As with other Philippine Cyrtodactylus, this species is nocturnal, and can often be encountered on the butresses of trees, exposed root bundles, and rocky outcrops along river drainages.
Cyrtodacylus mamanwa is a member of the C. agusanensis Species Complex, and is similar in appearance to other Philippine Bent-toed geckos. This species generally has a yellow-brown dorsal ground color overlain with medium to dark brown transverse body bands with moderate to severe longitudinal projections. As with Philippine congeners, the tail of C. mamanwa is characterized by dark bands overlaying a lighter ground color.
Cyrtodactylus mamanwais relatively common at and around its type locality, and is likely not specifically threatened.
We have evaluated this species against the IUCN criteria for classification, and find that it does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened status. Cyrtodactylus mamanwa has been documented to have a broad geographic distribution and is quite abundant at all sampled localities. We therefore classify this species as Least Concern, LC (IUCN, 2010).
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa generally exhibits a light brown to gray ground color, with minimal medium to dark brown speckling; head patterning is oftne indistinct, with irregular medium to dark brown speckles and blotches; labials with conspicuous light cream to white spots, not corresponding to scales; frontal and parietal regions with paired dark brown longitudinally elongate dark brown blotches dorsolaterally; head with dark brown lateral stripe extending from posterior margin of eye, dorsal to auricular opening, through nuchal and trunk regions dorsolaterally; nuchal region often with paired subtriangular blotches between parietal and mid-nuchal regions, which join dark brown dorsolateral stripe of nuchal and trunk regions; trunk three or four dark brown transverse bands, characterized by extensive longitudinal elongations on either side of vertebral column, conferring a vague "bow-tie" shape; dorsal trunk bands connected laterally by unbroken dark brown longitudinal stripe (continuing from head and nuchal regions); forelimbs without discernable bands, but adorned with irregular medium to dark brown spots and blotches; hindlimbs with faded medium to dark brown wavy bands and irregular dark speckling; Fingers I and II, and Toe I devoid of any overlain dark pattern, but all others mottled with irregular dark bands and blotches. The tail generally has a light gray ground color, transitioning to light cream posteriorly, and overlain with numerous dark brown bands. Venter generally with light tan ground color, with lighter coloration extending ventrally from infralabials, auricular opening, dark brown lateral body stripe, and ventrolateral margins on limbs. Hands and feet are slightly darker than the body, and lacking pattern. Tail with light tan to cream ground color ventrally, anteriorly with irregular medium brown blotches eventually forming continuance of dark dorsal bands at rougly one third distance from base of tail.
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa can be distinguished from other members of the C. agusanensis Species Complex by vaious combinations of: (1) number of post-cloaal lateral tubercles; (2) severity of dorsal band longitudinal projections; (3) cephalic tubercle size; (4) dark dorsal body bands fully enclosing light bands laterally; generally fewer (5) subdigital lamellae beneath Finger III, and (6) midbody dorsals; and (7) greater number of scales separating pore-bearing precloacal and femoral series. This species can further be diagnosed from all remaining Philippine Cyrtodactylus by: (1) the presence of femoral pore-bearing scales; a greater number of (2) pore-bearing precloacalfemorals, (3) midbody dorsals, (4) paravertebrals, (5) midbody tubercle rows, (6) subdigital lamellae beneath Toe IV, (7) subdigital lamellae beneath Finger II, and; (8) caudal annuli with dorsal tubercles; (9) dark dorsal bands fully enclosing light bands laterally; and (10) the absence of a canthal stripe.
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa has only been documented on the island of Dinagat, but may be expected to occur on the adjacent islands of Siargao and Bucas Grande. Future survey efforts are necessary to fully document this species distribution.
Like all Philippine Bent-toed gekkos, Cyrtodactylus mamanwa prefers exposed roots overhanging stream banks, from trunks of trees bordering flowing water, and from large boulders in river and stream beds.
The specific epithet for this species was chosen in recognition of the rapidly disappearing indigenous peoples of southern Leyte, Dinagat, and Agusan Del Norte Province, the Mamanwa. Their name loosly translates to "people of mountains", or "forest dwellers," and the group is believed to be one of the oldest remaining tribal groups in the Philippines. The Mamanwa's history is characterized by peace, seasonal movements by individual clans following food sources, and more recently, mass migration to escape logging and mining intrusions into their ancestral homelands.
Mindanao Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complex
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa is known from forested, riparian habitats.
This species will most likely be confused with other members of the Cyrtodactylus agusanensis Species Complex, but can be discerned by a variety of morphological and distributional characteristics.
As with other Philippine Bent-toed gekkos, Cyrtodactylus sumuroi relies on riparian habitat corridors, gallery forests, and vegetation a few meters from the banks of rivers and streams. Preservation of this habitat is essential for maintaining this species in the future.
The mostly likely threats to this species come from habitat alteration and loss. As with all Philippine Cyrtodactylus, upland riparian corridors and karst outcrops are preferred habitats, and essential to the preservation of this species.
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa is a species of gecko endemic to the Philippines. It was identified in 2010 from a sample collected in 2007 on the Dinagat Island and named after the Mamanwa indigenous group.[2] It is also found on Siargao and nearby islands. Adults reach a total body length of ca. 19 cm. This gecko feeds mostly on insects and spends most of its life on trees. Females lay two brittle eggs under barks of trees or inside tree cavities.[3]
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa is a species of gecko endemic to the Philippines. It was identified in 2010 from a sample collected in 2007 on the Dinagat Island and named after the Mamanwa indigenous group. It is also found on Siargao and nearby islands. Adults reach a total body length of ca. 19 cm. This gecko feeds mostly on insects and spends most of its life on trees. Females lay two brittle eggs under barks of trees or inside tree cavities.
