Koch's Chirping Gecko
Ptenopus kochi
Ptenopus kochi, also known commonly as the interdune barking gecko, Koch's barking gecko, and Koch's chirping gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.
From the article Ptenopus kochi on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
Adults of P. kochi usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in). Its large bulging eyes and swollen nostrils give it a frog-like appearance. The body scales are very small and numerous, arranged in 187–222 rows around the body at midbody. The tail length is slightly shorter than SVL. The toes of all four feet have lateral fringes of elongate pointed scales. Dorsally, P. kochi is reddish brown, with light spots and dark speckles. Ventrally, it is whitish. The throat and labials of males are yellow.
Range & habitat
The preferred natural habitat of P. kochi is sandy desert, at altitudes of 50–500 m (160–1,640 ft).
Wikipedia: “Habitat”
What it does
P. kochi is terrestrial and crepuscular. It digs burrows as long as 90 cm (35 in) and as deep as 40 cm (16 in). During the summer breeding season, males vocalize from burrow entrances around sunset to attract females and establish territory.
Wikipedia: “Behavior”
In human culture
The specific name, kochi, is in honor of Austrian-born South African entomologist Charles Koch.
Wikipedia: “Etymology”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Ptenopus kochi in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 33890.