title: Two newly recognized species of Hemidactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from the Arabian Peninsula and Sinai, Egypt.
abstract: A recent molecular phylogeny of the Arid clade of the genus Hemidactylus revealed that the recently described H. saba and two unnamed Hemidactylus species from Sinai, Saudi Arabia and Yemen form a well-supported monophyletic group within the Arabian radiation of the genus. The name 'Hemidactylus saba species group' is suggested for this clade. According to the results of morphological comparisons and the molecular analyses using two mitochondrial (12S and cytb) and four nuclear (cmos, mc1r, rag1, rag2) genes, the name Hemidactylus granosus Heyden, 1827 is resurrected from the synonymy of H. turcicus for the Sinai and Saudi Arabian species. The third species of this group from Yemen is described formally as a new species H. ulii sp. n. The phylogenetic relationships of the members of 'Hemidactylus saba species group' are evaluated and the distribution and ecology of individual species are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, Prague, Czech Republic ; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smíd
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moravec
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lukáš
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kratochvíl
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Václav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gvoždík
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of Sana'a, Sana'a, Yemen.
authors.forename: Abdul Karim
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nasher
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Faculty of Education, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen ; Faculty of Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Salem M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Busais
authors.affiliation: Zoologischer Garten Frankfurt, Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilms
authors.affiliation: Biology department, Faculty of Science, Taif University 888, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Shobrak
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carranza
keywords: Arabia; Gekkonidae; Hemidactylus granosus Heyden, 1827; Hemidactylus saba species group; Hemidactylus ulii sp. n.; Red Sea; Reptilia; molecular phylogeny