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Newly collected material from northern Namibia’s Otjihipa Mountains and west-central Angola allowed us to revisit the Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944 group. The employment of additional gene markers, including nuclear markers, allowed us to identify two new species in the group and infer species boundaries and potential speciation events in Afroedura from southwestern Africa. The new Namibian material is recovered as a sister species to A. donveae, from which it differs mostly by the colour of the iris (copper versus black) and dorsal colouration. Material from the first elevational gradient of the escarpment in Benguela Province, Angola was found to be more closely related to A. bogerti than A. wulfhaackei. The differences between these two species are more subtle, although the new species exhibits higher mid-body scale rows (79.5 versus 74.8), different dorsal colouration and supranasal scales always in contact (versus 57% in contact).

Four new species of flat geckos in the Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944 group are described from south-western and west-central Angola. The description of these new species significantly restricts the distribution range of typical A. bogerti, a morphologically very similar species, from which they differ genetically by 5.9–12% divergence for the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Morphologically and genetically, Angolan Afroedura are divided into two main groups: a mostly south-western coastal group and a west-central inland/highland group. These two groups are further divisible into three and two subgroups respectively, all geographically isolated, differing by a combination of the following features: colouration, average adult size, number of mid-body scale rows, number of scale rows on dorsal and ventral surface of each tail verticil and if nostril scales are in contact or not. All five Angolan species are morphologically distinguishable and in agreement with the molecular results. An updated dichotomous key to the Afroedura transvaalica group is provided. The new discovery adds to a growing number of endemic Pro-Namib reptiles described from Angola in recent years.

Afroedura gorongosa Branch, Guyton, Schmitz, Barej, Naskrecki, Farooq, Verburgt & Rödel, 2017 Zootaxa, 4324(1):150; Figs. 4–7. Paratype: PEM R22220 (formerly ZMB 83291); western flank of Mount Gorongosa (18°28’04.3”S, 34°02’53.2”E; 1038 m a.s.l.), Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique; M.- O. Rödel and M.F. Barej, 11 December 2015. Remarks. Originally catalogued into ZMB and donated to PEM (September 2016). Specimen is in a good condition with incision on left thigh., Published as part of Conradie, Werner, Branch, William R. & Watson, Gillian, 2019, Type specimens in the Port Elizabeth Museum, South Africa, including the historically important Albany Museum collection. Part 2: Reptiles (Squamata), pp. 1-45 in Zootaxa 4576 (1) on page 10, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4576.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2624562, {"references":["Verburgt, L., Verburgt, U. K. & Branch, W. R. (2017) A new species of Scolecoseps (Reptilia: Scincidae) from coastal northeastern Mozambique. African Journal of Herpetology, 67 (1), 86 - 98. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 21564574.2017.1413014"]}

Afroedura gorongosa Branch, Guyton, Schmitz, Barej, Naskrecki, Farooq, Verburgt & Rödel, 2017 Zootaxa, 4324(1):150; Figs. 4–7. Paratype: PEM R22220 (formerly ZMB 83291); western flank of Mount Gorongosa (18°28’04.3”S, 34°02’53.2”E; 1038 m a.s.l.), Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique; M.- O. Rödel and M.F. Barej, 11 December 2015. Remarks. Originally catalogued into ZMB and donated to PEM (September 2016). Specimen is in a good condition with incision on left thigh.

The Afroedura nivaria species complex (A. nivaria, A. karroica, A. amatolica, A. tembulica and A. halli) is a morphologically conservative group of medium-sized flat geckos endemic to South Africa and Lesotho. Species are allopatric, as are some populations within species that are separated by large expanses of unsuitable habitat. Because of this isolation of populations we hypothesised that several cryptic species may be present. To investigate this hypothesis we constructed a molecular phylogeny using multiple markers, and included representatives of other Afroedura species. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses (439 bp 16S, 593 bp ND4, 948 bp RAG1) strongly supported the genetic distinctiveness of the five described species. However, the A. nivaria species complex as currently described is not monophyletic, as A. karroica was positioned outside a clade containing all other Afroedura species, and A. pondolia (which was presumed to belong to a different species complex) was recovered within the A. nivaria complex. Several distinct clades within A. halli and A. nivaria were also recovered, and the narrowly-distributed A. amatolica consisted of two highly divergent clades. We also conducted a multivariate analysis using 19 morphological characters to investigate whether the clades recovered by the phylogeny were distinct in terms of head, body and limb shape. The analysis showed some variation between clades in terms of locomotor apparatus (forelimbs and feet), head and body dimensions, but overall the morphological differences were minor. This morphological conservatism in the A. nivaria complex may be a result of adaptation to similar microhabitats. Exclusive of A. karroica, the results suggest that there are at least nine species in this complex, of which four are cryptic and undescribed.

Afroedura gorongosa sp. nov. (Figs. 4���5) Afroedura transvaalica (part) Broadley 1966, p. 111. Holotype. ZMB 83293 (GNP 484), adult male, western flank of Mount Gorongosa, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique (1038 m a.s.l., 18˚28���04.3���S, 34˚02���53.2���E), collected by M.- O. R��del and M.F. Barej, 11 December 2015. Paratypes (three specimens). ZMB 83290 (GNP 438), adult female, with incision in left thigh; PEM R22220 (GNP 439, previously ZMB 83291), adult female, with incision in left thigh; ZMB 83292 (GNP 440; will later be deposited in the zoological collection of the E.O. Wilson Laboratory in Gorongosa National Park), adult male, with everted hemipenes and incision in left thigh; collected on 22 May and 21 July 2015 by J.A. Guyton and P. Naskrecki from gallery forest near Murombodzi Waterfall, Mount Gorongosa, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique (842 m a.s.l; 18��29'0.1''S, 34��2'34.6''E). Additional material (two specimens). ZMB 83288 (GNP 433), adult male, ZMB 83289 (GNP 434), adult female; both collected in April 2015 by H. Farooq, P. Naskrecki and J.A. Guyton from the top of Bunga Inselberg, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique (approx. 200 m a.s.l., 18˚35���58.1���S, 34˚20���34.8���E). Etymology. The specific name refers to Mount Gorongosa and Gorongosa National Park in Central Mozambique, to which the species is endemic. We suggest Gorongosa Flat Gecko is a suitable common name. Afroedura, based on Oedura, is feminine and the specific epithet is treated as a noun in apposition. Diagnosis. A member of the A. transvaalica -complex in possessing two pairs of enlarged scansors per digit and a strongly verticillate and flattened tail (Jacobsen et al. 2014). Differs from other members of the complex by having 97���102 midbody scale rows (less than 95 in A. bogerti- complex, 113���120 (���= 117) in A. loveridgei and 102���119 in A. transvaalica (102���118, ���= 109 in South Africa���Jacobsen et al. 2014; 108���119, ���= 114 in Zimbabwe adjacent to Mount Gorongosa); by the rostral bordering the nostril (nostril excluded from rostral in A. loveridgei); by the anterior nasals being separated by 1���3 granules (always in broad contact in A. loveridgei; usually in broad contact in A. transvaalica - A. loveridgei; 17���20 in South African A. transvaalica, and 15���19 in Zimbabwe populations adjacent to Mozambique); and in having a higher average number of precloacal pores in males (8���13, ���= 10; 6���10, ���= 8 in A. transvaalica; 8���10, ���= 9 in A. loveridgei). Holotype description. Morphology. Adult male; SVL 50.8 mm; tail 52.2 mm (partly regenerated), with a small incision in the left thigh for the removal of muscle tissue. Head and body dorsoventrally depressed; HL 12.3 mm, HW 9.0 mm, broadest at mid-eye and 1.37x longer than wide. Eye large (3.7 mm wide), pupil vertical with indented margins; circumorbital scales small and granular, becoming elongate, almost ciliate, at upper posterior margin. Snout rounded, 4.9 mm long, longer than distance between eye and ear openings (3.6 mm). Scales on top of snout granular, rounded and convex, the largest being 2/3rds the width of the scales on the back, which are granular and juxtaposed, with no intervening minute granules. Scales on snout almost twice as large as those on crown and throat. Scales on belly flattened, imbricate, more-or-less ovate at mid-ventrum, and twice the size of lateral granules and 1.5x those along backbone. Ear opening deep, oblique and roughly oval, only half as high as wide. Limbs well developed, hindlimbs slightly longer than forelimbs, both without obvious mite pockets at posterior margin of limb insertions. All digits with a large pair of distal scansors, separated by a large, curved claw, and followed after a large gap (twice length of terminal scansor) by a smaller pair of scansors; infero-median row of digital scales enlarged transversely, particularly towards the scansors, where the terminal scale adjoining the first pair of scansors may be medially constricted, swollen and scansor-like; 12 scale rows under 4th toe. Nostril pierced between rostral, 1 st supralabial and three nasal scales; the supranasal being much larger than the subequal postnasals and separated by a granule bordering the rostral, followed behind by two smaller granules. Rostral roughly rectangular but with its upper edges elongated due to extensions into the nostril. Nine supralabials on each side, the labial margin flexing dorsad at the rictus, with 1���2 minute scales proximal to the flexure. Nine infralabials on either side, with a small scale proximad to the flexure. At the lip, mental slightly narrower than adjacent infralabial, only 2/3rds the width of rostral, and in contact with two distinctly elongate postmental scales. Approximately 20 scales across crown at level of front of eye; 13 scales between nostril and front of eye; 23 scales from front of ear to back of eye; 99 scales around midbody. A roughly V-shaped row of 13 precloacal pores occurs eight scale rows anterior to the cloacal lip, with these scales more imbricate and triangular adjacent to the precloacal pores. Original portion of tail slightly dorsoventrally flattened and indistinctly verticillate, without obvious lateral constrictions; each verticil comprising 6���7 imbricate rows of scales dorsally and 5 imbricate scale rows ventrally, and with ventral scales approximately twice the size of those on dorsal surface. Hemipenal pouches well-developed, with an angular, ventro-lateral series of 3 enlarged tubercular scales on each side (largest nearest cloaca), and with two openings of the cloacal sacs on the posterior lip of the cloaca. Colour in life (from photographs, Fig. 4a and unpublished). Dark black-brown above with a series of five white dorsal spots (4���5 scales across) between the fore- and hind-limb insertions, that are surrounded by a chocolate brown zone that encompasses a series of 2���4 laterally arranged smaller pale spots (2���3 scales wide), and posteriorly by a diffuse pale region that forms an irregular band across the mid dorsum. Top of head, flanks and upper surfaces of limbs with small, scattered pale spots. Head with a dark brown band across the posterior edge of crown encompassing a small central pale spot; a vague, thin pale canthal stripe, extends on both sides from the nasal region to front of eye; upper and lower labials grey-brown with diffuse yellowish bars; iris reddish brown with a heavy dark brown reticulation, and pupil with crenulated edge. Original segment of tail mottled in dark brown and pale blotches; regenerated tail grey with vague darker blotches. Ventrum mottled grey-cream. Colour in preservative. Dark black-brown above with irregular markings on back, comprising four equally spaced dark bars, each with a central white spot 4���5 scales wide, and an irregular, paler brown bar behind; top and sides of head, flanks and upper surfaces of limbs with small, irregular pale spots; ventral surface of throat, neck, belly, limbs and tail uniform dark grey. Side of head and labials dark brown, with a few scattered pale spots on upper labials, and vague pale edges to lower labials. Variation in paratypes and additional material (Figs. 4b, 4c, 5; Tables 3���4). Morphology. SVL from 54.6 mm (ZMB 83289) to 61.2 mm (PEM 22220); head length 1.24���1.38 times head width (max. in paratypes 1.38); snout only 1.5 times diameter of eye in one specimen. The supranasals always separated by granules, usually with a single large granule in contact with the rostral between the supranasals, followed by 2���3 smaller granules in lateral contact; the first upper labial and rostral always enters the nostril, and the width of the rostral at the lip margin is always wider than that of the mental (except in ZMB 83290 were they are subequal); always two postmental scales; supralabials more than in holotype (10���11), infralabials (9���10); scales between anterior edge of eye 19���21; scales between nostril and anterior edge of orbit 12���13; scales between anterior edge of ear and rear margin of orbit 21���24; scales around mid-body 97���101; subdigital lamella beneath 4th toe 10���11; dorsal scales per tail verticel 7���8; ventral scales per tail verticel 5. In one female (ZMB 83290) the terminal, medially-constricted subdigital lamella of the 3rd toe of left foot is swollen and scansor-like, bearing small setae. Precloacal pores 8���13 in males, females without dimples in precloacal scales (as in A. transvaalica, but unlike A. loveridgei where five females had 5���9 dimpled precloacal scales, that lacked secretory activity, and only one had none). Colour in life (based on female paratype PEM R22229). Boldly patterned, with six dorsal dark transverse bands, posteriorly edged with cream, the first on the neck, the second and sixth at the fore- and hindlimb insertions, respectively, and with three thin bands equally spaced between them on the body; background colour of body, head and upper surfaces of limbs flecked on light brown and cream with occasional pale spots 2���4 scales wide; a dark canthal stripe runs through the rostral to the front of the eye, with a paler zone above; the scales of the anteriordorsal region of the orbital rim are bright yellow, with a faint yellowish infusion of the crown scales between the eyes; the original tail is boldly barred dorsally with seven, subequally-spaced, dark brown-black bars with a yellow posterior edge; belly uniform cream with scattered yellowish scales, greyer on ventral surfaces of limbs and tail. Colour in preservative. Similar to holotype, but dorsum pale brown to grey; larger dorsal markings usually reticulated, occasionally forming irregular transverse bands (6���7 from occiput to between hindlimbs); smaller dorsal markings vary from vague to distinct. A few specimens have irregular pale blotches along the posterior edges of the darker dorsal patches/bands, and also scattered on the dorsal surfaces of the limbs and back. Dorsal surface of regenerated tails usually with irregular pale and dark blotches that may form wavy bands, and which become flecks or grey blotches below. Size. Largest male (ZMB 83288)���SVL 56.5 mm, tail (partially regenerated) 55.7 mm; largest female (PEM R22220)���SVL 61.2 mm, tail (original) 64.0 mm. It is thus intermediate in size between A. transvaalica (malemax. SVL 72 mm, female���max. SVL 64 mm) and A. loveridgei (male���max. SVL 59 mm, female���max. SVL 58 mm). Only one of six specimens had an original tail (105% SVL). Hemipenis (based on ZMB 83292). Approximately 5 mm long, with a simple, smooth, possibly longitudinally flounced pedicel; capped with two large cups covered with fine calyculate ornamentation; sulcus simple and draining into the conjoined base of the distal cups. Distribution. Known from only three localities in the Mount Gorongosa region (Fig. 2). The holotype and paratypes, plus various non-collected individuals, have been found on the western flanks of Mount Gorongosa between about 900 and 1100 m a.s.l. (Figs. 6a���c). Access to further potential areas on the mountain, i.e. rock faces at the eastern slopes, was not possible due to security concerns. The additional material and various non-collected specimens have been observed at a lower altitude on the Bunga Inselberg (about 212 m a.s.l.) in the north-western corner of the National Park, approximately 40 km from the type locality (Fig. 6d). No tissue samples from the Bunga individuals were available, and the assignment of these individuals to the new species was thus based on morphological similarity. Natural history. The Gorongosa National Park is situated in Central Mozambique approx. 100 km south-west of the Zambezi River, and is in the southern part of the great African Rift Valley. Mount Gorongosa is an isolated granite mountain massif rising to 1863 m a.s.l., north-west of the National Park���s plains. At its highest elevations the massif���s plateau is covered with montane grasslands and forest patches dominated by cypresses (Widdringtonia nodiflora); the upper slopes of the mountain (900���1600 m) support a belt of moist evergreen forest. The type series was collected in an area between 900 and 1100 m on the western flanks of the mountain (Figs. 6a���c, 7). The paratypes were collected in a small alcove beneath a boulder pile in the closed-canopy riverine forest beside the Murombodzi Waterfall, and thus in comparatively cool and moist microclimates (Figs. 6c, 7). Some rocks with lizards present were located within the splash zone of the waterfall. Other specimens were observed but not collected at this site. The holotype was collected from a deep narrow crack in a large granite rock (i.e. 8 m ��) in highly degraded grassland below the edge of the rainforest and almost fully exposed to the sun (Fig. 6b). It was the only specimen seen at that site. At both sites the new species lived in syntopy with the cordylid Smaug mossambicus (FitzSimons, 1958). The additional non-type material comes from the Bunga Inselberg (Fig. 6d), a partly eroded inselberg composed mostly of trachyte in the north-western corner of the national park, covered and surrounded by dense Miombo woodland at a relatively low altitude (approx. 212 m a.s.l.). Here the geckos were observed during the day and at night in several places in deep cracks between very large boulders. No geckos were observed outside of these cracks. Syntopic lizards were Smaug mossambicus, the skink Trachylepis margaritifera (Peters, 1854) and the gecko Hemidactylus platycephalus Peters, 1854. Further sympatric, but not syntopic geckos were: Lygodactylus cf. capensis (Smith, 1849), Pachydactylus punctatus Peters, 1854 and Chondrodactylus turneri (Gray, 1864). The new species was observed regularly between April and December 2015. Like A. transvaalica, it is tolerant of conspecifics and frequently several specimens, and sometimes as many as over 20, were observed sheltering in deep rock crevices. One adult female (ZMB 83290) contained two eggs of approximately 11.5 x 7.5 mm. Conservation Status. The population of the new gecko present on the lower slopes of Mount Gorongosa is threatened by illegal deforestation taking place within the riverine forest adjacent to Murombodzi Waterfall. Slashand-burn removal of tall, old growth trees around the rocks may cause changes to the humidity and water availability in these currently very moist, shaded microhabitats that seem to be preferred by the lizards. Reforestation efforts led by Gorongosa National Park and introduction of shade-grown coffee as an alternative to slash-and-burn agriculture still practiced around the mountain will hopefully slow or halt the loss of the native riverine and evergreen vegetation in that area. On Bunga Inselberg the population of A. gorongosa is currently protected within the core area of the National Park and no immediate threat to its survival exists, though deforestation for agriculture is slowly encroaching on the area. However, based on the existence of only a few known sites and small area of occupancy, i.e. the presumed restriction to a fragmented range on Mount Gorongosa and potentially some rocky areas surrounding the mountain, as well as the ongoing high rate of habitat degradation and conversion on the mountain, the species may be considered highly threatened, potentially justifying an assessment as Endangered or even Critically Endangered. Further surveys and formal IUCN Red List assessment are required to confirm this., Published as part of William R. Branch, Jennifer A. Guyton, Andreas Schmitz, Michael F. Barej, Piotr Naskrecki, Harith Farooq, Luke Verburgt & Mark-Oliver R��del, 2017, Description of a new flat gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Afroedura) from Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique, pp. 142-160 in Zootaxa 4324 (1) on pages 150-155, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4324.1.8, http://zenodo.org/record/997117, {"references":["Broadley, D. G. (1966) The herpetology of south-east Africa. Unpublished Ph. D. thesis, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 680 pp.","Jacobsen, N. H. G., Kuhn, A. L., Jackman, T. R. & Bauer, A. M. (2014) A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. Zootaxa, 3846 (4), 451 - 501. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3846.4.1"]}

