Distribution of Rhoptropella ocellataDistribution

Rhoptropella ocellata is native to Namaqua land, a small region in Southern Nambia and Northern South Africa. More specifically, Northern Little Namaqualand, through Richtersveld to South Western Namibia. Namaqualand is part of the the Succulent Karoo biodiversity hotspot.

Description

Rhoptropella ocellata is a small (6-8 cm) day gecko. The back is light brown to greyish-brown, with scattered light and darker dots. The ventral area is cream to blue-white, often tinged with pink. The nostrils are not tubular and pierce the first upper labial. The eyes have a vertical pupil and are completely surrounded by a type of eyelid (Branch, 1988). The scales on the back are smooth and granular, but the ventral scales are overlapping. Males have a long series (24-34) of femoral pores that are continuous across the pre-anal region. 

Biotope

Biotope of Rhoptropella ocellataThe geckos are found on and near the many boulders on the rocky hill slopes and outcrops. Occasionally they forage on the nearby succulent bushes and fig trees. The Succulent Karoo boasts the world's richest succulent flora, as well as high reptile and invertebrate diversity.

 

Conservation

Rhoptropella ocellata's occurrence in the Succulent Karoo biodiversity hotspot gives this gecko a certain grade of protection. This hotspot stretches along the Atlantic coast of Africa, from south-western South Africa into southern Namibia and covers 116,000 square kilometres of desert.

The area is vulnerable to several land use pressures, particularly overgrazing on communal lands, ostrich farming in the southeast, mining and the illegal collection of plants and animals for trade. Climate change is expected to have a serious impact on the region's biodiversity.

The Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Planning (SKEP) involved more than 60 scientific experts and over 400 local stakeholders representing government, academia, nongovernmental organizations, private sector interests and local communities. SKEP developed an overarching framework for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the hotspot.

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