Sam Roi Yot Leaf-toed GeckoDixonius kaweesaki

Conservation Actions

This species is endemic to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park (Sumontha et al. 2017) More research needed on impacts of exploitation, as the visits to the locality predate recent evidence that the species is exploited (M. Sumontha pers. comm. 2017).

Location Information

This species is known only from Khao Daeng in Kui Buri District, in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, in Peninsular Thailand (Sumontha et al. 2017). Sumontha et al. (2017) suggests that it may be distributed on all limestone hills within Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, however, it has so far not been found elsewhere (M. Sumontha pers. comm. 2017). This limestone formation is surrounded by many kilometres of flat land without karst outcrops (M. Cota pers. comm. 2017) and is the only locality for an apparently endemic species of Cnemaspis (Wood et al. 2017), all of which suggest this species is likely to be endemic to this locality.

Geographic Range

Extant

Thailand

Population Information

Four specimens were collected from Khao Daeng in 2014: two adult males, one adult female, and one subadult female (Sumontha et al. 2017). The population was probably stable at this point, and appears large (with an average of more than 20 found per survey at this locality - M. Sumontha pers. comm. 2017), but numbers observed by season vary and it may undergo some level of fluctuation (M. Sumontha pers. comm. 2017). This area has not been surveyed since the species appeared in the domestic pet trade, so the impacts of exploitation are unknown (M. Sumontha pers. comm. 2017) although it is presumed there is a continuing decline in the number of mature individuals.

Threats

Sumontha et al. (2017) suggested that this species is not currently subject to major threats, although it has subsequently been reported in domestic pet trade (P. Pawangkanan pers. comm. 2017). It is possible that exploitation may already have reached levels that represent a major threat, or if not that it will do so if it becomes of interest to the international pet trade (M. Sumontha pers. comm. 2017), although any exploitation would be illegal.

IUCN Red List Account Link

Please click here to see the species' IUCN Red List Account page.