Key to the Afroedura transvaalica- group 1. Midbody scale rows more than 95........................................................................2 - Midbody scale rows less than 95; Angola.................................................. A. bogerti (sensu lato) 2. Rostral bordering nostril................................................................................3 - Rostral excluded from nostril................................................................... A. loveridgei 3. Anterior nasals in contact (very rarely separated); scales around midbody-South Africa 102-118 (= 109), northern Zimbabwe 108-119 (= 114)........................................................................... A. transvaalica - Anterior nasals separated by 1-3 granules; scales around midbody 99-101 (= 100)................ A. gorongosa sp. nov.

Key to the Afroedura transvaalica- group 1. Midbody scale rows more than 95........................................................................2 - Midbody scale rows less than 95; Angola.................................................. A. bogerti (sensu lato) 2. Rostral bordering nostril................................................................................3 - Rostral excluded from nostril................................................................... A. loveridgei 3. Anterior nasals in contact (very rarely separated); scales around midbody-South Africa 102-118 (���= 109), northern Zimbabwe 108-119 (���= 114)........................................................................... A. transvaalica - Anterior nasals separated by 1-3 granules; scales around midbody 99-101 (���= 100)................ A. gorongosa sp. nov., Published as part of William R. Branch, Jennifer A. Guyton, Andreas Schmitz, Michael F. Barej, Piotr Naskrecki, Harith Farooq, Luke Verburgt & Mark-Oliver R��del, 2017, Description of a new flat gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Afroedura) from Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique, pp. 142-160 in Zootaxa 4324 (1) on page 156, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4324.1.8, http://zenodo.org/record/997117

Afroedura gorongosa sp. nov. (Figs. 4–5) Afroedura transvaalica (part) Broadley 1966, p. 111. Holotype. ZMB 83293 (GNP 484), adult male, western flank of Mount Gorongosa, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique (1038 m a.s.l., 18˚28’04.3”S, 34˚02’53.2”E), collected by M.- O. Rödel and M.F. Barej, 11 December 2015. Paratypes (three specimens). ZMB 83290 (GNP 438), adult female, with incision in left thigh; PEM R22220 (GNP 439, previously ZMB 83291), adult female, with incision in left thigh; ZMB 83292 (GNP 440; will later be deposited in the zoological collection of the E.O. Wilson Laboratory in Gorongosa National Park), adult male, with everted hemipenes and incision in left thigh; collected on 22 May and 21 July 2015 by J.A. Guyton and P. Naskrecki from gallery forest near Murombodzi Waterfall, Mount Gorongosa, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique (842 m a.s.l; 18°29'0.1''S, 34°2'34.6''E). Additional material (two specimens). ZMB 83288 (GNP 433), adult male, ZMB 83289 (GNP 434), adult female; both collected in April 2015 by H. Farooq, P. Naskrecki and J.A. Guyton from the top of Bunga Inselberg, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, Mozambique (approx. 200 m a.s.l., 18˚35’58.1”S, 34˚20’34.8”E). Etymology. The specific name refers to Mount Gorongosa and Gorongosa National Park in Central Mozambique, to which the species is endemic. We suggest Gorongosa Flat Gecko is a suitable common name. Afroedura, based on Oedura, is feminine and the specific epithet is treated as a noun in apposition. Diagnosis. A member of the A. transvaalica -complex in possessing two pairs of enlarged scansors per digit and a strongly verticillate and flattened tail (Jacobsen et al. 2014). Differs from other members of the complex by having 97–102 midbody scale rows (less than 95 in A. bogerti- complex, 113–120 (= 117) in A. loveridgei and 102–119 in A. transvaalica (102–118, = 109 in South Africa—Jacobsen et al. 2014; 108–119, = 114 in Zimbabwe adjacent to Mount Gorongosa); by the rostral bordering the nostril (nostril excluded from rostral in A. loveridgei); by the anterior nasals being separated by 1–3 granules (always in broad contact in A. loveridgei; usually in broad contact in A. transvaalica - A. loveridgei; 17–20 in South African A. transvaalica, and 15–19 in Zimbabwe populations adjacent to Mozambique); and in having a higher average number of precloacal pores in males (8–13, = 10; 6–10, = 8 in A. transvaalica; 8–10, = 9 in A. loveridgei). Holotype description. Morphology. Adult male; SVL 50.8 mm; tail 52.2 mm (partly regenerated), with a small incision in the left thigh for the removal of muscle tissue. Head and body dorsoventrally depressed; HL 12.3 mm, HW 9.0 mm, broadest at mid-eye and 1.37x longer than wide. Eye large (3.7 mm wide), pupil vertical with indented margins; circumorbital scales small and granular, becoming elongate, almost ciliate, at upper posterior margin. Snout rounded, 4.9 mm long, longer than distance between eye and ear openings (3.6 mm). Scales on top of snout granular, rounded and convex, the largest being 2/3rds the width of the scales on the back, which are granular and juxtaposed, with no intervening minute granules. Scales on snout almost twice as large as those on crown and throat. Scales on belly flattened, imbricate, more-or-less ovate at mid-ventrum, and twice the size of lateral granules and 1.5x those along backbone. Ear opening deep, oblique and roughly oval, only half as high as wide. Limbs well developed, hindlimbs slightly longer than forelimbs, both without obvious mite pockets at posterior margin of limb insertions. All digits with a large pair of distal scansors, separated by a large, curved claw, and followed after a large gap (twice length of terminal scansor) by a smaller pair of scansors; infero-median row of digital scales enlarged transversely, particularly towards the scansors, where the terminal scale adjoining the first pair of scansors may be medially constricted, swollen and scansor-like; 12 scale rows under 4th toe. Nostril pierced between rostral, 1 st supralabial and three nasal scales; the supranasal being much larger than the subequal postnasals and separated by a granule bordering the rostral, followed behind by two smaller granules. Rostral roughly rectangular but with its upper edges elongated due to extensions into the nostril. Nine supralabials on each side, the labial margin flexing dorsad at the rictus, with 1–2 minute scales proximal to the flexure. Nine infralabials on either side, with a small scale proximad to the flexure. At the lip, mental slightly narrower than adjacent infralabial, only 2/3rds the width of rostral, and in contact with two distinctly elongate postmental scales. Approximately 20 scales across crown at level of front of eye; 13 scales between nostril and front of eye; 23 scales from front of ear to back of eye; 99 scales around midbody. A roughly V-shaped row of 13 precloacal pores occurs eight scale rows anterior to the cloacal lip, with these scales more imbricate and triangular adjacent to the precloacal pores. Original portion of tail slightly dorsoventrally flattened and indistinctly verticillate, without obvious lateral constrictions; each verticil comprising 6–7 imbricate rows of scales dorsally and 5 imbricate scale rows ventrally, and with ventral scales approximately twice the size of those on dorsal surface. Hemipenal pouches well-developed, with an angular, ventro-lateral series of 3 enlarged tubercular scales on each side (largest nearest cloaca), and with two openings of the cloacal sacs on the posterior lip of the cloaca. Colour in life (from photographs, Fig. 4a and unpublished). Dark black-brown above with a series of five white dorsal spots (4–5 scales across) between the fore- and hind-limb insertions, that are surrounded by a chocolate brown zone that encompasses a series of 2–4 laterally arranged smaller pale spots (2–3 scales wide), and posteriorly by a diffuse pale region that forms an irregular band across the mid dorsum. Top of head, flanks and upper surfaces of limbs with small, scattered pale spots. Head with a dark brown band across the posterior edge of crown encompassing a small central pale spot; a vague, thin pale canthal stripe, extends on both sides from the nasal region to front of eye; upper and lower labials grey-brown with diffuse yellowish bars; iris reddish brown with a heavy dark brown reticulation, and pupil with crenulated edge. Original segment of tail mottled in dark brown and pale blotches; regenerated tail grey with vague darker blotches. Ventrum mottled grey-cream. Colour in preservative. Dark black-brown above with irregular markings on back, comprising four equally spaced dark bars, each with a central white spot 4–5 scales wide, and an irregular, paler brown bar behind; top and sides of head, flanks and upper surfaces of limbs with small, irregular pale spots; ventral surface of throat, neck, belly, limbs and tail uniform dark grey. Side of head and labials dark brown, with a few scattered pale spots on upper labials, and vague pale edges to lower labials. Variation in paratypes and additional material (Figs. 4b, 4c, 5; Tables 3–4). Morphology. SVL from 54.6 mm (ZMB 83289) to 61.2 mm (PEM 22220); head length 1.24–1.38 times head width (max. in paratypes 1.38); snout only 1.5 times diameter of eye in one specimen. The supranasals always separated by granules, usually with a single large granule in contact with the rostral between the supranasals, followed by 2–3 smaller granules in lateral contact; the first upper labial and rostral always enters the nostril, and the width of the rostral at the lip margin is always wider than that of the mental (except in ZMB 83290 were they are subequal); always two postmental scales; supralabials more than in holotype (10–11), infralabials (9–10); scales between anterior edge of eye 19–21; scales between nostril and anterior edge of orbit 12–13; scales between anterior edge of ear and rear margin of orbit 21–24; scales around mid-body 97–101; subdigital lamella beneath 4th toe 10–11; dorsal scales per tail verticel 7–8; ventral scales per tail verticel 5. In one female (ZMB 83290) the terminal, medially-constricted subdigital lamella of the 3rd toe of left foot is swollen and scansor-like, bearing small setae. Precloacal pores 8–13 in males, females without dimples in precloacal scales (as in A. transvaalica, but unlike A. loveridgei where five females had 5–9 dimpled precloacal scales, that lacked secretory activity, and only one had none). Colour in life (based on female paratype PEM R22229). Boldly patterned, with six dorsal dark transverse bands, posteriorly edged with cream, the first on the neck, the second and sixth at the fore- and hindlimb insertions, respectively, and with three thin bands equally spaced between them on the body; background colour of body, head and upper surfaces of limbs flecked on light brown and cream with occasional pale spots 2–4 scales wide; a dark canthal stripe runs through the rostral to the front of the eye, with a paler zone above; the scales of the anteriordorsal region of the orbital rim are bright yellow, with a faint yellowish infusion of the crown scales between the eyes; the original tail is boldly barred dorsally with seven, subequally-spaced, dark brown-black bars with a yellow posterior edge; belly uniform cream with scattered yellowish scales, greyer on ventral surfaces of limbs and tail. Colour in preservative. Similar to holotype, but dorsum pale brown to grey; larger dorsal markings usually reticulated, occasionally forming irregular transverse bands (6–7 from occiput to between hindlimbs); smaller dorsal markings vary from vague to distinct. A few specimens have irregular pale blotches along the posterior edges of the darker dorsal patches/bands, and also scattered on the dorsal surfaces of the limbs and back. Dorsal surface of regenerated tails usually with irregular pale and dark blotches that may form wavy bands, and which become flecks or grey blotches below. Size. Largest male (ZMB 83288)—SVL 56.5 mm, tail (partially regenerated) 55.7 mm; largest female (PEM R22220)—SVL 61.2 mm, tail (original) 64.0 mm. It is thus intermediate in size between A. transvaalica (malemax. SVL 72 mm, female—max. SVL 64 mm) and A. loveridgei (male—max. SVL 59 mm, female—max. SVL 58 mm). Only one of six specimens had an original tail (105% SVL). Hemipenis (based on ZMB 83292). Approximately 5 mm long, with a simple, smooth, possibly longitudinally flounced pedicel; capped with two large cups covered with fine calyculate ornamentation; sulcus simple and draining into the conjoined base of the distal cups. Distribution. Known from only three localities in the Mount Gorongosa region (Fig. 2). The holotype and paratypes, plus various non-collected individuals, have been found on the western flanks of Mount Gorongosa between about 900 and 1100 m a.s.l. (Figs. 6a–c). Access to further potential areas on the mountain, i.e. rock faces at the eastern slopes, was not possible due to security concerns. The additional material and various non-collected specimens have been observed at a lower altitude on the Bunga Inselberg (about 212 m a.s.l.) in the north-western corner of the National Park, approximately 40 km from the type locality (Fig. 6d). No tissue samples from the Bunga individuals were available, and the assignment of these individuals to the new species was thus based on morphological similarity. Natural history. The Gorongosa National Park is situated in Central Mozambique approx. 100 km south-west of the Zambezi River, and is in the southern part of the great African Rift Valley. Mount Gorongosa is an isolated granite mountain massif rising to 1863 m a.s.l., north-west of the National Park’s plains. At its highest elevations the massif’s plateau is covered with montane grasslands and forest patches dominated by cypresses (Widdringtonia nodiflora); the upper slopes of the mountain (900–1600 m) support a belt of moist evergreen forest. The type series was collected in an area between 900 and 1100 m on the western flanks of the mountain (Figs. 6a–c, 7). The paratypes were collected in a small alcove beneath a boulder pile in the closed-canopy riverine forest beside the Murombodzi Waterfall, and thus in comparatively cool and moist microclimates (Figs. 6c, 7). Some rocks with lizards present were located within the splash zone of the waterfall. Other specimens were observed but not collected at this site. The holotype was collected from a deep narrow crack in a large granite rock (i.e. 8 m ³) in highly degraded grassland below the edge of the rainforest and almost fully exposed to the sun (Fig. 6b). It was the only specimen seen at that site. At both sites the new species lived in syntopy with the cordylid Smaug mossambicus (FitzSimons, 1958). The additional non-type material comes from the Bunga Inselberg (Fig. 6d), a partly eroded inselberg composed mostly of trachyte in the north-western corner of the national park, covered and surrounded by dense Miombo woodland at a relatively low altitude (approx. 212 m a.s.l.). Here the geckos were observed during the day and at night in several places in deep cracks between very large boulders. No geckos were observed outside of these cracks. Syntopic lizards were Smaug mossambicus, the skink Trachylepis margaritifera (Peters, 1854) and the gecko Hemidactylus platycephalus Peters, 1854. Further sympatric, but not syntopic geckos were: Lygodactylus cf. capensis (Smith, 1849), Pachydactylus punctatus Peters, 1854 and Chondrodactylus turneri (Gray, 1864). The new species was observed regularly between April and December 2015. Like A. transvaalica, it is tolerant of conspecifics and frequently several specimens, and sometimes as many as over 20, were observed sheltering in deep rock crevices. One adult female (ZMB 83290) contained two eggs of approximately 11.5 x 7.5 mm. Conservation Status. The population of the new gecko present on the lower slopes of Mount Gorongosa is threatened by illegal deforestation taking place within the riverine forest adjacent to Murombodzi Waterfall. Slashand-burn removal of tall, old growth trees around the rocks may cause changes to the humidity and water availability in these currently very moist, shaded microhabitats that seem to be preferred by the lizards. Reforestation efforts led by Gorongosa National Park and introduction of shade-grown coffee as an alternative to slash-and-burn agriculture still practiced around the mountain will hopefully slow or halt the loss of the native riverine and evergreen vegetation in that area. On Bunga Inselberg the population of A. gorongosa is currently protected within the core area of the National Park and no immediate threat to its survival exists, though deforestation for agriculture is slowly encroaching on the area. However, based on the existence of only a few known sites and small area of occupancy, i.e. the presumed restriction to a fragmented range on Mount Gorongosa and potentially some rocky areas surrounding the mountain, as well as the ongoing high rate of habitat degradation and conversion on the mountain, the species may be considered highly threatened, potentially justifying an assessment as Endangered or even Critically Endangered. Further surveys and formal IUCN Red List assessment are required to confirm this.

