Phyllodactylus lepidopygus is a gecko

Gecko

Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

 belonging to the genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Phyllodactylus

Phyllodactylus

Phyllodactylus is a genus of geckos distributed in South America and Central America, and as far north as southern United States. They are commonly known as "Leaf-toed geckos" in their native range, and otherwise as American leaf-toed geckos to distinguish them from unrelated genera with similar...

("leaf-toed" geckos). It was described by Tschudi

Johann Jakob von Tschudi

Johann Jakob von Tschudi was a Swiss naturalist and explorer.Tschudi was born in Glarus, and studied natural sciences and medicine at the universities of Neuchâtel, Leiden and Paris. In 1838 he travelled to Peru, where he remained for five years exploring and collecting plants in the Andes...

 in 1845.

The species' natural habitat is restricted to the central coast of Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, between the regions of Ica

Ica Region

Ica is a region in Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the west; the Lima Region on the north; the Huancavelica and Ayacucho regions on the east; and the Arequipa Region on the south. Its capital is the city of Ica.- Geography :...

 and Ancash. In the Lima region

Lima Region

Lima Region, also known as Lima Provincias, is one of twenty-five regions of Peru. Located in the central coast of the country, its regional seat is Huacho....

, a large portion of its coastal habitat has been negatively affected by urban development. Within the city of Lima

Lima

Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...

, sightings were reported in 2004 in the Pantanos de Villa Reserved Zone, where the species may have found a good opportunity to survive. Large populations of this species are found in the lomas (fog-supported vegetation communities) of Pachacamac

Pachacamac

The temple of Pachacamac is an archaeological site 40 km southeast of Lima, Peru in the Valley of the Lurín River. Most of the common buildings and temples were built c...

 and Lachay

Lomas de Lachay

The Lomas de Lachay is a national reserve in the desert foothills of Huaura Province in Lima region of Peru. The reserve is located north from the capital Lima and features a unique mist-fed ecosystem of wild plant and animal species...

.