Whilst birding the bottom valley of the
Raydah Escarpment I saw a Rock Semaphore Gecko Pristurus rupestris also known as
Blandford’s Semaphore Gecko. This is a tiny gecko which, like other members of
the genus Pristurus, is notable for being active during the day rather that at
night. Whereas most other geckos are nocturnal and use calls to communicate,
Pristurus species signal to each other with body postures and tail movements,
earning them the name ‘semaphore geckos’. The rock semaphore gecko has a
relatively flattened, soft-skinned body. Its eyes are quite small compared to
most other geckos, and the rounded pupils do not contract to slits in bright
light. The limbs of the rock semaphore gecko are quite long and slender, and
the slender tail is longer than the head and body combined. Male rock semaphore
geckos have a crest of pointed scales along the top of the tail. The body of
the rock semaphore gecko is generally greyish-brown or olive above, with darker
and lighter spots, and sometimes with small red spots on the sides. A dark
streak passes through the eye, and there may be a light reddish band along the back.
The rock semaphore gecko closely resembles the bar-tailed semaphore gecko Pristurus celerrimus, which is endemic
to the United Arab Emirates and Oman, but is smaller, with a shorter and less
conspicuously banded tail. The rock semaphore gecko occurs in southwest Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and possibly in Pakistan. This
common gecko is typically found on rocks, under stones, or on walls and has
been recorded from sea level up to elevations of around 3,000 metres. The rock
semaphore gecko hunts during the day, typically lying in wait on a rocky perch
to ambush passing prey, usually small invertebrates such as ants.