South African Homopholis Boulenger, 1885 and Madagascan Blaesodactylus Boettger, 1893 are gekkonid genera originally distinguished by minor differences in scalation. Subsequent morphological studies have argued either for synonymy of the genera, or retention of the original 19th century taxonomy. Moreover, the validity and boundaries of putative species within each genus, as well as the relationships of each genus to other gekkonid genera, remains unresolved and contentious. We sequenced 3433 aligned bp of mitochondrial (ND2 and ND4) and nuclear (RAG‐1 and PDC) DNA sequence data from 14 samples of Homopholis and Blaesodactylus representing all six recognized species in these two genera, and based on a larger, unpublished study of all gekkotan relationships, eight samples of Geckolepis and two species of Afroedura for outgroups. Results indicated a strongly supported, mono‐phyletic clade including Geckolepis as the sister group to Blaesodactylus + Homopholis, with the latter two genera reciprocall...

A new species of flat gecko, Afroedura gorongosa sp. nov., is described from Gorongosa National Park, Sofala Province, central Mozambique. The new species is morphologically similar to A. transvaalica and A. loveridgei, from both of which it is genetically distinct (15–17% divergence; 400 bp of 16S rRNA). Morphologically it can be distinguished from both species by having fewer midbody scale rows (97–101) and a higher number of precloacal pores in males (8–13). The type series was collected on the western flanks of Mount Gorongosa (900 and 1100 m a.s.l.) in comparatively cool and moist microclimates, where it is threatened by illegal deforestation. Additional material was collected as low as 212 m a.s.l. on an inselberg near Mount Gorongosa. The new discovery adds to the growing number of endemic montane reptiles discovered in Mozambique in recent years, and highlights the need for a national conservation assessment of the country’s herpetofauna and continued protection of the Mount Gorongosa region.

A. namaquensis stat. nov. (FitzSimons, 1938) Distribution. Known from scattered localities in the Succulent Karoo Biome in the Little Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape Province (Bauer 2014 a) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Haacke (1965), in describing A. africana tirasensis considered A. namaquensis as a subspecies of A. africana, and it has maintained this rank since (Mertens 1971; Branch 1981, 1988, 1998; Onderstall 1984; Bauer 2014 a), although chiefly because this poorly known taxon has not been reviewed subsequently. Under modern species concepts, the differences between the supposed subspecies of A. africana— including precloacal pore counts, presence of internasal granules, gular scale counts, and color pattern (Haacke 1965) would generally be accepted as evidence of specific distinctness, especially in light of the large disjunctions between the forms and their likely low vagility (Mouton & Mostert 1985; Jacobsen 1997). On this basis we here recognize this taxon at the rank of full species.

A. hawequensis Mouton & Mostert, 1985 (Fig. 3 A) Distribution. Restricted to the fynbos habitats in Hawequa Mountains of the southwestern Western Cape Province, South Africa (Bauer 2014 c) (Fig. 4). Remarks. This species is the sister to all remaining congeners. It was previously considered a member of the A. africana group (Mouton & Mostert 1985). The species was previously listed in the South African Red Data Book as “Restricted” (Mouton 1988) and is currently considered as Near Threatened under IUCN assessment criteria (Bauer 2014 c).

A. langi (FitzSimons, 1930) (Fig. 5 C) Distribution. Lowveld savannah in northeastern Mpumalanga and northeastern Mpumalanga provinces and adjacent Mozambique (Visser 1984; Jacobsen 1990; Bauer 2014 e) (Figs. 4, 6). Remarks. This species was previously considered a subspecies of A. pondolia (e.g., Onderstall 1984) until raised to specific status by Jacobsen (1990, 1992a). Six of the nine new species described herein are related to A. langi and earlier references to this species outside of its currently recognized range may refer to one or more of these taxa., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 483, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["FitzSimons, V. F. (1930) Descriptions of new South African Reptilia and Batrachia, with distribution records of allied species in the Transvaal Museum collection. Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 14, 20 - 48.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1990) A Herpetological Survey of the Transvaal. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1621 pp.","Bauer, A. M. (2014 e) Afroedura langi (FitzSimons, 1930). In: Bates, M. F., Branch, W. R., Bauer, A. M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G. J. & de Villiers, M. (Eds.), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 93 - 94.","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313"]}

A. loveridgei Broadley, 1963 Distribution. Tete district, Mozambique (Onderstall 1984) (Fig. 4). Remarks. This species was originally described as a subspecies of A. transvaalica, but was elevated to specific status without comment by Branch (1998), although Kluge (2001) continued to recognize it as a subspecies., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Broadley, D. G. (1963) Three new lizards from South Nyasaland and Tete. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 13, 6, 285 - 288. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 00222936308651355","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Kluge, A. G. (2001) Gekkotan lizard taxonomy. Hamadryad, 26, 1 - 209."]}

A. nivaria (Boulenger, 1895 [1894]) Distribution. Drakensberg of the Eastern Cape and Free State provinces, South Africa. Its occurrence in Lesotho is suspected but not yet documented (Bates & Bauer 2014 b) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Loveridge (1947) synonymized A. amatolica with A. nivaria and this interpretation was long followed (e.g, Wermuth 1965; De Waal 1978; Branch 1981). The two are not sister taxa (Fig. 1) and A. amatolica was raised from synonymy by Visser (1984 b). Afroedura nivaria as currently construed is non-monophyletic (Makhubo et al. 2011; Makhubo 2013) and is currently under revision (Bates & Branch 1998)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 471, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Boulenger, G. A. (1895 [1894]) On a gecko from South Africa. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1894, 608 - 609.","Loveridge, A. (1947) Revision of the African lizards of the Family Gekkonidae. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 98, 1 - 469, pls. 1 - 7.","Wermuth, H. (1965) Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien, Gekkonidae, Pygopodidae, Xantusiidae. Das Tierreich, 80, xxii + 246 pp.","De Waal, S. W. P. (1978) The Squamata (Reptilia) of the Orange Free State, South Africa. Memoirs van die Nasionale Museum, 11, iii + 160 pp.","Branch, W. R. (1981) An annotated checklist of the lizards of the Cape Province, South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (Natural History), 13, 141 - 167.","Visser, J. 1984 b. Diksterte van die Amatolaberge. Akkedisse van Suider - Afrika 15. Landbouweekblad, 29 June 1984, 48 - 49, 51, 53.","Makhubo, B. G., Tolley, K. A. & Bates, M. F. (2011) Phylogenetic analysis of the Afroedura nivaria species complex in South Africa. 10 th Conference of the Herpetological Association of Africa, Cape Town, South Africa, 12 - 14 January 2011, Program and Abstracts, 61.","Makhubo, B. G. (2013) Phylogenetic and Morphological Analysis of the Afroedura nivaria (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) Species Complex in South Africa. Unpublished M. Sc. Thesis, University of Stellenbosch, xiii + 106 pp.","Bates, M. F. & Branch, W. R. (1998) Taxonomy and distribution of the Afroedura nivaria and A. karroica complexes (Sauria: Gekkonidae). Herpetological Association of Africa, Fifth Symposium, University of Stellenbosch, 14 - 16 September 1998, Programme and Abstracts. [2 unnumbered pages]"]}

A. namaquensis stat. nov. (FitzSimons, 1938) Distribution. Known from scattered localities in the Succulent Karoo Biome in the Little Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape Province (Bauer 2014 a) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Haacke (1965), in describing A. africana tirasensis considered A. namaquensis as a subspecies of A. africana, and it has maintained this rank since (Mertens 1971; Branch 1981, 1988, 1998; Onderstall 1984; Bauer 2014 a), although chiefly because this poorly known taxon has not been reviewed subsequently. Under modern species concepts, the differences between the supposed subspecies of A. africana��� including precloacal pore counts, presence of internasal granules, gular scale counts, and color pattern (Haacke 1965) would generally be accepted as evidence of specific distinctness, especially in light of the large disjunctions between the forms and their likely low vagility (Mouton & Mostert 1985; Jacobsen 1997). On this basis we here recognize this taxon at the rank of full species., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 470, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["FitzSimons, V. F. (1938) Transvaal Museum expedition to South - West Africa and Little Namaqualand, May to August 1937. Reptiles and amphibians. Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 19, 153 - 209.","Bates, M. F. & Bauer, A. M. (2014 a) Afroedura halli (Hewitt, 1935). In: Bates, M. F., Branch, W. R., Bauer, A. M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G. J. & de Villiers, M. (Eds.), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 91 - 92.","Haacke, W. D. (1965) Additional notes on the Herpetology of South West Africa with descriptions of two new subspecies of geckos. Cimbebasia, 11, 1 - 40.","Mertens, R. (1971) Die Herpetofauna Sudwest - Afrikas. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen naturforschenden Gesellschaft, 529, 1 - 110.","Branch, W. R. (1981) An annotated checklist of the lizards of the Cape Province, South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (Natural History), 13, 141 - 167.","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Mouton, P. le F. N. & Mostert, D. P. (1985) Description of a new species of Afroedura (Loveridge) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the south - western Cape. South African Journal of Zoology, 20, 246 - 249.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39."]}

A. karroica (Hewitt, 1925) (Fig. 3 D) Distribution. Karoo of the central-western Eastern Cape and adjacent areas of the Northern and Western Cape provinces (Bauer 2014 d) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Both A. bogerti and A. halli were previously treated as subspecies of A. karroica (Loveridge 1944, 1947; Wermuth 1965; Kluge 2001)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 470, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Hewitt, J. (1925) On some new species of reptiles and amphibians from South Africa. Records of the Albany Museum, 3, 343 - 368, pls. xv - xix.","Loveridge, A. (1944) New geckos of the genera Afroedura, new genus, and Pachydactylus from Angola. American Museum Novitates, 1254, 1 - 4.","Loveridge, A. (1947) Revision of the African lizards of the Family Gekkonidae. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 98, 1 - 469, pls. 1 - 7.","Wermuth, H. (1965) Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien, Gekkonidae, Pygopodidae, Xantusiidae. Das Tierreich, 80, xxii + 246 pp.","Kluge, A. G. (2001) Gekkotan lizard taxonomy. Hamadryad, 26, 1 - 209."]}

