First record of tail bifurcation in Lygodactylus klugei (Smith, Martin & Swain, 1977) (Sauria: Gekkonidae), with comments on caudal adhesive pads

Abstract

The process of caudal regeneration in lizards does not always occur perfectly, which can cause some abnormalities, such as the appearance of warped or supernumerary tails. Here we report the first cases of tail bifurcation in the Dwarf Gecko, Lygodactylus klugei, and observations about the caudal adhesive pads in individuals with bifurcated tails. Our observations represent a new case of caudal bifurcation for lizard species that have tails with functional specializations and elaborate morphological structures and are the first records of this type of anomaly for the genus Lygodactylus.

Keywords

• Autonomy
• Lizards
• Tail anomalies
• Tail regeneration