Giant wall gecko

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Giant wall gecko
Tarentola gigas brancoensis 10797347.jpg
T. gigas brancoensis in Cape Verde
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Gekkota
Family: Phyllodactylidae
Genus: Tarentola
Species:
T. gigas
Binomial name
Tarentola gigas
(Bocage, 1875)
Subspecies
  • Tarentola gigas brancoensis Schleich, 1984
  • Tarentola gigas gigas Bocage, 1875

The giant wall gecko (Tarentola gigas) is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae.

Contents

Taxonomy

The species was named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.

There are two subspecies: [2]

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

  1. 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.
  2. 1 2 3 Tarentola gigas at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 1 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 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