Afroedura pienaari sp. nov. (Figs. 11 B���C) Afroedura pondolia subsp. nov. Pienaar et al. 1983 Afroedura langi 'Waterpoort' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997; Kirchhof et al. 2010 Afroedura langi 'Tshipise' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997 Afroedura langi 'Shinokwen' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81144, adult male, Farm Bristol 760 MS, 22 �� 59 ' S, 29 �� 37 ' E, Soutpansberg District (2229 DC), Limpopo Province, Republic of South Africa, collector R. E. Newbery, 25 July 1981. Paratypes. TM 81133 ���81139, 81141���81143, 81145���81146, 81160��� 81165, same data as holotype; TM 81140, same locality as holotype, collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 2 February 1979; TM 81175, Farm Crimea 747 MS, Soutpansberg District, Limpopo Province (2229 DC), collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 1 February 1979; TM 81147���81153, Farm Robertson 748 MS, Soutpansberg District, Limpopo Province (2229 DC), collector R. E. Newbery, 24 July 1981; TM 81167���81169, Farm Waterpoort 695 MS, Soutpansberg District, Limpopo Province (2229 DC), collector R. E. Newbery, 24 July 1981; TM 81170���81173, Farm The Moss 763 MS, Soutpansberg District, Limpopo Province (2229 DC), collector R. E. Newbery, 7 November 1985. Additional material examined (all from Limpopo Province). TM 81154 ���81157, 81174, Farm Zoutpan 459 MS, Soutpansberg District (2229 CD); TM 81107, Musekwas location 194 MT, Dzanani District (2230 CC); TM 81103 ���81104, 81106, 81111 Gumela, Sibasa District (2230 CB) TM 81102, 81105, 81110, Lavhalisa, Dzanani District (2230 CA); TM 30414, 35 km southwest of Tshipise, Soutpansberg District (2229 DD); TM 81342, Vhuswinzhe, Dzanani District (2230 CC); TM 81101, 81108��� 81109, near Shinokwenfontein, KNP (2231 AC); TM 77353���77355, Bobomeni, KNP (2231 BC); TM 77356���77360, Mashipange, KNP (2230 DB); TM 77336 ���77345, 3 km W of Baobab Hill, KNP (2231 AC); TM 77329���77335 Pafuri border gate, KNP (2231 AC); TM 77346 ���77352, 5 km NW of Hutwini, KNP (2231 AC); TM 77361 ���77362, 77363��� 77367, Madziringwe stream, S of the Trails Camp, KNP (2231 CA); TM 77368���77372 Nyala Drive, 4 km W of Bobomeni, KNP (2231 AC); TM 77309 ��� 77304, Shipudza Spring, KNP (2231 CA); TM 77315, 77318��� 77323, Shidzivani, KNP (2231 CA); TM 77324���77328, Xantangalani, KNP (2231 CA); TM 47314 Vivo area, Soutpansberg District (2329 AB); TM 81129���81132 Farm Calitzdorp 221 LS, Soutpansberg District (2329 BA). Etymology. The species is named for the late Dr. U. de V. Pienaar (1930���2011), former Chief Warden of Kruger National Park and former Chief Director of South African National Parks, in recognition of his work in furthering herpetofaunal knowledge of the Kruger National Park. Diagnosis. A medium-sized Afroedura (maximum SVL 53 mm) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail faintly verticillate and flattened near base, with four subcaudal rows and 6���7 supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 86���111 scale rows at midbody; internasal scales absent; 13���19 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81144) Adult male; SVL 48.0 mm; TailL 57.0 mm; mass before preservation 2.2 g. A medium sized, dorsoventrally depressed Afroedura, with a flat, ovate head, wider than the neck. Rostral 2.5 times wider than high; nostrils pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales; nasorostrals raised and in broad contact behind rostral. Scales on snout variable, large and flattened, decreasing in size posteriorly, to being smallest on the crown of the head; 10 scales between nasals and eye and 16 between eye and ear; four supraciliary spines above eye; supralabials nine. Mental wedge-shaped, longer than wide; one postmental. Infralabials seven. Dorsal scales uniform, rounded, juxtaposed and flattened paravertebrally, becoming larger and oblique laterally. Midbody scales in 93 rows. Ventral scales flat, smooth, imbricate and irregular to hexagonal. Limbs robust; two pairs of enlarged scansors under each digit and four inferomedian scales under 4 th toe. Precloacal pores 18, arranged in a shallow ���V���-shape, with a single median poreless scale interrupting the series. Tail faintly verticllate, widening slightly posterior to the cloaca before tapering. Caudal verticils with seven dorsal and four ventral scale rows. Supracaudals almost square to slightly longer than broad, with a rounded to apical posterior margin; subcaudals almost square with a rounded posterior margin and imbricate; three post cloacal spurs at base of tail. Color. Gray-brown to brown dorsally with 6���7 irregular dark brown to blackish crossbars occasionally bordered posteriorly by a black edge, followed by a white marking, the latter sometimes evident only as a median spot. Dorsum variegated and mottled with brownish black and off-white. Head mottled dorsally; a dark stripe extending from the nostrils through the eye to the rear of the head, linking to the second crossbar in the neck region. Limbs brownish with pale and dark spotting and marbling. Original tail with 8���13 crossbars, with interstitial areas spotted or marbled. Venter whitish to pinkish mesially. Variation. There is significant variation in specimens of this species in several features (Tables 4, 5), in part reflecting the very large sample size and its relatively large geographic range. A single internasal is present in TM 81142. 10 ��� 14 scales between nasals and eye and 16���22 between eye and ear, 2���4 supraciliary spines. Supralabials 8���12. One or two postmental scales present. Infralabials 7���9. Midbody scale rows 86���98 in type series, up to 111 in other specimens examined. 3���7 enlarged inferomedian scales under 4 th toe. Precloacal pores in male paratypes in continuous or interrupted series of 14���18 (12 to 19 in other specimens examined, although 96 % of all male specimens have at least 14 pores); no precloacal pores in females. 0���4 postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Original tails 50.0��� 58.4 % of total length. 32.2 % of specimens have regenerated tails (n= 31). Distribution. Recorded from along the northern Soutpansberg and into the northwestern Kruger National Park, Limpopo Province (Fig. 6). Kirchhof et al. (2010) reported this species from Lajuma, on the southwestern Soutpansberg, in an area that would be expected to harbour A. broadleyi, however, their specimens had the typical precloacal pore counts of A. pienaari and on this basis we accept their identification. Natural history. Afroedura pienaari sp. nov. is a nocturnal, rupicolous gecko that inhabits crevices and fissures in and between boulders on rocky outcrops and under flakes of exfoliating rock beneath overhangs. It appears to be mostly solitary, but is occasionally found in pairs and rarely three indivduals may occupy the same crevice. Found on north and south-facing slopes in Makhuleke Sandy Bushveld (SVl 1), Limpopo Ridge Bushveld (SVmp 2), Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 21) and Soutpansberg Summit Sourveld (GM 28) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at elevations of 800���1200 m a.s.l. Kirchhof et al. (2010) reported this species from cracks and fissures in vertical rock walls and from caves and found several individuals in an electrical junction box. Two soft shelled eggs are laid at a time. These are placed on the undersides of rocks, to which they adhere and then harden. Communal nesting takes place in favorable crevices. Remarks. Jacobsen (1990, 1992a) initially considered each of three discrete populations of this gecko to represent putative species. The western and eastern forms are similar in size but are separated by smaller geckos, with generally lower scale counts, in the central part of the range (Table 5). Genetic divergences between populations of Afroedura pienaari sp. nov. are also pronounced (Fig. 1). However, further sampling may reveal continuity between populations and existing populational differences in morphological features are largely overlapping, so we here treat all of the northern Soutpansberg/Limpopo Valley A. langi complex geckos as a single species. Waterpoort Tshipise KNP Midbody scales n = 31 n = 9 n = 66 86���107 86���102 86���111 93.9 + 4.71 90.67 + 4.8 96.44 + 5.29 Eye���Ear scales n = 33 n = 9 n = 62 13���19 15���17 13���19 16.58 + 1.15 15.78 + 0.67 16.05 + 1.45 Supralabials n = 38 n = 10 n = 59 8���12 8���10 8���11 9.6 + 0.8 9.4 + 0.7 9.6 + 0.81 Infralabials n = 42 n = 10 n = 62 7���10 7���9 6���10 8.21 + 0.68 7.7 + 0.67 8.02 + 0.78 Caudal verticils (supracaudals/subcaudals) 7 / 4���5 6���8 / 4 6���7 / 4 Precloacal Pores n = 16 n = 7 n = 27 14���19 12���15 14���19 16.94 + 1.53 14.14 + 1.21 16.89 + 1.40 Adult male SVL (mm) n = 16 n = 5 n = 27 51.0 42.5 48.0 44.56 + 3.08 39.60 + 2.16 43.96 + 2.61 Adult female SVL (mm) n = 16 n = 2 n = 31 52.0 39.0 53.0 47.12 + 3.72 34.5 + 6.36 44.47 + 4.76 This species may be distinguished from the geographically proximate A. broadleyi sp. nov. and from A. waterbergensis sp. nov. by its greater number of precloacal pores and from A. leoloensis sp. nov. by its lower number of pores. In addition, it is substantially larger than A. leoloensis sp. nov., A. langi, and A. waterbergensis sp. nov. (see Table 4) and has a significantly greater number of supralabials than A. langi (P A. broadleyi sp. nov. and A. langi (p A. granitica sp. nov., which is larger (58 versus 53 mm maximum SVL and even greater mean differences; Table 4). The great majority of male specimens, however, have 14 or more precloacal pores (up to 19), averaging more than 16, whereas A. granitica sp. nov. has a mean of only 14 pores. Afroedura pienaari sp. nov. also has fewer eye to ear scales than A. granitica sp. nov., although not statistically so., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 490-492, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Pienaar, U. de V., Haacke, W. D. & Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1983) The Reptiles of the Kruger National Park. National Parks Board of South Africa, Pretoria, [viii] + 236 pp.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Kirchhof, S., Kramer, M., Linden, J. & Richter, K. (2010) The reptile species assemblage of the Soutpansberg (Limpopo Province, South Africa) and its characterisitcs. Salamandra, 46, 147 - 166.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1990) A Herpetological Survey of the Transvaal. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1621 pp."]}

Afroedura multiporis Group Diagnosis. Two pairs of enlarged scansors per digit, tail not, or only faintly verticillate, rounded to slightly flattened, dorsal scales keeled, one or more internasals between nasorostrals. Remarks. Onderstall (1984) mentioned the presence of keeled scales in members of this group but did not appreciate the phylogenetic value of this character. Jacobsen (1990, 1992a, 1997) identified A. multiporis ���Lebombo��� as another member of this species complex. This putative species remains known from a single juvenile specimen. Although apparently distinctive in several features, the lack of adult material and the imperfect state of the specimen prevent us from describing this form at this time. This form was noted as Afroedura sp. nov. ���Lebombo flat gecko��� by Bourquin (2004)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 473, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1990) A Herpetological Survey of the Transvaal. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1621 pp.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Bourquin, O. (2004) Reptiles (Reptilia) in KwaZulu - Natal: 1 - Diversity and distribution. Durban Museum Novitates, 29, 57 - 103."]}

A. tembulica (Hewitt, 1926) Distribution. Queenstown region of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa (Bauer 2014 j) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Although considered poorly differentiated from A. amatolica and A. nivaria by Branch et al. (1988), this taxon has never been synonymized with any of its congeners., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 471, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Hewitt, J. (1926) Some new or little - known reptiles and batrachians from South Africa. Annals of the South African Museum, 20, 473 - 490."]}

Afroedura africana Group Diagnosis. Small to medium sized (SVL Remarks. The monophyly of this group is poorly supported and we recognize this group only tentatively. Additional genetic markers might help to support the union of A. karroica and the arid western taxa, or may reveal alternative placements of these species within the genus., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 469, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495

A. bogerti Loveridge 1944 (Fig. 3 B) Distribution. Namibe Province, Angola and adjacent northern Kaokoveld of northern Namibia (Branch 1998; Griffin 2003) (Fig. 4). Remarks. This distinctive species was originally described by Loveridge (1944) as A. karroica bogerti, and was only elevated to specific status by Onderstall (1984). Afroedura bogerti and A. karroica possess the diagnostic features of different species groups and are separated from one another by a disjunction of approximately 2000 km; that they were previously considered conspecific is illustrative of the fact that herpetologists were reluctant to erect new specific level taxa for geckos of this genus, presumably because of the their general morphological conservatism (Jacobsen 1997). Barts & Haacke (2010) provided data about reproduction in captivity., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Loveridge, A. (1944) New geckos of the genera Afroedura, new genus, and Pachydactylus from Angola. American Museum Novitates, 1254, 1 - 4.","Griffin, M. (2003) Annotated Checklist and Provisional National Conservation Status of Namibian Reptiles. Namibia Scientific Society, Windhoek, [ii] + 169 pp.","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Barts, M. & Haacke, W. D. (2010) Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944. Bogert's Flat Gecko. Reproduction. African Herp News, 50, 39."]}

A. tirasensis stat. nov. Haacke, 1965 Distribution. Farm Tiras, Lüderitz District, southern Namibia (Mouton & Mostert 1985; Griffin 2003) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Haacke (1965) originally described this form as a subspecies of A. africana, and it has maintained this rank since (Mertens 1971; Branch 1981, 1988, 1998; Onderstall 1984; Branch et al. 1988; Griffin 2003), although chiefly because this poorly known taxon has not been reviewed subsequently. Under modern species concepts, the differences between the supposed subspecies of A. africana (Haacke 1965) (see above) would generally be accepted as evidence of specific distinctness, especially in light of the large disjunctions between the forms and their likely low vagility (Mouton & Mostert 1985; Jacobsen 1997). On this basis we here recognize this taxon at the rank of full species.

A. hawequensis Mouton & Mostert, 1985 (Fig. 3 A) Distribution. Restricted to the fynbos habitats in Hawequa Mountains of the southwestern Western Cape Province, South Africa (Bauer 2014 c) (Fig. 4). Remarks. This species is the sister to all remaining congeners. It was previously considered a member of the A. africana group (Mouton & Mostert 1985). The species was previously listed in the South African Red Data Book as ���Restricted��� (Mouton 1988) and is currently considered as Near Threatened under IUCN assessment criteria (Bauer 2014 c)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Mouton, P. le F. N. & Mostert, D. P. (1985) Description of a new species of Afroedura (Loveridge) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the south - western Cape. South African Journal of Zoology, 20, 246 - 249.","Bauer, A. M. (2014 c) Afroedura hawequensis Mouton & Mostert, 1985. In: Bates, M. F., Branch, W. R., Bauer, A. M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G. J. & de Villiers, M. (Eds.), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 92 - 93.","Mouton, P. le F. N. (1988) Afroedura hawequensis. In: Branch, W. R. (Ed.), South African Red Data Book - Reptiles and Amphibians. South African National Scientific Programmes Report No. 151. CSIR, Pretoria, pp. 139 - 140."]}

A. major Onderstall, 1984 Distribution. Highveld and middleveld areas of western Swaziland (Boycott 1992, 2014) (Figs. 4, 6). Remarks. This species was originally described as a subspecies of A. pondolia and was elevated to specific rank by Branch (1998) without comment, although Kluge (2001) continued to list it as a subspecies. The species is considered Near Threatened (Monadjem et al. 2003; Boycott 2014)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 474, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Boycott, R. C. (1992) An Annotated Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Swaziland. The Conservation Trust of Swaziland, Mbabane, 27 pp.","Boycott, R. C. (2014). Afroedura major Onderstall, 1984. In: Bates, M. F., Branch, W. R., Bauer, A. M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G. J. & de Villiers, M. (Eds.), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 94.","Kluge, A. G. (2001) Gekkotan lizard taxonomy. Hamadryad, 26, 1 - 209.","Monadjem, A., Boycott, R. C., Parker, V. & Culverwell, J. (2003) Threatened Vertebrates of Swaziland. Swaziland Red Data Book: Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals. Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Communications, Swaziland, Mbabane, 256 pp."]}

Afroedura pongola sp. nov. (Fig. 9 B) Afroedura pondolia 'Godlwayo' Jacobsen 1990, 1992a, 1997 Afroedura sp. nov. ��� Pongola flat gecko��� Bourquin 2004 Holotype. TM 81210, adult male, Godlwayo, 27 �� 20 ' S, 31 �� 25 ' E, Piet Retief District (2731 AD), Kwazulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa, collector R. E. Newbery, 24 May 1981. Paratypes. TM 81211 ���81213, 81216 same data as holotype; TM 81208 ���81209, 81214, 81217���81218, same locality as holotype, collectors R. E. Newbery & W. Petersen, 19 November 1985; TM 81215, 81219��� 81220, Farm Zwartkloof 60 HU, Piet Retief district (2731 BC), collector R. E. Newbery, 21 May 1981. Etymology. The name refers to the Pongola River, along part of which this species occurs. It is used as a noun in apposition. Diagnosis. A small Afroedura (to 40 mm SVL) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail not obviously verticillate, with 4���5 subcaudal rows and 6���7 supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 95���103 scale rows at midbody; a single (rarely two) internasal scale; 21���23 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81210) Adult male; SVL 35.0 mm; TailL 32.0 mm (partly regenerated); mass in life 1.0 g. Head oval, wider than neck. Rostral approximately 1.5 times wider than high. Nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales. Nasorostrals separated by a single granular scale. Scales on snout round and flattened, decreasing in size posteriorly, smallest on crown. Ten scales between nasals and anterior margin of eye; 21 scales between eye and ear. No enlarged supraciliary spines. Supralabials eight. Mental broadly wedge-shaped, wider than deep and in contact with two postmentals; infralabials eight. Dorsals relatively uniform, smooth, rounded and flattened, becoming larger laterally. Scales at midbody 101. Ventral scales rounded and imbricate, largest mesially becoming smaller ventrolaterally. Limbs relatively short and feet small; digits with two pairs of enlarged scansors; three enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe. Precloacal pores 21, arranged in a continuous shallow ���V���-shape. Tail flattened at base, becoming more cylindrical distally. Distal half regenerated. Caudal scales in whorls (verticils) with 6���7 scales rows dorsally and 4���5 ventrally. Supracaudals almost square with a rounded posterior margin and subimbricate. Subcaudals large and imbricate. 1���2 postcloacal spurs at base of tail. Color. Pale to mid-brown with 6���8 dark brown, irregular, wavy crossbands extending from occiput to sacrum. A median white spot or spots adjacent to each crossbar. Crown of head pale with brown to dark brown patches. A dark brown stripe extends from the nostrils through the middle of the eye to link with the occipital bar. In life the eyeballs appear dark gray to blackish through the skin. Limbs spotted and mottled with dark brown. Original tail with nine dark brown crossbands. Venter pinkish white with slightly darker pigmentation under tail. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Nasorostrals separated by two granules in TM 81209. Scales between nasals and eye 10���13, from eye to ear 20���23. Supraciliary spines 2���3 and mental nearly as deep as wide in some paratypes. Postmentals 2���3. Supralabials 8���10, infralabials 8���9. Midbody scale rows 95���103. Enlarged inferomedian scales under fourth toe mostly 0, rarely 3���5. Precloacal pores in male paratypes 21���23, females lacking pores. Postcloacal spurs 1���2, rarely three. Original tails 50.5���52. 8 % of total length. Tail with 6���7 dorsal and 4���5 ventral scale rows per indistinct verticil. 66.7 % (8 / 12) of individuals have regenerated tails. Distribution. Known only from north of the Pongola River in the far northeast of Kwazulu-Natal (Fig. 6). Natural history. This gecko retreats into narrow crevices between rocks and under exfoliating flakes of granite. It is found in Granite Lowveld (SVl 3) and Northern Zululand Sourveld (SVl 22) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at elevations of 750���850 m a.s.l. Remarks. Afroedura pongola sp. nov. was included by Jacobsen (1990, 1992a, 1997) in his A. pondolia complex, but our molecular results demonstrate that whereas it forms a clade with other members of this proposed complex, A. pondolia is only distantly related. Afroedura pongola sp. nov. may be distinguished from the similarly sized A. marleyi on the basis of its greater number of midbody scale rows (p A. maripi sp. nov. and A. rondavelica sp. nov. (maximum SVL 63 mm and 55 mm versus 40 mm for A. pongola sp. nov.) by its greater number of precloacal pores in males (mean of 22.4 versus 13.4 or fewer)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 481-482, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1990) A Herpetological Survey of the Transvaal. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1621 pp.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Bourquin, O. (2004) Reptiles (Reptilia) in KwaZulu - Natal: 1 - Diversity and distribution. Durban Museum Novitates, 29, 57 - 103.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp."]}

