WATCH ON YOUTUBE: New to Science: Namibia’s Barking Geckos Identified Through Unique Calls
- 29 October 2026
WATCH ON YOUTUBE: New to Science: Namibia’s Barking Geckos Identified Through Unique Calls –
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NB: Due to technical difficulties, we unfortunately had to exclude a portion of the presentation
View the PDF of the presentation: HERE
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The call of the barking gecko is a hallmark of Namibia’s arid wilderness. At dusk in the Namib Desert, thousands upon thousands of these little creatures belt out their song. This surreal, otherworldly chorus is entirely unique to the deserts of southern Africa – and each species has a unique song.
In 2025, six species of barking geckos, new to science, were officially named – five of them from Namibia! This was the culmination of many years of fieldwork, genetic analyses, and bioacoustic analyses of their ‘mating calls’. Moreover, this work concluded questions about their different calls and habitats that go back over 150 years in the literature, with notes and contributions from various famous explorers.
This talk will showcase the novel species and their ancient histories, tracing their origins in what is today the Namib Desert, from the days of the dinosaurs. Moreover, this talk will cover how to identify the new species simply by listening and even provide some tips and techniques for those who wish to see them in the wild – which is not an easy thing to do!
About the speaker: Dr Francois Becker is a Senior Lecturer at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. He is a herpetologist (specialising on reptiles and amphibians), though his work also covers broader topics in zoology.
Dr Becker specialises in piecing together the deep-time evolutionary histories of species using phylogenetics, ecology, and the study of habitats. He has worked on many species throughout Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, cooperating with governments, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and other institutions to ensure scientific feedback into species-level conservation planning and implementation.
Dr Becker’s work on the barking geckos was done primarily under the affiliation of the National Museum of Namibia (Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth Sports, Arts and Culture), SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Wits University, and Gobabeb Namib Research Institute, and with the support of many local and international institutions and individuals.
View presentation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Smc-4X8i7q0
Recorded on 29 October 2026