Eublepharidae

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Eublepharidae
Gecko999.jpg
Common leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
(unranked): Gekkomorpha
Family: Eublepharidae
Boulenger, 1883
Genera

See text

The Eublepharidae are a family of geckos (Gekkota) consisting of 43 described species in 6 genera. They occur in Asia, Africa, North America, and Central America. [1] [2] [3] [4] Eublepharid geckos lack adhesive toepads and, unlike other geckos, have movable eyelids, thus commonly called eyelid geckos. Like other members of Gekkota, the Eublepharidae exhibits tail autotomy due to the fracture planes near their vent. A new tail will then grow in its place, usually lacking the original color and texture. The muscles in the old tail will continue to flex for up to 30 minutes after the drop to distract predators. [5] Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) and African fat-tailed geckos (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) are popular pet lizards.

Genera

The following genera are considered members of the Eublepharidae:

GenusImageType speciesTaxon authorCommon nameSpecies
Aeluroscalabotes Aeluroscalabotes felinus2.jpg
A. felinus
A. felinus (Günther, 1864) Boulenger, 1885Cat gecko1
Coleonyx Coleonyx variegatus by Marshal Hedin.jpg
C. variegatus
C. elegans Gray, 1845Gray, 1845Banded geckos9
Eublepharis Eublepharis macularius1.jpg
E. macularius
E. hardwickii Gray, 1827Gray, 1827Leopard geckos7
Goniurosaurus GoniurosaurusAT.JPG
G. kuroiwae
G. hainanensis Barbour, 1908Barbour, 1908Ground and cave geckos26
Hemitheconyx Hemitheconyx caudicinctus.jpg
H. caudicinctus
H. caudicinctus (Duméril, 1851) Stejneger, 1893Fat-tailed geckos2
Holodactylus 11-05-06 weibchen holodactylus tisch.jpg
H. africanus
H. africanus Boettger, 1893Boettger, 1893Clawed geckos2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gecko</span> Lizard belonging to the infraorder Gekkota

Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 to 60 centimetres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gekkonidae</span> Family of lizards

Gekkonidae is the largest family of geckos, containing over 950 described species in 62 genera. The Gekkonidae contain many of the most widespread gecko species, including house geckos (Hemidactylus), the tokay gecko (Gekko), day geckos (Phelsuma), the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus), and dtellas (Gehyra). Gekkonid geckos occur globally and are particularly diverse in tropical areas. Many species of these geckos exhibit an adhering ability to surfaces through Van der Waals forces utilizing intermolecular forces between molecules of their setae and molecules of the surface they are on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygopodidae</span> Family of lizards

Pygopodidae, commonly known as snake-lizards, or flap-footed lizards, are a family of legless lizards with reduced or absent limbs, and are a type of gecko. The 47 species are placed in two subfamilies and eight genera. They have unusually long, slender bodies, giving them a strong resemblance to snakes. Like snakes and most geckos, they have no eyelids, but unlike snakes, they have external ear holes and flat, unforked tongues. They are native to Australia and New Guinea.

<i>Aristelliger</i> Genus of geckos

Aristelliger is a genus of Caribbean geckos in the family Sphaerodactylidae, commonly known as croaking geckos or Caribbean geckos. The nine named species in the genus are native to various islands in the West Indies, though the species A. georgeensis is also found on mainland Belize. Aristelliger species are nocturnal and mostly arboreal, occupying palm tree trunks and other vertical surfaces. They are among the largest neotropical geckos, with A. lar reaching up to 135 mm in snout-vent-length. They are primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods. Cannibalism of eggs and hatchlings has been reported in A. cochranae. A. lar is omnivorous, and may be an important seed disperser for fruits of the plant Marcgravia. Many species of Aristelliger are accustomed to living among human structures, though several are threatened by urban and agricultural development or invasive species.

<i>Pachydactylus</i> Genus of lizards

Pachydactylus is a genus of insectivorous geckos, lizards in the family Gekkonidae. The genus is endemic to Africa, and member species are commonly known as thick-toed geckos. The genus also displays rich speciation, having 58 distinct species identified when compared to other closely related gecko genera like Rhoptropus, most of which have emerged since 35Ma. It has been suggested that the reason for this rich speciation not from adaptive radiation nor nonadaptive radiation, but that the genus represents a clade somewhere between the two drivers of speciation. P. bibronii geckos have been used by NASA as animal models for experimentation.

<i>Coleodactylus</i> Genus of lizards

Coleodactylus is a genus of South American geckos.

<i>Matoatoa</i> Genus of lizards

Matoatoa is a small genus of geckos, lizards in the family Gekkonidae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar.

<i>Bavayia</i> Genus of lizards

Bavayia is a genus of lizards in the family Diplodactylidae. Species in the genus Bavayia are also known commonly as New Caledonian geckos or bavayias. The genus is native to the remote New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands. The 41 species are moderately small to medium-sized geckos, and are distinguished from other genera by their tail length and the shape of their digits.