Afroedura rupestris sp. nov. (Fig. 7 A���B) Afroedura multiporis ���Abel Erasmus��� Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81233, adult male, Farm Perkeo 223 KT, 24 �� 27 'S, 30 �� 35 'E, Sekukhuneland District (2430 BC), Limpopo Province, Republic of South Africa, collector R.E. Newbery, 28 June 1982. Paratypes. TM 81224 ���81228, 81230���81232, 81234��� 81235, same data as holotype. Additional material: TM 47504, 52120, 81229, Bourk���s Luck, Pilgrim���s Rest District, Limpopo Province, Republic of South Africa (2430 DB). Etymology. The species name refers to the rupicolous nature of this (and most) members of the genus Afroedura. Diagnosis. A large Afroedura (to 62 mm SVL) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail faintly verticillate with three subcaudal rows and usually six supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales bluntly keeled to trihedral; usually a single internasal scale; 20���24 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81233) Adult male; SVL 52.0 mm; tail 61.0 mm; mass in life 3.4 g. A slender elongated, lightly pigmented gecko with a rounded crown to the head. Rostral twice as broad as high, heptagonal; nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales; nasorostrals separated by a granular scale behind rostral. Scales on snout larger than on crown with some keeled scales along canthus rostralis and above and slightly anterior to the eyes; 2���3 supraciliary spines. Scales between the nasals and anterior margin of eye 12 and from posterior margin of eye to ear 20. Supralabials nine. Mental wedge-shaped, pentagonal, longer than broad; postmentals two; infralabials eight. Dorsals granular, heterogeneous, smaller paravertebrally, larger dorsolaterally, bluntly keeled to rounded, conical and juxtaposed. Scales rows at midbody 87. Ventral scales smooth, larger than dorsals, imbricate. Digits slender with two pairs of enlarged scansors and some enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe. Other digits lacking enlarged inferomedian scales. Precloacal pores in a continuous row of 24, arranged in a chevron; three postcloacal spurs on each side of tail base. Tail long, somewhat flattened proximally; caudal scales arranged in poorly developed verticils with six dorsal and three ventral rows per verticil; dorsal scales smaller than ventrals and subimbricate; ventrals imbricate. Color. Olive-brown above with six, rarely seven, blackish wavy and irregular crossbands extending from occiput to sacrum. Pale whitish spots sometimes present at posterior margin of crossbands but may be absent. Limbs pale olive-brown with reticulate darker patterns on the thighs or with wavy stripes and spots. Crown of head paler, mostly without distinct markings. A darkish stripe from nostril to the anterior margin of eye. Two stripes extend from posterior margin of eye to above ear opening. In some individuals a single stripe extends through the eye and is continuous with the occipital bar. Tail with up to 10 crossbars. Body venter whitish, tail venter brownish with darker speckling. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Single internasal typically present but two in paratype TM 81232 and nasorostrals in contact (no internasals) in TM 81234. Scales from eye to ear 16���19. Supraciliary spines four and scales on snout not keeled except above and anterior to the eye in TM 81232. Rostral and mental scales variable in relative proportion and shape. Postmentals generally two, but three in TM 47504, 52120 and 81234 and one in TM 81232. Female specimens lack precloacal pores; males typically with 20���26 pores with the exception of TM 81231 and TM 81225 which have 12, with a series of poreless scales separating left and right pore series. Postcloacal spurs 1���4. Caudal verticils with 6���7 subcaudal rows each. Tail 51.76���54.31 % of total length. 45.45 % of individuals (n = 11) exhibit caudal autotomy. Distribution. Apparently limited to the Eastern Escarpment of Limpopo Province, between the Abel Erasmus Pass and Bourke���s Luck (Fig. 6). Natural history. An exclusively rupicolous species living in crevices between rocks and under flakes of exfoliating rock along sandstone cliffs in Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 26) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at altitudes between 850���1200 m a.s.l. (Fig. 8 A). Also found in kloofs and on rocky Blackreef quartzite outcrops on top of cliffs. Remarks. Afroedura rupestris sp. nov. shares with A. haackei, A. multiporis, and A. major bluntly keeled to trihedral dorsal scales and although not sampled in our molecular phylogeny, presumably belongs to the same clade as these taxa (Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997). It differs from these species in typically having 20���24 preclocal pores in males (versus 16���17 in A. multiporis, generally 25���28 in A. haackei, and 18���19 in A. major). It may further be differentiated from A. multiporis and A. major by its lower number of supracaudal scale rows per vertical (6 versus 7 and 8, respectively). It is significantly larger (max SVL 62 mm) than A. haackei (max SVL 52 mm), from which it also has a significantly higher number of supralabials (p A. major (max SVL 76 mm)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 474-475, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp."]}

Afroedura rondavelica sp. nov. (Fig. 9 C) Unnamed taxon, Jacobsen 1997 Holotype. TM 81238, adult male, Blyde River Nature Reserve, 24 ° 34 ' S, 30 ° 50 ' E, Pilgrim’s Rest District (2430 DB), Mpumalanga Province, Republic of South Africa, collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 18 December 1991. Paratype. TM 81237, same data as for holotype. Etymology. The name refers to the ‘Three Rondavels,’ prominent mountain peaks in the Blyde River Nature Reserve with the appearance of round thatch roofed huts (= rondavels). The specimens were collected on cliff faces of one of these. Diagnosis. A mid-sized Afroedura (to 55 mm SVL) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail cylindrical, weakly verticillate, with four subcaudal rows and seven supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 99–100 scale rows at midbody; a single internasal scale separating the nasorostrals; 7–9 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81238) Adult male; 51.0 mm SVL; TailL 61.0 mm; mass in life 2.4 g. Head and body elongated and dorsoventrally depressed. Tail slightly flattened at base, thereafter cylindrical and tapered. Head ovate and much broader than neck. Rostral approximately twice as broad as high. Nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales. Nasorostrals large, raised and separated by a single granular scale behind rostral. Scales on snout large, becoming smaller posteriorly. Eleven scales between nasals and eye and 23 between eye and ear. Two to three supraciliary spines. Supralabials eight. Mental wedge-shaped, much broader than deep and in contact with two postmentals. Infralabials seven. Dorsal granules smooth, rounded and more or less homogeneous, juxtaposed but becoming oblique laterally and subimbricate. Midbody scales in 99 rows. Ventral scales smooth, imbricate and almost hexagonal, with thin margins. Limbs relatively slender; digits with two pairs of scansors; eight enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe. Seven continuous precloacal pores arranged in a ‘V’-shape. Tail mostly cylindrical, only faintly verticillate with 7–8 dorsal and four ventral rows per verticil. Supracaudals square to rectangular and subimbricate; subcaudals imbricate, mostly squarish, with rounded to pointed posterior margins. Two postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Color. Dorsally pale brown to gray-brown with six dark crossbands extending from the crown of the head to the sacrum. Posterior margin of crossbands edged with white. Crown of head similar to the back, bordered laterally by a dark brown stripe extending from the nostrils through the eye and continuous with the occipital bar. Limbs lightly barred with brown with irregular dorsal blotches between the crossbars. Eleven blackish dorsal crossbars extend down the length of the tail. Proximal bars posteriorly edged with white, fading distally. Venter pinkish off-white. Variation. The sole paratype, TM 81237, another adult male is larger than the holotype (55.0 mm SVL; TailL 68.0 mm). It differs in having 23 scales between eye and ear, 3-4 supraciliary spines, nine supralabials, eight infralabials; 100 midbody scale rows; seven enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe; nine precloacal pores in a shallow forward-directed curve (four left, five right), and three enlarged postcloacal spurs at base of tail. Distribution. Apparently restricted to the Three Rondavels in the Blyde River Nature Reserve (Fig. 6). Natural history. This gecko appears to be a cliff dweller, inhabiting horizontal and vertical crevices in sandstone near the base of cliffs. Appears to be gregarious based on the amount of feces observed, but the two individuals collected were solitary in crevices along south-facing cliffs. Occurs in Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld (GM 23) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at an elevation of 1300 m a.s.l. Remarks. Afroedura rondavelica sp. nov. was not sampled in our genetic analyses, chiefly because of the difficulty in accessing the type locality. Jacobsen (1997) noted the existence of the Three Rondavels population of Afroedura, but did not mention its assignment to species complex. However, its weakly verticillate tail, smooth dorsal scales, and internasal as well as its geographic position suggest that it is allied to A. marleyi, A. maripi sp. nov. and A. pongola sp. nov. It may be distinguished from these taxa by its much lower precloacal pore counts (see Remarks under A. pongola sp. nov.). It is also smaller and less stocky than its nearest neighbour, A. maripi sp. nov., and lacks the olive-brown, velvety appearance of that species.

A. pondolia (Hewitt, 1925) (Fig. 3 E) Distribution. Low to middle elevations of the eastern Eastern Cape Province and southern and central KwaZulu- Natal (Bauer 2014 i) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Afroedura pondolia was long considered polytypic. Onderstall (1984) recognized five nonnominotypic subspecies, all of which are here considered valid species: A. marleyi, A. major, A. multiporis, A. haackei, and A. langi, and this interpretation was long accepted by most authors (e.g., Branch et al. 1988; Kluge 1991, 1993, 2001). All of the new species described herein would also have been placed in A. pondolia under Onderstall���s concept of the species. To avoid confusion with the A. pondolia group of earlier authors, we have here used the term A. nivaria group for the clade to which A. pondolia belongs., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 471, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Hewitt, J. (1925) On some new species of reptiles and amphibians from South Africa. Records of the Albany Museum, 3, 343 - 368, pls. xv - xix.","Bauer, A. M. (2014 i) Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt, 1925). In: Bates, M. F., Branch, W. R., Bauer, A. M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G. J. & de Villiers, M. (Eds.), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 97 - 98.","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Kluge, A. G. (1991) Checklist of Gekkonid lizards. Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service, 85, 1 - 35. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 23317515.85.1","Kluge, A. G. (1993) Checklist of Gekkonid Lizards. International Gecko Society, San Diego, 245 pp.","Kluge, A. G. (2001) Gekkotan lizard taxonomy. Hamadryad, 26, 1 - 209."]}

A. africana (Boulenger, 1888) Distribution. Erongo Region, west central Namibia (Mouton & Mostert 1985; Griffin 2003) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Since the work of Haacke (1965) A. africana has been considered a polytypic species (e.g., Branch et al. 1988; R��sler 2000; Kluge 2001; Griffin 2003). We here consider A. africana as a monotypic central Namibian endemic (see below). All three of our genetic samples originate from the Erongo Region of central Namibia and are thus presumably referable to A. africana sensu stricto. However, the levels of divergence among these samples (up to 19.34 %) are comparable to or greater than interspecific differences elsewhere in the genus (Fig. 1), suggesting that further study of this taxon is required., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 469-470, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Boulenger, G. A. (1888) On new or little-known South-African reptiles. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 6, 2, 136 - 141. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 00222938809460892","Mouton, P. le F. N. & Mostert, D. P. (1985) Description of a new species of Afroedura (Loveridge) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the south - western Cape. South African Journal of Zoology, 20, 246 - 249.","Griffin, M. (2003) Annotated Checklist and Provisional National Conservation Status of Namibian Reptiles. Namibia Scientific Society, Windhoek, [ii] + 169 pp.","Haacke, W. D. (1965) Additional notes on the Herpetology of South West Africa with descriptions of two new subspecies of geckos. Cimbebasia, 11, 1 - 40.","Rosler, H. (2000) Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha). Gekkota, 2, 28 - 153.","Kluge, A. G. (2001) Gekkotan lizard taxonomy. Hamadryad, 26, 1 - 209."]}

