The discovery was the result of a joint effort by a team of international researchers who worked with Angolans, under the leadership of Portuguese Luís Ceríaco. The first specimens were found in Serra da Neve, in Namibe, in 2013. After concluding that it would indeed be a new species, the article with the official description has now been published in the scientific journal Vertebrate Zoology.
This work is part of the collaboration between the National Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation Areas of the Ministry of the Environment of Angola and a team of Portuguese and North American herpetologists. Part of it was funded by the National Geographic Society.
The new species is a small nocturnal gecko. It has a maximum size of 4.5 centimeters and dorsal scales that are wide and somewhat spiny. In terms of coloring, it has a homogeneous beige or brown back and a black mask around the eyes. It lives in the most rocky and mountainous areas of the province of Namibe, such as Serra da Neve, the second highest point in Angola. The new species differs from other known species based on its coloration, scales and mitochondrial DNA.
Like all species of the genus Pachydactylus, this new species is nocturnal and feeds on small insects and invertebrates. It is a completely harmless species for humans.
In a statement, the Mandume Ya Ndemofayo University says that the new species was named in honor of the researcher and Angolan university professor Francisco Maiato Gonçalves.
"Having a species baptized with its name is one of the highest distinctions and recognition that a scientist can have. According to the authors of the article, this distinction aims to recognize the efforts, dedication and important scientific contributions of Prof. Francisco Maiato Gonçalves to the study and conservation of the biodiversity of southwest Angola", says the institution.
To Angop, the researcher said that the discovery and respective name of the species – besides representing the recognition of his work – draws attention to his responsibilities, which also belong to everyone, for the protection of the country's ecosystems and consequently of the species that dwell in it.
The also vice-rector of the Mandume ya Ndemufayo University for Scientific Affairs and Graduate Studies, said it was the first tribute in this perspective, reiterating his responsibility to advocate more for the preservation of these habitats, considered special.
"For the country, it is, without a doubt, another step towards knowledge of the richness in terms of biodiversity, which places it on the list of the most biodiverse in the region", he stated.
The researcher, who has been working in the area since 2010, also drew attention to the challenges of national education, noting that there are few higher education courses in the area of biology and similar, and that the scarce staff in the sector are captured by other areas.
He defended the existence of a strategy to train specialists at a higher level in the various branches of Biology, as well as an increase in funding for science and scientific research, in particular.
