{"id":4995,"date":"2020-03-23T16:22:32","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T16:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/?page_id=4995"},"modified":"2020-04-08T19:27:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T19:27:00","slug":"quedenfeldtia_trachyblepharus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/en\/ficha\/quedenfeldtia_trachyblepharus\/","title":{"rendered":"Species page of Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus"},"content":{"rendered":"

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High Atlas Day Gecko
\nQuedenfeldtia trachyblepharus <\/span><\/em><\/strong>(Boettger, 1873)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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By Abdellah Bouazza <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Updated: 08\/04\/2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Taxonomy: Gekkota | Sphaerodactylidae | Quedenfeldtia | Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus<\/p>\n

\"Quedenfeldtia
Adult male Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus, Ouka\u00efmeden, High Atlas (Morocco). Photo: \u00a9 Abdellah Bouazza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Map<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"\u00a0 Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus<\/em>
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Distribution map of
\nQuedenfeldtia trachyblepharus<\/em>
\nin Morocco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1) Phylogenetic frame<\/h2>\n

The genus Quedenfeltia <\/em>Boettger (1883)<\/em> (Atlas Day Gecko) is endemic to Morocco. There are two species described in this genus, Q. trachyblepharus<\/em> (Bons, 1967) and Q. moerens<\/em><\/a> (Arnold, 1990) although the genus was considered monotypic for a long time prior to Arnold (1990). Recent studies show that this Moroccan genus (Quedenfeldtia<\/em>) is basal to the American Sphaerodactylidae<\/em> family that diverged by vicariance and dispersal events after fragmentation of Gondwana (Gamble et al.<\/em>, 2011).<\/p>\n

Quedenfeldtia moerens<\/em><\/a> is found across a wide variety of habitats, from sea level to 3000 m in altitude, whereas Q. trachyblepharus<\/em> occupies exclusively high mountain regions reaching from 1400 m up to 4000 m (Bons and Geniez, 1996; Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996). Recent genetic analysis revealed high variation between two species (Barata et al<\/em>., 2012 ; Harris et al<\/em>., 2017).<\/p>\n

2) Description<\/h2>\n

Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus<\/em> is a small (approximately 4.4 cm snout\u2013vent length) high-altitude gecko with strictly diurnal habits. In high altitude, this species observed basking close to rock crevices, often communally. A clear dimorphism in coloration and head size exists, and it is therefore possible to identify gender by sight (Blouin-Demers et al., <\/em>2013). Gravid females show an enlargement of the abdomen and of the calcium storing endolymphatic glands located at the base of the throat. Dominant males normally have a reddish or yellowish head more evident during the mating period (Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996).<\/p>\n

\"Quedenfeldtia
Basking behavior in Q. trachyblepharus. <\/em>Left: Female & Right: Male, Ouka\u00efmeden\u00a0 (Morocco). Photo: \u00a9 Abdellah Bouazza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This species is characterized by three throat colour variations: Orange, yellow, and white. Blouin-Demers et al<\/em>. (2013) showed that orange males had relatively longer jaws than white or yellow males, and hypothesized that colour variation could signal dominance.<\/p>\n

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Throat colour variation in Q. trachyblepharus. <\/em>Right shows the black pelvic patch that is present in adult males only. Photos: \u00a9 Abdellah Bouazza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus <\/em>and Quedenfeldtia moerens <\/em><\/a>are distinguished by both external and osteological characters (Arnould, 1990; Bons and Geniez, 1996; Barata et al<\/em>., 2012; Blouin-Demers et al<\/em>., 2013; see table below for summary).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nQ. trachyblepharus<\/em> (Boettger 1874)<\/td>\nQ. moerens<\/em> (Chabanaud 1916)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of presacral vertebrae<\/td>\nGenerally 24 or 25<\/td>\nGenerally 22 or 23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cloacal tubercle<\/td>\nLarge and prominent<\/td>\nSmall or absent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sexual dichromatism<\/td>\nAccentuated<\/td>\nLittle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yellow ocellus on the borders<\/td>\nAbsent<\/td>\nPresent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Iris of the eye<\/td>\nGray-brown<\/td>\nRed-brown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