Afroedura granitica sp. nov. (Fig. 10 A) Afroedura langi 'Lillie' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81187, adult male, Farm Lillie 148 KT, 24 ��04' S, 30 �� 51 ' E, Letaba district (2430 BB), Northern Province, collector R. E. Newbery, 11 November 1985. Paratypes. TM 81239 -81240, 81243��� 81247, same data as for holotype; TM 81241���81242, same locality as for holotype, collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 17 May 1980. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the decomposing granite hills to which this gecko appears restricted. Diagnosis. A medium to large Afroedura (maximum SVL 58.0 mm) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail not obviously verticillate and weakly flattened, with four subcaudal rows and seven supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 99���107 scale rows at midbody; internasal scales typically absent, a deep furrow between nasorostrals; 13���16 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81187) Adult male; 55.0 mm SVL; 62.0 mm TailL; mass before preservation 3.0 g. Dorsoventrally depressed; head ovate, distinctly wider than neck. Forelimbs small, hindlimbs robust. Rostral more than twice as wide as high; nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales; nasorostrals in broad contact behind rostral, with a deep furrow between them. Scales on snout rounded and juxtaposed, much larger than granules on crown of head; ten scales between nasals and eye and 18 scales between eye and ear; three supraciliary spines; supralabials nine. Mental wedge-shaped, much longer than wide and in contact with a single postmental. Infralabials seven. Dorsal granules uniform, smooth, rounded and juxtaposed. Midbody scales 100. Ventrals lozenge-shaped and imbricate. Digits with two pairs of scansors and four enlarged inferomedian scales under the 4 th toe. Fifteen continuous precloacal pores arranged in a curved row. Tail flattened proximally and thickening about one verticil length posterior to the cloaca. Tail inconspicuously verticillate and tapering, with caudal scales in seven dorsal and four ventral rows per verticil; supracaudals subimbricate, squarish to rectangular, with a rounded posterior margin; subcaudals large, squarish to hexagonal with rounded posterior margins, subimbricate. Two postcloacal spurs at base of tail. Color. The crown of the head is pale brown with dark brown spots and stripes that are also found on the snout. A dark brown stripe extends from the nostril through the eye, and above the ear to communicate with the occipital bar. Pale gray-brown to brown dorsally with six wavy dark brown irregular crossbars between occiput and sacrum. Crossbars are edged with black posteriorly and in their posterior indentations have white or whitish spots, particularly along the vertebral column. Variable pale and dark spots and blotches present between crossbars. The limbs have a variable dark brown reticulate pattern. Original tails with at least 10 dark brown to blackish crossbands with half bands and speckling in the intervening areas. Venter white, subcaudals speckled. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Paratypes TM 81244 and TM 81246 with nasorostrals separated by a single granular scale. Scales between nasals and eye 10���12, from eye to ear 18���22. Postmentals 1���2. Supralabials 7���10. Midbody scale rows 99���107. No enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe in TM 81243. Precloacal pores in male paratypes 13���16, females lacking pores but female paratype TM 81243 with a row of elongate scales in precloacal position. Postcloacal spurs 1���2, absent in some females. Original tails 53.18���58.3 % of total length. Degree of distinctness of tail whorls variable; faint, but clearly evident in some specimens. Tail has been autotomized in only 20 % of the specimens examined. Distribution. Restricted to granite hills and outcrops in the eastern Lowveld near Mica, Limpopo Province (Fig. 6). Natural history. Apparently restricted to decomposing granite outcrops and hillsides on the farm Lillie 148 KT in veld type SVl 3 Granite Lowveld (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at elevations of 600���800 m a.s.l. These geckos inhabit crevices formed by exfoliating sheets on the underside of boulders, as well as crevices between rocks. They are occasionally found occupying the same retreats as large flat rock scorpions (Hadogenes troglodytes). The very similar A. langi occurs on small schistose outcrops. Remarks. Afroedura granitica sp. nov. shares a suite of characters with A. langi and four other species described herein as new. The affinities of all but one of these, A. leoloensis sp. nov. have been confirmed by our molecular phylogeny (Fig. 1). In comparison with other members of this group A. granitica sp. nov. (maximum SVL 58 mm) is substantially larger than A. langi and A. waterbergensis sp. nov. (both reaching only 46 mm) and A. leoloensis sp. nov. (40.5 mm maximum SVL). In comparison with the last of these species it also has far fewer precloacal pores (13���16 versus typically 31���35), whereas compared to A. waterbergensis sp. nov. (4���7 pores) and A. broadleyi sp. nov. (8���12 pores) it has more. In addition, in comparison with the superficially similar A. langi, the nasorostrals of A. granitica sp. nov. form a deep furrow between them (versus weakly raised nasorostrals forming a shallow furrow). Afroedura granitica sp. nov. is most similar in the basic diagnostic features used herein to A. pienaari sp. nov., to which it is rather distantly related. It may be distinguished by its larger size (58 versus 53 mm maximum SVL and even greater mean differences; Table 4), lower number of male precloacal pores (mean ~ 14 versus ~ 16), and higher number of eye to ear scales (mean of 19.10 versus 16.20), although there is overlap in all characters., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 483-484, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp."]}

Afroedura rondavelica sp. nov. (Fig. 9 C) Unnamed taxon, Jacobsen 1997 Holotype. TM 81238, adult male, Blyde River Nature Reserve, 24 �� 34 ' S, 30 �� 50 ' E, Pilgrim���s Rest District (2430 DB), Mpumalanga Province, Republic of South Africa, collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 18 December 1991. Paratype. TM 81237, same data as for holotype. Etymology. The name refers to the ���Three Rondavels,��� prominent mountain peaks in the Blyde River Nature Reserve with the appearance of round thatch roofed huts (= rondavels). The specimens were collected on cliff faces of one of these. Diagnosis. A mid-sized Afroedura (to 55 mm SVL) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail cylindrical, weakly verticillate, with four subcaudal rows and seven supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 99���100 scale rows at midbody; a single internasal scale separating the nasorostrals; 7���9 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81238) Adult male; 51.0 mm SVL; TailL 61.0 mm; mass in life 2.4 g. Head and body elongated and dorsoventrally depressed. Tail slightly flattened at base, thereafter cylindrical and tapered. Head ovate and much broader than neck. Rostral approximately twice as broad as high. Nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales. Nasorostrals large, raised and separated by a single granular scale behind rostral. Scales on snout large, becoming smaller posteriorly. Eleven scales between nasals and eye and 23 between eye and ear. Two to three supraciliary spines. Supralabials eight. Mental wedge-shaped, much broader than deep and in contact with two postmentals. Infralabials seven. Dorsal granules smooth, rounded and more or less homogeneous, juxtaposed but becoming oblique laterally and subimbricate. Midbody scales in 99 rows. Ventral scales smooth, imbricate and almost hexagonal, with thin margins. Limbs relatively slender; digits with two pairs of scansors; eight enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe. Seven continuous precloacal pores arranged in a ���V���-shape. Tail mostly cylindrical, only faintly verticillate with 7���8 dorsal and four ventral rows per verticil. Supracaudals square to rectangular and subimbricate; subcaudals imbricate, mostly squarish, with rounded to pointed posterior margins. Two postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Color. Dorsally pale brown to gray-brown with six dark crossbands extending from the crown of the head to the sacrum. Posterior margin of crossbands edged with white. Crown of head similar to the back, bordered laterally by a dark brown stripe extending from the nostrils through the eye and continuous with the occipital bar. Limbs lightly barred with brown with irregular dorsal blotches between the crossbars. Eleven blackish dorsal crossbars extend down the length of the tail. Proximal bars posteriorly edged with white, fading distally. Venter pinkish off-white. Variation. The sole paratype, TM 81237, another adult male is larger than the holotype (55.0 mm SVL; TailL 68.0 mm). It differs in having 23 scales between eye and ear, 3-4 supraciliary spines, nine supralabials, eight infralabials; 100 midbody scale rows; seven enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe; nine precloacal pores in a shallow forward-directed curve (four left, five right), and three enlarged postcloacal spurs at base of tail. Distribution. Apparently restricted to the Three Rondavels in the Blyde River Nature Reserve (Fig. 6). Natural history. This gecko appears to be a cliff dweller, inhabiting horizontal and vertical crevices in sandstone near the base of cliffs. Appears to be gregarious based on the amount of feces observed, but the two individuals collected were solitary in crevices along south-facing cliffs. Occurs in Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld (GM 23) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at an elevation of 1300 m a.s.l. Remarks. Afroedura rondavelica sp. nov. was not sampled in our genetic analyses, chiefly because of the difficulty in accessing the type locality. Jacobsen (1997) noted the existence of the Three Rondavels population of Afroedura, but did not mention its assignment to species complex. However, its weakly verticillate tail, smooth dorsal scales, and internasal as well as its geographic position suggest that it is allied to A. marleyi, A. maripi sp. nov. and A. pongola sp. nov. It may be distinguished from these taxa by its much lower precloacal pore counts (see Remarks under A. pongola sp. nov.). It is also smaller and less stocky than its nearest neighbour, A. maripi sp. nov., and lacks the olive-brown, velvety appearance of that species., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 482-483, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp."]}

Afroedura leoloensis sp. nov. (Fig. 10 B) Afroedura pondolia langi (part) Visser 1984 a (fig. p. 61) Afroedura langi 'Leolo' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81113, adult male, Farm Hendriksplaats 281 KT, 24 �� 38 ' S, 30 ��08' E, Lydenburg District, (2430 CA) Mpumalanga Province, Republic of South Africa, collectors R. E. Newbery and W. Petersen, 15 November 1985. Paratypes. TM 81115, TM 81125, 81127, same data as for holotype; TM 81119, 81124, Farm Maandagshoek 254 KT, Sekhukhuneland District, Limpopo Province (2430 CA) collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 25 October 1980; TM 81112, 81116��� 81118, same locality as TM 81119, collector R.E.Newbery, 29 June 1982; TM 81126, Farm Kalkfontein 367 KT, Lydenburg District, Mpumalanga Provicne (2430 CC), collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 23 April 1981; TM 81114, 81121, 81123, 81128, same locality as TM 81126, collectors R. E. Newbery and W. Petersen, 16 November 1985; TM 81122, Kgoloko lokasie, Sekhukhuneland District, Limpopo Province (2429 DB), collector R. E. Newbery, 27 October 1980; TM 81120, Farm De Grooteboom 373 KT, Lydenburg District, Mpumalanga Province (2430 CC), collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 23 October 1981. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Leolo hills in Sekhukhuneland, Limpopo Province, where it was first discovered. Diagnosis. A small Afroedura (maximum SVL 40.5 mm) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail faintly verticillate and flattened near base, with four subcaudal rows and 6���7 supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 87���95 scale rows at midbody; internasal scales typically absent; 31���35 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81113) Adult male; 37.0 mm SVL; 45.0 mm TailL; mass before preservation 0.9 g. Body small and slender, dorsoventrally depressed; head oval, wider than the neck. Rostral approximately 2.5 times wider than high; nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales; nasorostrals in moderate contact behind rostral. Scales on snout hexagonal, flattened and much larger than scales on crown of head; nine scales between nasals and eye and 16 scales between eye and ear. Four supraciliary spines. Supralabials 10. Mental wedge-shaped, much longer than wide and in contact with two postmentals. Infralabials eight. Dorsal scales minute, more-or-less homogeneous, smooth, juxtaposed to subimbricate, rounded to slightly hexagonal. Midbody scales 89. Ventrals large, smooth and imbricate. Digits with two pairs of enlarged scansors and six enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe. Precloacal pores in a continuous, almost straight row of 34. Tail broad and flattened near the base, tapering to a fine tip, faintly verticillate; caudal scales arranged in six dorsal and four ventral rows per verticil. Supracaudals subimbricate, almost rectangular; subcaudals as broad as long and imbricate. Two postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Color. Pale brown to brown dorsally with 7���8 dark brown irregular crossbands extending from the occiput to sacrum. Crossbands with darker posterior margins and, in most specimens, a white vertebral spot just posterior to each crossband. Limbs longitudinally striped or banded. The paler areas between the stripes are spotted dark brown. Crown of head pale brown with darker spotting and other variegations. Tail with 10 blackish crossbands from base to tip. Venter pinkish; tail brownish with darker markings. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Nasorostrals in broad contact behind rostral but separated posteriorly by a single granule in TM 81120. Scales between nasals and eye 9���12, from eye to ear 16���18. Five supraciliary spines in TM 81115. Mental as long as broad in some specimens; postmentals three in TM 811141. Supralabials 8���10. Infralabials 6���10. Midbody scale rows 87���95. 0���8 enlarged inferomedian scales under fourth toe. Precloacal pores in male paratypes 31���35 (except for TM 81126, which has only 11), females lacking pores. Original tails 50.00��� 55.9 % of total length. Supracaudal scales in 6 or 7 rows per tail whorl. Tail has been autotomized in 54.5 % of the specimens examined (n= 17). Distribution. Endemic to the Leolo Hills and outcrops above the Steelpoort River on either side of the border between Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces (Fig. 6). Natural history. Exclusively rupicolous, apparently limited to norite and granitic formations. Afroedura leoloensis sp. nov. lives in narrow crevices under exfoliating rock. These are usually on the underside of boulders with the openings facing downwards, protecting them from rain. The species is found in Sekhukhune Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 28) and Leolo Summit Sourveld (GM 20) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at an elevation of 1200���1800 m a.s.l. Two eggs are laid at a time and measure 8.9 ���9.0 x 6.1���6.4 mm with a mass of 0.2 g. The eggs appear to be laid in midsummer and are initially soft-shelled, adhering to the rock and then hardening. Remarks. Afroedura leoloensis sp. nov. is a member of the A. langi clade (Figs. 1���2; see Remarks under A. granitica sp. nov.). This species exhibits the highest number of precloacal pores (31���35) not only in its clade, but in the genus as a whole, and may thus be distinguished from its congeners., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 486-487, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Visser, J. 1984 a. Diksterte sukkel nie met blyplek. Akkedisse van Suider - Afrika 14. Landbouweekblad, 4 June 1984, 60 - 61, 63.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp."]}

Afroedura waterbergensis sp. nov. (Fig. 11 A) Afroedura langi 'Waterberg' Jacobsen 1990, 1992a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81266, adult female, Farm Waterval 601 LQ, 23 �� 53 ' S, 27 �� 39 ' E, Waterberg District (2327 DC), Limpopo Province, collectors N. H. G. Jacobsen & R. E. Newbery, 20 January 1987. Paratypes. TM 81267, 81269, 81273, Farm Fancy 556 LQ, Waterberg District, Limpopo Province (2327 DC), collectors N. H. G. Jacobsen & R. E. Newbery, 22 January 1987. TM 81268, 81270, Farm Fourieskloof 557 LQ, Waterberg District, Limpopo Province (2327 DC), collector R. E. Newbery, 26 September 1979; TM 81271���81272, same data as for holotype. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Waterberg massif, Limpopo Province, to which the species is endemic. Diagnosis. A small Afroedura (maximum SVL 46 mm) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail moderately verticillate (semiverticillate) and flattened near base, with four subcaudal rows and 7 supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 92���99 scale rows at midbody; internasal scales absent; 4���7 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81266) Adult female, SVL 44.0 mm; TailL 53.0 mm; mass before preservation 2.2 g. A small to medium-sized, dorsoventrally depressed gecko. Head oval, neck thick, almost as wide as head. Rostral approximately 2.5 times wider than high; nostril pierced between rostral, first supralabial and three nasals; nasorostrals large and in contact behind rostral. Scales on snout rounded but not flattened, decreasing in size posteriorly to crown of head; 9���10 granular scales between nasals and eye and 18 from eye to ear; 3���4 supraciliary spines; supralabials 11. Mental longer than broad and not wedge-shaped; postmentals two; infralabials nine. Dorsal scales smooth, juxtaposed, uniform and rounded, becoming larger and oblique laterally. Midbody scales in 101 rows. Ventral scales hexagonal to rounded, smooth and juxtaposed. Hindlimbs robust, feet moderately enlarged. Digits with two pairs of enlarged scansors and 4 th toe with six enlarged inferomedian scales. Precloacal pores absent. Tail semi-verticillate, flattened and tapered, constricted at base and widening at the beginning of the first verticil. Caudal scales arranged in verticils with seven dorsal and four ventral rows. Supracaudals subimbricate, more or less square with a rounded posterior margin; subcaudals imbricate wider than or as wide as long. Two postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Color. Brown to pale brown above with 6���7 wavy dark brown to blackish crossbands extending from the occiput to the sacrum. Posterior margin of crossbands darker and with white spots in indentations. A vertebral row of white spots is most pronounced. Crown of head marbled with dark brown and a dark brown stripe extending from the nostril through the eye, merging into the occipital crossbar. Limbs striped with dark brown, with interstices spotted and a reticulate pattern on the thighs. Venter white to whitish pink. Tail with seven crossbands at regular intervals. Underside of tail brown with incomplete pale crossbars. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Scales from eye to ear 16���18. Mental in some specimens only as long as wide. Supralabials 8���11. Infralabials 7���9. Midbody scale rows 92���99. Eight enlarged inferomedian scales under 4 th toe in TM 81272. Precloacal pores in males in continuous series of 4���7. 0���3 postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Original tails 50.0��� 56.4 % of total length. Supracaudal scales in 6���7 (rarely 8) rows per tail whorl. 33 % of specimens have regenerated tails (n= 6). Distribution. Endemic to the western Waterberg massif, Limpopo Province (Fig. 6). Natural history. Afroedura waterbergensis sp. nov. is a rupicolous gecko found in crevices between rocks on rocky outcrops and cliff faces of Waterberg sandstone. It inhabits both vertical and horizontal dry crevices. It has only been observed in Waterberg Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 17) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at an elevation of 1000 m a.s.l. Remarks. Afroedura waterbergensis sp. nov. is the westernmost member of its genus in Limpopo Province. It may be more widespread along the Waterberg than the current records indicate. It is a member of the A. langi complex and may be easily distinguished from all other members of this clade on the basis of its low number of precloacal pores (see Table 4)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 488-490, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1990) A Herpetological Survey of the Transvaal. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1621 pp.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp."]}

