Giant bronze gecko | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Gekkonidae |
Genus: | Ailuronyx |
Species: | A. trachygaster |
Binomial name | |
Ailuronyx trachygaster (Duméril & Bibron, 1851) | |
The giant bronze gecko (Ailuronyx trachygaster) is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to Seychelles.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Giant Bronze Gecko (Ailuronyx trachygaster) is a species intricately linked to the Lodoicea maldivica with a continuous canopy. Its habitat preference is exclusive to this environment, covering an estimated area of no more than about 4 km^2 on Praslin, Seychelles. Unlike other habitat types, this gecko has not been observed in areas with individual Coco de Mer palms or isolated stands of these trees. The species exhibits a preference for the upper canopy of mature Coco de Mer forest, where it dominates inflorescences, a crucial source of pollen, and a key food source for the gecko.
The Giant Bronze Gecko possesses an extremely limited habitat range primarily dependent on intact Coco de Mer forest. Any degradation of this habitat, such as the spread of invasive species or poaching of Coco de Mer nuts, could pose a long-term threat to the species. The collection of Coco de Mer nuts may indirectly impact the gecko by inhibiting the regeneration of palm trees, vital to its habitat. [2]
Potential threats to the habitat include fire, habitat degradation, fragmentation, and climate change. A single major fire could have devastating consequences for the Vallée de Mai, a significant location for the species. Climate change impacts, particularly longer periods of drought projected for the Seychelles, may also severely affect the palm forest and, consequently, the gecko's habitat. [2]
Recent surges in commercial interest in the Giant Bronze Gecko within the international pet trade have raised concerns due to the species' small population size. Additionally, the expansion of invasive Yellow Crazy Ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) poses a direct threat. These ants negatively impact the abundance and species richness of arboreal molluscs and geckos in the native palm forest. [2]
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred millimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons that last several months and vary with geographic location. These seasonal droughts have great impact on all living things in the forest.
The yellow crazy ant, also known as the long-legged ant or Maldive ant, is a species of ant, thought to be native to West Africa or Asia. They have been accidentally introduced to numerous places in the world's tropics.
Lodoicea, commonly known as the sea coconut, coco de mer, or double coconut, is a monotypic genus in the palm family. The sole species, Lodoicea maldivica, is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles. It has the largest seed in the plant kingdom. It was also formerly found on the small islets of St Pierre, Chauve-Souris, and Ile Ronde, all located near Praslin, but had become extinct there for a time until recently reintroduced.
Seychelles giant day gecko is diurnal subspecies of geckos. It lives on the island Praslin in the Seychelles and typically inhabits trees and dwellings. The Seychelles giant day gecko feeds on insects and nectar.
Tropical forests are forested landscapes in tropical regions: i.e. land areas approximately bounded by the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds.
The rough-snouted giant gecko, also known as the greater rough-snouted gecko or tough-snouted gecko, is a species of gecko found in New Caledonia.
Curieuse Island is a small granitic island 1.13 sq mi (2.9 km2) in the Seychelles close to the north coast of the island of Praslin. Curieuse is notable for its bare red earth intermingled with the unique coco de mer palms, one of the cultural icons of the Seychelles, only growing on the two neighboring islands.
Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It consists of a well-preserved palm forest, flagship species made up of the island endemic coco de mer, as well as five other endemic palms.
The Madagascar dry deciduous forests represent a tropical dry forest ecoregion situated in the western and northern part of Madagascar. The area has high numbers of endemic plant and animal species but has suffered large-scale clearance for agriculture. They are among the world's richest and most distinctive dry forests and included in the Global 200 ecoregions by the World Wide Fund. The area is also home to distinctive limestone karst formations known as tsingy, including the World Heritage Site of Bemaraha.
Salvin's salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is found in El Salvador and Guatemala. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, pastureland, plantations, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Pseudophilautus steineri, known as Steiner's shrub frog, is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae.
The Christmas boobook, also known more specifically as the Christmas Island hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.
The Seychelles bronze gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to Seychelles.
Phelsuma astriata, the Seychelles (small) day gecko or stripeless day gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to the Seychelles.
Phelsuma sundbergi, commonly called the La Digue day gecko, Mahé day gecko, or Seychelles giant day gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Seychelles and has three subspecies.
The Seychelles sucker-tailed gecko or Seychelles surprise gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to Seychelles.
The Aldabra flying fox is a species of megabat in the genus Pteropus. It is endemic to the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, like Chaerephon pusilla, though the latter may be the same species as the little free-tailed bat.
The Granitic Seychelles are the islands in Seychelles which lie in central position on the Seychelles Bank and are composed of granite rock. They make up the majority of the Inner Islands, which in addition include the coral islands along of the rim of the Seychelles Bank, namely Bird Island and Denis Island. The Granitic Seychelles contrast with the Coralline Seychelles or the Outer Islands, several island groups made up of low coral islands with dry, infertile soils.
The nut and tree of the coco de mer is a rare species of palm tree native to Africa, in the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean. It is the subject of various legends and lore. Coco de mer is endemic to the Seychelles islands of Praslin and Curieuse. Before the Seychelles were discovered and settled, nuts of this species were sometimes carried by the ocean currents to distant shores, such as those of the Maldives, where the tree was unknown. These floating nuts did not germinate. The exceptional size and suggestive form of the nut, the circumstances of its discovery, and some unusual qualities of the trees have given rise to several legends.
The Western Ecuador Moist Forests (NT0178), also known as the Pacific Forest of Ecuador, is an ecoregion in the plains and western foothills of the Andes of southern Colombia and Ecuador. At one time this region contained dense forests with highly diverse flora and fauna, and many endemic species. Most of the original habitat has now been destroyed, and the ecoregion is one of the most threatened in the world.
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