Sphaerodactylus klauberi

Sphaerodactylus klauberi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Infraorder: Gekkota
Family: Sphaerodactylidae
Genus: Sphaerodactylus
Species: S. klauberi[1]
Binomial name
Sphaerodactylus klauberi
Grant, 1931[2]

Sphaerodactylus klauberi is a species of gecko endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico.

Common names

Common names for S. klauberi include Klauber's dwarf gecko, Klauber's least gecko, Puerto Rican highland sphaero, Puerto Rican upland gecko, and Puerto Rican upland sphaero.

Etymology

The epithet or specific name, klauberi, is in honor of American herpetologist Laurence Monroe Klauber.[3][4]

Description

Sphaerodactylus klauberi is one of the larger-sized gecko species. It typically measures 5.7 inches (14.5 centimeters) snout to vent. Its colorings consist of a dark-brown upper body with darker-brown or black spots which become larger on the tail. The underbody is usually orange or reddish-pink with a gray throat that may have dark mottled areas.[5]

Behavior

Like all Sphaerodactylus species, S. klauberi is voiceless. The female lays one hard-shelled egg that can be as large as her head. The egg’s incubation lasts 2 to 3 months. The upland gecko is an insectivore. It is mostly active at night.[6]

Habitat

S. klauberi specimens have been collected between 160 ft (50 m) and 3,600 ft (1,097 m) in elevation. They can sometimes be seen on the ground or on low branches in the Tabonuco, Colorado, and Palma Sierra sections of the Caribbean National Rain Forest.[7]

See also

References

  1. ITIS taxonomy
  2. Schwartz A, Thomas R. 1975. A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Sphaerodactylus klauberi, p. 153).
  3. "Sphaerodactylus klauberi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sphaerodactylus klauberi, p. 143).
  5. US Forest Service
  6. US Forest Service
  7. US Forest Service

Further reading


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, November 08, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.