Afroedura maripi sp. nov. (Fig. 9 A) Afroedura 'maripi' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81262, adult male, Mariepskop, 24 �� 32 ' S, 30 �� 53 ' E, Pilgrim's Rest District (2430 DB), Limpopo Province, Republic of South Africa, collector R. E. Newbery, 25 June 1982. Paratypes. (all from same locality as holotype) TM 81248 ���81249, 81251���81255, 81257���81259, 81261, 81263���81264, same data as holotype; TM 81250, 81256, 81260, 81265, collector N. H. G. Jacobsen, 29 October 1980; TM 58031���58032, collector R. E. Newbery, 5 June 1984; TM 58118, collector R. E. Newbery, 21 November 1984; TM 62907���62909, collector R. E. Newbery, 21 February 1985; TM 64021, collector R. E. Newbery, 1 June 1984. Etymology. The species name refers to the local name for Mariepskop, the type locality. Diagnosis. A large Afroedura (to 63 mm SVL) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; a single internasal granule between nasorostrals; tail not obviously verticillate, with 4���5 subcaudal rows and 6���8 supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, in 96���108 rows at midbody; a single internasal scale; 11���13 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81262) Adult male; SVL 57.0 mm; tail 61.0 mm (partly regenerated); mass in life 3.3 g. Head and body dorso-ventally depressed. Head oval and wider than neck, body broad and limbs relatively short, digits stout. Rostral twice as broad as high, more or less octagonal; nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasal scales; nasorostrals separated by a single large granular scale. Scales on snout rounded to conical, larger than those on crown. Scales between nasals and anterior margin of eye 12, and from eye to ear 24. Four supraciliary spines at posterodorsal corner of eye. Supralabials 10. Mental wider than deep; postmentals three; infralabials eight. Dorsals smooth, uniform, each scale raised posteriorly and juxtaposed; scales at midbody 107. Ventral scales smooth, flattened and imbricate. Digits stout with two pairs of enlarged scansors and five enlarged inferomedian scales under fourth toe, not reaching the base. Precloacal pores 13, arranged in a continuous ���V���-shaped pattern. Tail regenerated and constricted at base. Two postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Color. Olive-brown to olive-gray above with variable blackish crossbars extending from occiput to sacrum. Crown of head variably marked, filigreed to reticulate. Interstices between bars are reticulate laterally. Limbs barred or variegated. Tail with approximately 10 black bars, becoming more irregular and diffuse posteriorly. Chin, throat, chest and abdomen whitish. Underside of tail grayish brown, faintly barred. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Endolymphatic sacs distended in adult female paratype TM 81260. Scales between nasals and eye 11���13, from eye to ear 20���23. Supraciliary spines 2���4. Rostral and mental scales variable in relative proportion and shape. Postmentals 2���3. Supralabials 9���10, infralabials 7���8. Midbody scale rows 96���108. Inferomedian scales under the fourth toe 5���8. Precloacal pores in male paratypes 11���13, females lacking pores. Postcloacal spurs 2���3, rarely four. Original tails 52.1���53.9 % of total length and tapered. Tail with 6���8 (mostly seven) dorsal and four (rarely five) ventral scale rows per indistinct verticil. Supracaudals subimbricate with a rounded to pointed posterior margin; subcaudals broad and imbricate.Caudal autotomy evident in 76.3 % of individuals. Distribution. Restricted to the slopes of Mariepskop and God���s Window area of the Eastern Escarpment, in apparently two disjunct populations (Fig. 6). Occurrence in the latter area is verified by a photo voucher. Natural history. Usually associated with rocky outcrops on west-facing slopes of Mariepskop, frequently in the partial shade of pine plantations but also found on outcrops of Black Reef quartzites on top of the escarpment in the shade of indigenous montane forest. Preferred retreats include crevices under flakes of exfoliating rock and dark overhangs of large boulders. Found in Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 26) and Northern Escarpment Quartzitic Sourveld (GM 23) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at elevations of 1700���1900 m a.s.l. data sample sizes, maxima and adult means �� 1 S.D. are given by sex f��r taxa newly described herein; maxima ��nly (regardless ��f sex) are pr��vided f��r previ��usly rec��gnized taxa. Internasal P��stmenal c��unts sh��w the character states rec��rded and, parenthetically, the number ��f specimens exhibiting each state. verticil c��unts are presented as supracaudal scale r��ws f��ll��wed subcaudal scale r��ws. All ��ther c��unts are presented as mean �� 1 S.D. Sample sizes f��r scale c��unts are the same as listed f��r Internasal (Intern) and P��stmental (P��stm) c��nditi��ns. ��ax��n SvL (mm) Mass (g) Intern (n) P��stm (n) Supralabials Infralabials Eye-Ear Midb��dy Scale verticils Precl��acal R��ws supra���sub P��res transvaalica gr��up transvaalica 64.0 5.4 0(35) 2 (28) 9.60 �� 0.80 8.81 �� 0.70 18.13 �� 0.81 109.13 �� 3.83 7-8 6.20 �� 0.83 1 (2) 3 (9) 5 nivaria gr��up pondolia 58.0 - 1 (8) 1 (2) 9.27 8.30 23.86 102.92 6-7 14.50 2 (5) 2 (14) 4 3 (4) multiporis gr��up haackei 52.0 2.3 0(3) 2 (16) 9.06 �� 0.68 8.38 �� 0.62 16.86 �� 0.86 90.36 �� 4.27 6-7 25.83 �� 1.64 1 (13) 3-4 major 76.0 - 2 (3) 2 (3) 11.00 9.33 22.17 106.50 8 18.50 4 multiporis 66.5 5.5 1 (11) 1 (1) 9.10 �� 0.70 8.60 �� 0.67 20.60 �� 1.51 99.60 �� 4.33 6-7 16.67 �� 0.58 2 (10) 3-4 rupestris sp. nov. 9 ♂, 3 ♀ 8 ♂, 3 ♀ 0(1) 1 (1) 9.79 �� 1.05 8.36 �� 0.63 18.77 �� 1.17 90.14 �� 4.90 6-7 22.12 �� 1.96 62.0♂,56.0♀ 5.8 ♂, 3.9 ♀ 1 (11) 2 (10) 3 54.5 + 4.0 ♂ 3.5 + 1.1 ♂ 2 (2) 3 (3) 54.7 + 1.5 ♀ 3.0 + 1.0♀ marleyi gr��up marleyi 36.0 1.2 1 (17) 2 (14) 8.47 �� 0.87 8.18 �� 0.64 19.1 �� 1.68 88.77 ��3.00 6-7 13.40 �� 0.89 3 (3) 4-5 maripi sp. nov. 7 ♂, 9 ♀ 7 ♂, 9 ♀ 1 (13) 2 (13) 9.59 �� 0.67 8.18 �� 0.73 21.81 �� 1.38 102.56 �� 3.81 7-8 12.29 �� 0.95 63.0♂,63.0♀ 3.8 ♂, 6.5 ♀ 3 (8) 4-5 56.7 + 5.2 ♂ 3.0 + 0.5 ♂ 56.7 + 5.1 ♀ 3.3 + 1.4 ♀ pongola sp. nov. 5 ♂, 5 ♀ 5 ♂, 3 ♀ 1 (12) 2 (8) 9.00�� 0.58 8.08 �� 0.28 20.77 �� 1.42 98.22 �� 3.07 6-7 22.40 �� 0.89 35.0♂,40.0♀ 1.0♂, 0.9 ♀ 2 (1) 3 (5) 4-5 34.1 + 0.6 ♂ 0.8 + 0.2 ♂ 38.0 + 1.4 ♀ 0.8 + 0.1 ♀ ������ continued on the next page Two eggs are laid at a time during August���October. They are soft when laid, adhering to the rock and hardening, as has been reported for A. halli (Power 1939). The eggs measure 9.5���10.9 x 7.8���9.3 mm and take approximately two months to hatch. Neonates measure 23.0 mm SVL, 21.0 mm TailL, with a mass of 0.25-0.30 g. Remarks. Afroedura maripi sp. nov. was included by Jacobsen (1990, 1992a, 1997) in his A. pondolia complex, but our molecular results suggest that while other members of this proposed complex��� A. marleyi, A. pongola sp. nov., and presumably A. rondavelica sp. nov. (also unsampled genetically), as well as A. maripi sp. nov. ���do form a monophyletic group, referred to as the A. marleyi group, A. pondolia is only distantly related. It may be distinguished from A. pongola sp. nov. and especially A. marleyi on the basis of its greater number of midbody scale rows (mean of 102.56 versus 98.22 and 88.77, respectively) and larger size (maximum SVL 63 mm versus 40 mm and 36 mm, respectively) and has substantially fewer precloacal pores than A. pongola sp. nov. (11���13 versus 21���23). It also has significantly more supralabial scales than A. marleyi (p versus 7���9) than A. rondavelica sp. nov., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 477-481, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp.","Power, J. H. (1939) A note on the habits, life history and distribution of Oedura halli Hewitt. South African Journal of Science, 36, 374 - 376.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1990) A Herpetological Survey of the Transvaal. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1621 pp."]}

Afroedura transvaalica (Hewitt, 1925) (Fig. 3 C) Distribution. Zimbabwe and adjacent northern Limpopo province, South Africa, central Mozambique and possibly extreme eastern Botswana (Bauer 2014 k) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Our molecular phylogeny reveals relatively deep divergences among the samples, with Limpopo samples clustered with southern Zimbabwean ones and more northerly populations more distinct (Fig. 1). Previous interpretations of distributional data for this taxon reflected three disjunct populations (e.g., Onderstall 1984; Branch 1998), however, more complete sampling across Zimbabwe suggests that there may be no significant gaps between these (D.G. Broadley, pers. comm.) and this is reflected in our approximation of the species��� range (Fig. 4)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 467-469, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Hewitt, J. (1925) On some new species of reptiles and amphibians from South Africa. Records of the Albany Museum, 3, 343 - 368, pls. xv - xix.","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509."]}

A. tirasensis stat. nov. Haacke, 1965 Distribution. Farm Tiras, L��deritz District, southern Namibia (Mouton & Mostert 1985; Griffin 2003) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Haacke (1965) originally described this form as a subspecies of A. africana, and it has maintained this rank since (Mertens 1971; Branch 1981, 1988, 1998; Onderstall 1984; Branch et al. 1988; Griffin 2003), although chiefly because this poorly known taxon has not been reviewed subsequently. Under modern species concepts, the differences between the supposed subspecies of A. africana (Haacke 1965) (see above) would generally be accepted as evidence of specific distinctness, especially in light of the large disjunctions between the forms and their likely low vagility (Mouton & Mostert 1985; Jacobsen 1997). On this basis we here recognize this taxon at the rank of full species., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 470, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Haacke, W. D. (1965) Additional notes on the Herpetology of South West Africa with descriptions of two new subspecies of geckos. Cimbebasia, 11, 1 - 40.","Mouton, P. le F. N. & Mostert, D. P. (1985) Description of a new species of Afroedura (Loveridge) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the south - western Cape. South African Journal of Zoology, 20, 246 - 249.","Griffin, M. (2003) Annotated Checklist and Provisional National Conservation Status of Namibian Reptiles. Namibia Scientific Society, Windhoek, [ii] + 169 pp.","Mertens, R. (1971) Die Herpetofauna Sudwest - Afrikas. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen naturforschenden Gesellschaft, 529, 1 - 110.","Branch, W. R. (1981) An annotated checklist of the lizards of the Cape Province, South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (Natural History), 13, 141 - 167.","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509.","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39."]}

Afroedura transvaalica Group Diagnosis. Two pairs of enlarged scansors per digit, tail strongly verticillate and flattened., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495

Afroedura hawequensis Group Diagnosis. Large sized (maximum SVL 83 mm), three pairs of enlarged scansors on digits II���V, first digit with a single scansor, tail verticillate and flattened, precloacal pores> 25., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495

Afroedura marleyi Group Diagnosis. Two pairs of scansors per digit, tail not or only faintly verticillate, rounded to partially flattened, dorsal scales smooth, one or more internasal granules between nasorostrals., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 476, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495

A. marleyi (FitzSimons, 1930) (Fig. 5 B) Distribution. Coastal plain of Zululand, Kwazulu-Natal inland to the Lebombo Mountains and through Swaziland to southeastern Mpumalanga, and possibly adjacent Mozambique (Bauer 2014 f) (Figs. 4, 6). Remarks. This species was previously considered a subspecies of A. pondolia (Onderstall 1984) until elevated without comment by Branch (1998). Our samples come from a relatively limited area of the species��� range and we suspect that deeper sampling would reveal greater substructure within A. marleyi., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 476, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["FitzSimons, V. F. (1930) Descriptions of new South African Reptilia and Batrachia, with distribution records of allied species in the Transvaal Museum collection. Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 14, 20 - 48.","Onderstall, D. (1984) Descriptions of two new subspecies of Afroedura pondolia (Hewitt) and a discussion of species groups within the genus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 33, 497 - 509."]}

A. amatolica (Hewitt, 1925) Distribution. Amatola Mountains, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa (Bauer 2014 b) (Fig. 4). Remarks. Loveridge���s (1947) synonymy of A. amatolica with A. nivaria was accepted by at least some authors as late as the 1980 s (Branch 1981), owing to the long-confused application of names to Eastern Cape Afroedura, but since 1984 it has generally be regarded as specifically distinct (Visser 1984 b)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 470-471, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Hewitt, J. (1925) On some new species of reptiles and amphibians from South Africa. Records of the Albany Museum, 3, 343 - 368, pls. xv - xix.","Branch, W. R. (1981) An annotated checklist of the lizards of the Cape Province, South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (Natural History), 13, 141 - 167.","Visser, J. 1984 b. Diksterte van die Amatolaberge. Akkedisse van Suider - Afrika 15. Landbouweekblad, 29 June 1984, 48 - 49, 51, 53."]}