3) Ecology and habits<\/h2>\n

In the High Atlas Mountains, Atlas day geckos occasionally remain active during the winter: on sunny days they run around on rocks surrounded by snow fields (Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996; Bouazza, 2012). These geckos lives under extreme climatic conditions (Bouazza et al., 2016), and on cold winter days when air temperatures rise to above 3\u00b0C they start basking within a few minutes after the sun hits the vicinity of their retreats (Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996; Bouazza pers. obs.<\/em>).<\/p>\n

They are oviparous, each female depositing multiple clutches (generally 1-3) between April and July in communal egg-laying sites. Mating begins in March and is frequently initiated by the male.<\/p>\n

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Left: Mating in Q. trachyblepharus Right: female in the communal nesting site. Ouka\u00efmeden, Morocco. Photos: \u00a9 Abdellah Bouazza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It feeds on many insects, especially small beetles (Carretero et al<\/em>., 2006).<\/p>\n

Their main predators are the Atlas dwarf viper (Vipera monticola<\/em><\/a>) and the Southern smooth snake (Coronella girondica<\/em><\/a>) (Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996 ; Bouazza pers. obs<\/em>). These snakes live amidst thorn cushions around the rocks inhabited by Quedenfeldtia.<\/em><\/p>\n

4) Distribution, habitat and abundance<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Q. trachyblepharus<\/em> occurs on rocky faces, both near water and in dry places (Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996). They use rocks and fissures (sandstone and granite) as refuges in the High Atlas Mountains.<\/p>\n

This Moroccan endemic is found in mountainous areas from 1400 m to 4000 m (Bons and Geniez, 1996; Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996). However, the exact distribution of this species is still unknown (Barata et al<\/em>., 2012 ; Harris et al<\/em>., 2017). Comas et al<\/em>., ( 2014) showed a significant loss of physical condition as the number of competitors increased at low altitude in this gecko. This loss of body condition may be due to competition for food at lower altitudes, where trophic resources have to be partitioned within a richer community. In the High Atlas Mountains, endemic alpine reptile species, as Q. trachyblepharus,<\/em> Atlantolacerta andreanszkyi<\/em><\/a>, and Chalcides montanus<\/em><\/a>, co-occur with other species that have broader ranges, including species from Eurasia together with species of Mediterranean and Ibero-Maghrebian ranges (Bons & Geniez, 1996; Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996). Above 2500 m in altitude. The Atlas day gecko shares its habitat mainly with the lizard Atlantolacerta andreanszkyi<\/em><\/a> and Podarcis vaucheri<\/em><\/a> (Bons & Geniez, 1996; Bouazza pers. obs<\/em>.). Nevertheless, populations below 2500 m must share the habitat with a greater diversity of other species as Podarcis vaucheri<\/em>,<\/a> Scelarcis perspicillata<\/em><\/a>, Tarentola mauritanica<\/em><\/a>, \u00a0Psammodromus algirus<\/em><\/a>, and also larger species such as Timon tangitanus<\/em><\/a> and Agama impalearis<\/em><\/a> (Bons & Geniez, 1996; Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996). Also, there is a replacement of saurophagic snakes with altitude, with Malpolon monspessulanus<\/em><\/a> at low altitudes and Vipera monticola<\/em><\/a> and Coronella girondica<\/em> <\/a>at higher altitudes (Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996; Bouazza pers. obs.<\/em>).<\/p>\n

They form isolated populations with high densities, approximately 3 geckos\/m\u00b2 in the High Atlas Mountains (Schleich et al<\/em>., 1996, Bouazza pers. obs.<\/em>).<\/p>\n

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Typical habitat of Q. trachyblepharus in high altitude (3200 m) around Mount Toubkal (Morocco). Photo: \u00a9 Abdellah Bouazza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Typical habitat of Q. trachyblepharus. Ouka\u00efmeden (2700m). Photo: \u00a9 Abdellah Bouazza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Habitat of Q. trachyblepharus severely fragmented (extraction of sandstone slabs, cultivated fields) at lowland. Ait lkak (1500 m), Morocco. Photo: \u00a9 Abdellah Bouazza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This species has been ranked by IUCN as \u201cNear Threatened\u201d because its extent of occurrence is less than 20,000 km\u00b2 in area, and its habitat is severely fragmented. The species nearly qualifies for vulnerable status, but it does not appear to be in decline (Joger, 2006).<\/p>\n

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Bibliography<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n