THE 2 SPECIES OF MOROCCAN DAY-GECKOES, QUEDENFELDTIA (REPTILIA, GEKKONIDAE)

The genus Quedenfeldtia of Morocco is generally considered monotypic but actually contains two well-defined species, Q. trachyblepharus and Q. moerens, which can be distinguished by both external and osteological characters. The lowland Q. moerens has a number of apomorphies not found in Q. trachyblepharus which has a restricted, mainly highland, range and is more generally primitive in its anatomy. Because of this, Q. trachyblepharus cannot have arisen from an isolated population of the widespread Q. moerens, and the two forms are likely to have had substantially separate histories. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.