Giant wall gecko
| Giant wall gecko | |
|---|---|
| T. gigas brancoensis in Cape Verde | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Phyllodactylidae |
| Genus: | Tarentola |
| Species: | T. gigas
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tarentola gigas (Bocage, 1875)
| |
| Subspecies | |
| |
The giant wall gecko (Tarentola gigas) is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae.
Taxonomy
The species was named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.
There are two subspecies:[2]
- Tarentola gigas brancoensis Schleich, 1984
- Tarentola gigas gigas Bocage, 1875
Description
The giant wall gecko reaches maximum 15.5 cm snout–vent length and its dorsal skin has a grey color.[2] They are one of the largest geckos in the world.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of São Nicolau and on the nearby islets of Branco and Raso.[2]
Before human settlement to Cape Verde, giant wall geckos also inhabited São Vicente and Santa Luzia.[3]
Diet and Habits
Giant wall geckos are nocturnal.
Both subspecies of the Cape Verdean T. gigas have a generalist diet, feeding on a variety of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates (such as Coleoptera, Diptera, and more) available within their trophic environment.[3]
Conservation
The giant wall gecko is listed as threatened because of the reduction and its range, and the decrease in the species it preys on.[3]
References
- ^ Vasconcelos, R. (2013). "Tarentola gigas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013 e.T13152177A13152180. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T13152177A13152180.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Tarentola gigas at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 1 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d Pinho, Catarina Jesus; Santos, Bárbara; Mata, Vanessa A. (2018). "What Is the Giant Wall Gecko Having for Dinner? Conservation Genetics for Guiding Reserve Management in Cabo Verde". Genes. 9 (12): 599. doi:10.3390/genes9120599. PMC 6315674. PMID 30513942.
Further reading
- Bocage 1875 : 2. Sur deux reptiles nouveaux de l'Archipel du Cap-Vert [On Two New Reptiles of the Cape Verde Archipelago]. Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes (Journal of Science, Mathematics, Physrics and Nature), Lisbon, vol. 5, p. 108-112
- Carranza, S., Arnold, E. Nicholas; Mateo, J. A. and L. F. López-Jurado 2000 Long-distance colonization and radiation in gekkonid lizards, Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Proc. R. Soc. London B 267: 637-649
- Schleich, 1984 : Die Geckos der Gattung Tarentola der Kapverden (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae) [Geckos of the Tarentola Species in Cape Verde]. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, vol. 68, p. 95-106. (in German)
- Schleich, H.H. 1987 Herpetofauna caboverdiana. Spixiana Suppl. (no. 12) p. 75
- Schleich H H 1988 Ascalabotes gigas BOCAGE 1875 (currently Tarentola gigas); proposed conservation of the specific name, by suppression of the senior synonym Tarentola borneensis Gray 1845. Bull. Zool. Nomencl. 45
- Jesus, J.; Brehm, A. & Harris, D.J. 2002 Relationships of Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the Cape Verde Islands estimated from DNA sequence data. Amphibia-Reptilia 23 (1): 47-54
- Joger U 1993 On two collections of reptiles and amphibians from the Cape Verde Islands, with descriptions of three new taxa. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 159: 437-444
- Joger, U. 1984 Die Radiation der Gattung Tarentola in Makaronesien. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 71: 91-111