A. halli (Hewitt, 1935) Distribution. Western Lesotho and adjacent southeastern Free State and Eastern Cape provinces, South Africa (Bates & Bauer 2014 a) (Fig. 4). Remarks. This species was previously considered a subspecies of A. karroica (e.g., Loveridge 1947; Wermuth 1965; Branch et al. 1988; Kluge 1991, 1993) but was elevated to specific status by Bates (1996), although without substantial discussion, and some later authors, especially outside of South Africa, have continued to include it within A. karroica (e.g., Kluge 2001). One subspecies, A. k. wilmoti, has been variously recognized as valid (FitzSimons 1943) or not (Loveridge 1947; Branch 1981). Its status is under review (Bates & Branch 1998). Our sampling included a single specimen resembling A. halli that was deeply divergent from all other samples (Fig. 1), supporting the findings of Makhubo (2013), who found multiple divergent clades within the species. Although the distinctiveness of this specimen in our two-gene analysis may be artificially high due to the absence of RAG 1 sequence (Table 2), the> 20 % ND 2 divergence from typical A. halli, which vary among themselves by 0.20���3.02 %, supports the view that this represents a different species., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on page 471, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Hewitt, J. (1935) Some new forms of batrachians and reptiles from South Africa. Records of the Albany Museum, 4, 283 - 357.","Bates, M. F. & Bauer, A. M. (2014 a) Afroedura halli (Hewitt, 1935). In: Bates, M. F., Branch, W. R., Bauer, A. M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G. J. & de Villiers, M. (Eds.), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 91 - 92.","Loveridge, A. (1947) Revision of the African lizards of the Family Gekkonidae. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 98, 1 - 469, pls. 1 - 7.","Wermuth, H. (1965) Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien, Gekkonidae, Pygopodidae, Xantusiidae. Das Tierreich, 80, xxii + 246 pp.","Kluge, A. G. (1991) Checklist of Gekkonid lizards. Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service, 85, 1 - 35. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 23317515.85.1","Kluge, A. G. (1993) Checklist of Gekkonid Lizards. International Gecko Society, San Diego, 245 pp.","Bates, M. F. (1996) In search of the elusive flat geckos of the eastern Free State. Culna 51, 13 - 15.","Kluge, A. G. (2001) Gekkotan lizard taxonomy. Hamadryad, 26, 1 - 209.","FitzSimons, V. F. (1943) The lizards of South Africa. Memoirs of the Transvaal Museum, 1, i - xv + 1 - 528, + 24 pls + map.","Branch, W. R. (1981) An annotated checklist of the lizards of the Cape Province, South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (Natural History), 13, 141 - 167.","Bates, M. F. & Branch, W. R. (1998) Taxonomy and distribution of the Afroedura nivaria and A. karroica complexes (Sauria: Gekkonidae). Herpetological Association of Africa, Fifth Symposium, University of Stellenbosch, 14 - 16 September 1998, Programme and Abstracts. [2 unnumbered pages]","Makhubo, B. G. (2013) Phylogenetic and Morphological Analysis of the Afroedura nivaria (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) Species Complex in South Africa. Unpublished M. Sc. Thesis, University of Stellenbosch, xiii + 106 pp."]}

Afroedura waterbergensis sp. nov. (Fig. 11 A) Afroedura langi 'Waterberg' Jacobsen 1990, 1992a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81266, adult female, Farm Waterval 601 LQ, 23 ° 53 ' S, 27 ° 39 ' E, Waterberg District (2327 DC), Limpopo Province, collectors N. H. G. Jacobsen & R. E. Newbery, 20 January 1987. Paratypes. TM 81267, 81269, 81273, Farm Fancy 556 LQ, Waterberg District, Limpopo Province (2327 DC), collectors N. H. G. Jacobsen & R. E. Newbery, 22 January 1987. TM 81268, 81270, Farm Fourieskloof 557 LQ, Waterberg District, Limpopo Province (2327 DC), collector R. E. Newbery, 26 September 1979; TM 81271–81272, same data as for holotype. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Waterberg massif, Limpopo Province, to which the species is endemic. Diagnosis. A small Afroedura (maximum SVL 46 mm) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail moderately verticillate (semiverticillate) and flattened near base, with four subcaudal rows and 7 supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 92–99 scale rows at midbody; internasal scales absent; 4–7 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81266) Adult female, SVL 44.0 mm; TailL 53.0 mm; mass before preservation 2.2 g. A small to medium-sized, dorsoventrally depressed gecko. Head oval, neck thick, almost as wide as head. Rostral approximately 2.5 times wider than high; nostril pierced between rostral, first supralabial and three nasals; nasorostrals large and in contact behind rostral. Scales on snout rounded but not flattened, decreasing in size posteriorly to crown of head; 9–10 granular scales between nasals and eye and 18 from eye to ear; 3–4 supraciliary spines; supralabials 11. Mental longer than broad and not wedge-shaped; postmentals two; infralabials nine. Dorsal scales smooth, juxtaposed, uniform and rounded, becoming larger and oblique laterally. Midbody scales in 101 rows. Ventral scales hexagonal to rounded, smooth and juxtaposed. Hindlimbs robust, feet moderately enlarged. Digits with two pairs of enlarged scansors and 4 th toe with six enlarged inferomedian scales. Precloacal pores absent. Tail semi-verticillate, flattened and tapered, constricted at base and widening at the beginning of the first verticil. Caudal scales arranged in verticils with seven dorsal and four ventral rows. Supracaudals subimbricate, more or less square with a rounded posterior margin; subcaudals imbricate wider than or as wide as long. Two postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Color. Brown to pale brown above with 6–7 wavy dark brown to blackish crossbands extending from the occiput to the sacrum. Posterior margin of crossbands darker and with white spots in indentations. A vertebral row of white spots is most pronounced. Crown of head marbled with dark brown and a dark brown stripe extending from the nostril through the eye, merging into the occipital crossbar. Limbs striped with dark brown, with interstices spotted and a reticulate pattern on the thighs. Venter white to whitish pink. Tail with seven crossbands at regular intervals. Underside of tail brown with incomplete pale crossbars. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Scales from eye to ear 16–18. Mental in some specimens only as long as wide. Supralabials 8–11. Infralabials 7–9. Midbody scale rows 92–99. Eight enlarged inferomedian scales under 4 th toe in TM 81272. Precloacal pores in males in continuous series of 4–7. 0–3 postcloacal spurs on either side of tail base. Original tails 50.0– 56.4 % of total length. Supracaudal scales in 6–7 (rarely 8) rows per tail whorl. 33 % of specimens have regenerated tails (n= 6). Distribution. Endemic to the western Waterberg massif, Limpopo Province (Fig. 6). Natural history. Afroedura waterbergensis sp. nov. is a rupicolous gecko found in crevices between rocks on rocky outcrops and cliff faces of Waterberg sandstone. It inhabits both vertical and horizontal dry crevices. It has only been observed in Waterberg Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 17) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at an elevation of 1000 m a.s.l. Remarks. Afroedura waterbergensis sp. nov. is the westernmost member of its genus in Limpopo Province. It may be more widespread along the Waterberg than the current records indicate. It is a member of the A. langi complex and may be easily distinguished from all other members of this clade on the basis of its low number of precloacal pores (see Table 4).

Afroedura broadleyi sp. nov. (Fig. 10 C) Afroedura langi 'Soutpansberg' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997; Kirchhof et al. 2010 Afroedura 'Matlala' Jacobsen 1992 a, 1997 Holotype. TM 81316, adult male, Farm Peover 772 MS, 22 �� 59 ' S, 29 �� 44 ' E, Soutpansberg District (2229 DC), Limpopo Province, Republic of South Africa, collector R. E. Newbery, 6 November 1985. Paratypes. TM 81317 ���81322, 81341, same data as for holotype; TM 81338-81340, Farm Leek 769 MS, Soutpansberg District (2229 DC), Limpopo Province, collector R. E. Newbery 6 November 1985. Additional material examined (all localities in Limpopo Province). TM 81323-81326, Farm Outlook 789 MS, Soutpansberg District (2229 DD); TM 81327 ���81329, 81330- 81336, Farm Newgate 802 MS, Soutpansberg District (2229 DD); TM 81337, Mutshenzheni, Sibasa District (2230 CD); TM 81300 -81307, 81309- 81314, Farm Leipzig 264 LR, Bochum District (2328 BB); TM 81288 ���81299, 81308, Farm Urk 10 LS, Bochum District (2329 AA); TM 81188���81207 Matlala Mountain, Seshego District (2329 CC). Etymology. The species is named for our friend and colleague Dr. Donald G. Broadley in honor of his many contributions to African herpetology and in celebration of his 80 th birthday. Diagnosis. A mid-sized Afroedura (maximum SVL 56.0 mm) differing from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of enlarged subdigital lamellae per digit; tail moderately verticillate (semi-verticillate) and flattened near base, with four subcaudal rows and 6���8 supracaudal rows per verticil; dorsal scales smooth, 88���106 scale rows at midbody; internasal scales typically absent; 8���12 precloacal pores in males. Description. (based on holotype TM 81316) Adult male; 45.5 mm SVL; 49.0 mm TailL (part regenerated); mass before preservation 2.3 g. Moderately dorsoventrally depressed; head oval, wider than neck; limbs robust with stout digits; tail depressed, long and tapered, distal portion regenerating. Rostral twice as broad as high; nostril pierced between rostral, first upper labial and three nasals; nasorostrals large and in contact behind rostral. Scales on snout large, heterogeneous and flattened, decreasing in size posteriorly, smallest on crown of head; 10 scales from nasals to eye and 21 scales from eye to ear; three supraciliary spines. Supralabials nine. Mental narrow, wedge-shaped, longer than wide and in contact with two postmentals. Infralabials seven. Dorsal scales relatively homogeneous, rounded,smooth, slightly flattened and juxtaposed; midbody scales 91. Ventral scales larger, imbricate and almost hexagonal. Digits with two pairs of enlarged scansors and one enlarged inferomedian scale under the 4 th toe. Precloacal pores 11, arranged in a shallow curve, separated (five and six) by a poreless scale. Tail semi-verticillate with scales arranged in whorls with six dorsal and four ventral rows per verticil. Supracaudals rectangular with a rounded posterior margin; subcaudals squarish with rounded posterior margins. Two to three cloacal spurs at base of tail. Color. Pale grey to buff or pinkish brown above with 6���7 dark brown to blackish, very wavy and irregular crossbands extending from occiput to sacrum. Crossbands darkest posteriorly, incompletely edged with white and with a median white spot. Crown of head heavily spotted or mottled with dark brown; a forward pointing darker ���V��� extending along the canthus rostralis, whereas a dark streak runs from the nostril through the middle of the eye to above the ear, joining the occipital band. Limbs spotted with white and dark brown. Original tail banded with 10 regular dark brown to blackish crossbars edged with black posteriorly, each followed by a narrow band of white. Venter pale whitish pink; underside of tail mottled and spotted with white and brown. Variation. Paratypes and other specimens agree with the holotype in most features of scalation (Table 4). Nasorostrals separated by a single granular scale in four (of 75) specimens examined. Scales between nasals and eye 10���13, from eye to ear 15���22. Mental from as long to twice as long as broad; one postmental in 18 of 70 specimens. Supralabials 7���10. Infralabials 6���9. Postmentals usually two, but occasionally 1 or 3 (18 and 2 of 72 examined, respectively). Midbody scale rows 88���106. 0���11 enlarged inferomedian scales under the fourth toe. Precloacal pores in males 8���12 (mostly 9���11) often with a median gap; females lacking pores, although exhibiting a row of somewhat enlarged scales in this position. Original tails 50.0��� 55.5 % of total length. Supracaudal scales in 6���7 (rarely 8) rows per tail whorl. 44.7 % of specimens have regenerated tails (n= 76). Distribution. Isolated populations are found on the Soutpansberg, Blouberg and Matlala inselberg, Limpopo Province (Fig. 6). Natural history. The species is nocturnal. It frequents crevices and fissures between rocks as well as under flakes on Waterberg sandstone outcrops, although the Matlala population occurs on granites. May be solitary or can occur in small (presumably family) groups in Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 21) and Soutpansberg Summit Sourveld (GM 28) (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) at elevations of 1000���1700 m a.s.l. Two eggs at a time are laid during midsummer.The eggs adhere to the roof of the crevice before hardening. Communal nesting has been observed in the Soutpansberg where more than 20 eggs have been found under a rock. Remarks. Afroedura broadleyi sp. nov. shares a suite of characters with A. langi and four other species described herein as new. In comparison with other members of this group it differs most obviously in male precloacal pore counts, being much lower than A. leoloensis sp. nov. and having non-overlapping pore ranges with A. langi, A. pienaari sp. nov. and A. granitica sp. nov. (more pores) and A. waterbergensis sp. nov. (fewer pores). In addition it is substantially larger than A. leoloensis sp. nov., A. langi, and A. waterbergensis sp. nov. (see Table 4). Three populations are known, each of which appears to differ slightly from the others. However, there is significant overlap in morphological features and Jacobsen���s (1990, 1992a) initial recognition of two putative species (���Soutpansberg��� and ���Matlala���) cannot be substantiated given available data. Unfortunately, molecular data were available only from Soutpansberg samples. The Soutpansberg form is separated from the others by A. pienaari along the Waterpoort Gap, whereas those from Matlala are separated by 70 km from the nearest other population (on the Blouberg). The Matlala and Blouberg forms have the precloacal pores in a continuous row, only exceptionally subdivided by a poreless scale, as is frequently the case in Soutpansberg populations. Precloacal pores on Matlala and in the Blouberg are mostly eight, nine or 10 and on the Soutpansberg nine, 11 or 12. Individuals from the eastern Blouberg tend to be smaller and have a mean midbody scale count of 91.46 + 2.37 (n = 13), which is considerably lower than that from Soutpansberg individuals��� 96.91 + 4.32 (n = 22), western Blouberg��� 97.73 + 3.49 (n = 15) and Matlala��� 99.5 + 4.19 (n = 18)., Published as part of Jacobsen, Niels H. G., Kuhn, Arianna L., Jackman, Todd R. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2014, A phylogenetic analysis of the southern African gecko genus Afroedura Loveridge (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the description of nine new species from Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, pp. 451-501 in Zootaxa 3846 (4) on pages 487-488, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3846.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/250495, {"references":["Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1992 a) Flat geckos (genus Afroedura) in the Transvaal. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 40, 22 - 25. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1080 / 04416651.1992.9650313","Jacobsen, N. H. G. (1997) Family Gekkonidae, Genus Afroedura. In: Van Wyk, J. H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium, South African Lizards: 50 years of Progress and Third H. A. A. Symposium on African Herpetology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11 - 15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Stellenbosch, pp. 34 - 39.","Kirchhof, S., Kramer, M., Linden, J. & Richter, K. (2010) The reptile species assemblage of the Soutpansberg (Limpopo Province, South Africa) and its characterisitcs. Salamandra, 46, 147 - 166.","Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M. C. (2006) The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia, 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 807 pp."]}

Recent surveys of the Transvaal have uncovered numerous new populations of flat geckos (Afroedura) that do not fit easily into existing taxonomic arrangements of the A. pondolia group. This complex exhibits considerable variation in the presence or absence of internasal(s) and of keeled or smooth dorsal scales. A provisional new taxonomic arrangement is presented. A key to Transvaal Afroedura is appended.

A molecular phylogeny of the largely rupicolous geckos of the gekkonid genus Afroedura is presented based on a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence data. Previously recognized species groups are only partly recovered, with A. pondolia retrieved as very distantly related to the congeners to which it was previously considered allied. Afroedura hawequensis forms a monotypic group that is sister to all other species, which are allocated to the A. nivaria, A. transvaalica, A. africana, A. multiporis, A. marleyi, and A. langi groups. The taxonomic status of species occurring in the former Transvaal province of South Africa (now Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces) is reviewed based on morphological and molecular evidence. Afroedura rupestris sp. nov. is described in the A. multiporis group, A. maripi sp. nov., A. pongola sp. nov., and A. rondavelica sp. nov., are described in the A. marleyi group, and A. broadleyi sp. nov., A. granitica sp. nov., A. leoloensis sp. nov., A. pienaari sp. nov., and A. waterbergensis sp. nov. are described in the A. langi group. In addition, A. haackei, A. namaquensis, and A. tirasensis, are all raised to specific status. The description of nine new species highlights Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces as previously unrecognized centers of diversity for the genus Afroedura. A key to the species of Afroedura is provided.

The recent rediscovery of the golden gecko, Calodactylodes aureus, after more than 100 years, has given occasion to reconsider both its phylogenetic position amongst the gekkonine geckos and the functional aspects of its subdigital pads. The morphology of these pads and the anatomical basis of their control suggests that Afroedura among a grouping of gekkonine geckos with phenetically similar digits, shows the greatest structural similarity to Calodactylodes. Available data do not support a robust hypothesis of actual relationship between these two genera, but if relationship is not the underlying dictator of the similarity seen, the degree of convergence is remarkable. The general similarity in digital form of those genera possessing terminal, leaf-like scansors, both in the Gekkoninae and Diplodactylinae, appears to be associated with rupicolous habitats and indicates an evolutionary pathway by which more extensive climbing pads may have arisen. It is likely that this morphotypic pathway has been followed independently by several lineages of gekkonine and diplodactyline geckos.