<i>Eurydactylodes</i> Genus of lizards

Eurydactylodes is a small genus of geckos commonly referred to as chameleon geckos from the subfamily Diplodactylidae, endemic to New Caledonia and few adjacent islands. Within the Diplodactylidae, Eurydactylodes resides in the Carphodactylini tribe, and consists of four species. All species share similar morphology as well as lifestyle and habits. The first of the Eurydactylodes species to be classified, E. vieillardi, was discovered in 1869.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gargoyle gecko</span> Species of lizard

The gargoyle gecko, knob-headed giant gecko, New Caledonia bumpy gecko, or New Caledonian bumpy gecko is a species of gecko found only on the southern end of the island of New Caledonia. Its habitat is threatened by deforestation on the island. This species of gecko is the smallest of the six recognized species in its genus where they often reach about 125 mm in size. This gecko, along with several other Rhacodactylus species are being considered for protective measures by CITES, which would put restrictions on their exportation. This gecko was first described by Bavay in 1869.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested gecko</span> Species of lizard

The crested gecko or eyelash gecko is a species of gecko native to southern New Caledonia. In 1866, the crested gecko was described by French zoologist Alphonse Guichenot. This species was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994 during an expedition led by Robert Seipp. Along with several other New Caledonian gecko species, it is being considered for protected status by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leopard gecko</span> Species of reptile

The leopard gecko or common leopard gecko is a ground-dwelling gecko native to the rocky dry grassland and desert regions of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. The leopard gecko has become a popular pet, and due to extensive captive breeding it is sometimes referred to as the first domesticated species of lizard.

<i>Hemidactylus prashadi</i> Species of lizard

Hemidactylus prashadi, also known commonly as the Bombay leaf-toed gecko or Prashad's gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllodactylidae</span> Family of geckos

The Phyllodactylidae are a family of geckos (Gekkota) consisting of 163 species in 10 genera, distributed throughout the New World, North Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The family was first delineated based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis in 2008, and all members possess a unique single codon deletion in the phosducin (PDC) gene. The phyllodactylid genus Bogertia has been recently synonymized with Phyllopezus. The name of the family comes from the leaf shaped fingers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carphodactylidae</span> Family of lizards

The Carphodactylidae, informally known as the southern padless geckos, are a family of geckos, lizards in the infraorder Gekkota. The family consists of 34 described species in 7 genera, all of which are endemic to Australia. They belong to the superfamily Pygopodoidea, an ancient group of east Gondwanan geckos now only found in Australasia. Despite their well-developed limbs, molecular phylogenies have demonstrated that Carphodactylidae is the sister group to Pygopodidae, a highly specialized family of legless lizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sphaerodactylidae</span> Family of geckos

The Sphaerodactylidae are a family of geckos (Gekkota) distributed in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, as well as in Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and into Central Asia. The family contains 12 living genera and over 200 living species. The family name comes from the ball shape of their finger joints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazilian pygmy gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Brazilian pygmy gecko is a species of South American lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is monotypic in the genus Chatogekko. It grows to a maximum total length of only 24 millimetres (0.94 in). It is found in leaf litter on the forest floor, and preys on springtails and mites. The species is oviparous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diplodactylidae</span> Family of lizards

The Diplodactylidae are a family in the suborder Gekkota (geckos), with over 150 species in 25 genera. These geckos occur in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Diplodactylids are the most ecologically diverse and widespread family of geckos in both Australia and New Caledonia, and are the only family of geckos found in New Zealand. Three diplodactylid genera have recently been split into multiple new genera.

<i>Amalosia</i> Genus of lizards

Amalosia is a genus of lizards in the family Diplodactylidae. The genus is endemic to Australia. It includes four species:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygopodoidea</span> Superfamily of lizards

Pygopodoidea is a gecko superfamily and the only taxon in the gekkotan subclade Pygopodomorpha. The clade includes three Australasian families: Diplodactylidae, Carphodactylidae, and Pygopodidae. Traditional gekkotan systematics had considered Diplodactylidae and Carphodactylidae as subfamilies of the family Gekkonidae, but recent molecular work have placed Pygopodidae within Gekkonidae making it paraphyletic. These analyses have shown support of Pygopodidae and Carphodactylidae being sister taxa, with Diplodactylidae occupying a basal position in Pygopodoidea.

References

  1. Grismer, L.L. 1988. Phylogeny, taxonomy, classification, and biogeography of eublepharid geckos. In: Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families (R. Estes & G. Pregill, eds), pp. 369–469. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.
  2. Gamble, Tony; Greenbaum, Eli; Jackman, Todd R.; Russell, Anthony P.; Bauer, Aaron M. (June 27, 2012). "Repeated Origin and Loss of Adhesive Toepads in Geckos". PLOS ONE. 7 (6): e39429. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...739429G. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039429 . PMC   3384654 . PMID   22761794.
  3. Gamble, T.; Bauer, A.M.; Colli, G.R.; Greenbaum, E.; Jackman, T.R.; Vitt, L.J.; Simons, A.M. (February 2011). "Coming to America: Multiple Origins of New World Geckos". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 24 (2): 231–244. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02184.x. PMC   3075428 . PMID   21126276.
  4. Gamble, T.; Greenbaum, E.; Jackman, T.R.; Bauer, A.M. (August 2015). "Into the light: Diurnality has evolved multiple times in geckos". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 115 (4): 896–910. doi: 10.1111/bij.12536 .
  5. Cohn, Jeffrey P. (2009). "Tail loss in lizards". BioScience. 59 (8): 728. doi:10.1525/bio.2009.59.8.23. S2CID   84194254.