Gekko monarchus (Schlegel, 1836)

Gekko monarchus View in CoL .

– Gekko monarchus expresses a modest degree of morphological and colour pattern variation on some of the small islands. On Mertang Barat, Mertang Tengah, and Mertang Timur, G. monarchus is nearly melanistic with large, white tubercles. On P. Cebeh, G. monarchus is the only species of gekko occurring in the interior of the island. Its density is extremely high and it occupies every conceivable niche (both terrestrial and arboreal). Specimens from this population generally lack the paired, paravertebral blotches which diagnose this species and their tubercles are unusually numerous and large. Investigations of this population’s morphology, colour pattern, and genetics are currently underway to determine its species status and relationship to other G. monarchus . Like Hemidatlylus frenatus on P. Sepoi (see below), G. monarchus appears to restrict the distribution of Lepidodactylus lugubris to large boulders in the splash zone of the intertidal.