A NEW species of Pygmy Gecko (Goggia: Gekkonidae) has been discovered by a team of four researchers in the Northern Cape.

South Africa's newest reptile is the Gravel Pygmy Gecko (Goggia sabula sp. nov.), first spotted by Courtney Hundermark in December 2020 while searching for reptiles at the base of a rocky outcrop. At the time, he recognised it as a member of the genus Goggia (pygmy/dwarf leaf-toed geckos), but noted that it looked nothing like the only known species from that area.

On a recent post on the Facebook page Southern African Butterflies, Bugs, Bees and other small things, Hundermark shared more about the find. Nine months after the initial sighting, he returned to the same remote area with Luke Kemp. “At the time, it felt like a long shot,” he wrote. “But after a few hours of enduring frigid winds and running noses, we managed to observe six individuals moving between the rocks.”

Shortly after the sighting, Chad Keates analysed the genetic material, while Werner Conradie focused on morphological characteristics. “Together, after much effort, we are extremely proud to present South Africa’s newest reptile - and the 11th member of its genus - the Gravel Pygmy Gecko,” Hundermark announced.

The Independent on Saturday spoke to Keates, a South African herpetologist based at the University of Florida. He said that Hundermark and Kemp had been exploring a remote region called Klein Pella when they encountered the gecko. They immediately noticed it looked a bit different and managed to take photos and collect a few specimens.

“We decided to run some genetics, and it became very clear these things are distinct,” Keates said. “They’re closely related to other geckos in the area, but they’re their own thing.”

So far, the species has only been found in that specific location, but researchers suspect it may also occur in other arid regions such as southern Namibia.

“These geckos are very small - that’s why they’re called pygmy geckos,” Keates explained. “They’re some of the smallest geckos you’ll find, averaging around 6 to 7cm in total length, including the tail.” Most geckos in this genus are found in South Africa, and they are also informally known as leaf-toed geckos due to the distinctive shape of their toes.

“What distinguishes them is the leaf-shaped toes - they have a single pair of rectangular terminal scans that look and feel like tiny leaves. If you saw a small gecko and wanted to know if it belonged to this genus, the shape of the toes and feet would be your first clue.”

Scientists only have a limited understanding of this species’ distribution, since it's only been found on one rocky outcrop. However, based on spatial distribution mapping, they believe it could extend into southern Namibia and possibly be more widespread than initially thought.

“At the moment, we don’t know how abundant they are,” said Keates. “But if we go by what we know about other Goggia species, they tend to be locally abundant wherever they’re found. These geckos are so small that they can exploit cracks and crevices that other animals can’t access. They live under rocks, and in these rocky landscapes, they can be quite plentiful. You just need to know where to look,” he said.

Reptiles living in such environments, especially geckos, often have fat tails - literal energy stores. “The theory is that they use those fatty deposits to survive during lean times,” Keates said. “They don’t drink much water, instead getting most of their moisture from their prey. And with their low metabolism, they don’t need to eat or drink nearly as much as mammals do.”

Though tiny, the Gravel Pygmy Gecko plays a crucial role in the ecosystem, both as a predator of small insects and as prey for snakes, larger lizards, spiders, scorpions and small mammals.

Keates said the Northern Cape is globally recognised as a biodiversity hot spot for geckos, with some of the highest gecko diversity anywhere in the world. Nine out of 10 species in this particular genus are endemic to South Africa. He said herpetologists and wildlife enthusiasts frequently travel here to study this rich biodiversity.

Geckos are a type of lizard that are completely harmless to humans and are often welcomed in homes for their pest control benefits.