Indian golden gecko

Indian golden gecko
	Calodactylodes aureus; from Gingee, Tamil Nadu, India
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Gekkonidae
Genus:	Calodactylodes
Species:	C. aureus
Binomial name
	Calodactylodes aureus; (Beddome, 1870)
Synonyms
	Calodactylus aureusBeddome, 1870; Calodactylodes aureus; — Strand, 1928;

Last updated August 12, 2023

The Indian golden gecko or Beddome's golden gecko^[2] (Calodactylodes aureus ) is a species of gecko known only from the Eastern Ghats of India.^[3] It was rediscovered from the hills near present-day Tirupati.^[4] The rediscovery was after over 100 years since its description.^[5]

Description

Its digits are slender at the base, free, with squarish scales beneath, and large trapezoidal penultimate and distal expansions, the lower surface of each of which is covered by two large plates separated by a longitudinal groove; all the digits are clawed, the claw retractile is between the distal plates; in the inner digit, the penultimate expansion is absent. Its body covered above with small, granular scales, intermixed with larger tubercles; the abdominal scales are juxtaposed. the pupils are vertical. No preanal or femoral pores are present.

Its head is large, oviform, and very distinct from the neck; a strong, rounded supraorbital and canthal ridge is present; it has five deep concavities, a frontal, two postnasals, and two loreals; the snout is longer than the distance between the eye and the ear opening, 1.3 times the diameter of the orbit; the ear opening is vertical, measuring half the diameter of the eye. Its body is not much depressed. The limbs are long and slender. The width of the digital expansion measures about half the diameter of the eye. Its head is covered with very small granules, largest on the canthal ridges; the rostral is four-sided, twice as broad as high, and its posterior border is concave; its nostrils are pierced between the rostral, the first labial, and three nasals; the anterior is large and in contact with its fellow; 12 or 13 upper and as many lower labials occur; the mental is as large as the adjacent labials, or smaller than them; no regular chin-shields are found, but small, polygonal scales pass gradually into the granules which cover the gular region. Its upper surface is covered with minute granules; back with scattered, scarcely prominent, smooth, round, larger tubercles, hardly as large as the ventral scales; the latter flat, smooth, squarish, juxtaposed scales, arranged like the bricks of a wall. The tail is long, cylindrical, remarkably slender, and covered with squarish scales which are much larger beneath. In color, it is brownish-white above (golden during life), dotted or vermiculated with brown; the lower surfaces are whitish.^[6]^[7]^[8]

From snout to vent, its length is 3.5 in (8.9 cm); the tail is 3.2 in (8.1 cm).

Geographic range

This species is found in India, where it is restricted to the rocky areas of the Eastern Ghats.

Habitat

It is found among rocks in dark, shady ravines in the Tirupati Hills (fide M.A. Smith 1935).

Reproduction

Mature females deposit over 300 eggs in a community nest near water or moist areas.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Calodactylodes is a genus of lizards, commonly called golden geckos, in the family Gekkonidae (geckos). The genus is distributed in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Lizards in the genus Calodactylodes are primarily distinguished from other lizards by their characteristic, paired flower petal-like skin extensions on their fingers and toes.

Gehyra mutilata, also known commonly as the common four-clawed gecko, Pacific gecko, stump-toed gecko, sugar gecko in Indonesia, tender-skinned house gecko, and butiki in Filipino, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. It has made its way to several areas of the world including Sri Lanka, Indochina, and many of the Pacific Islands. Compared to the common house gecko, the appearance of G. mutilata is somewhat plump, with delicate skin. The skin is usually colored a soft purplish/pinkish gray, with golden spots on younger specimens; these spots eventually fade with age.

Hemidactylus brookii, also known commonly as Brooke's house gecko and the spotted house gecko, is a widespread species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae.

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Jerdon's day gecko is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to India and Sri Lanka.

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The Wynad day gecko is a species of gecko. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in Kerala, India, and only known from two locations, Wayanad and Silent Valley National Park.

Cyrtodactylus deccanensis, also commonly known as Deccan ground gecko, Günther's Indian gecko, or the banded ground gecko, is a species of gecko found in the northern Western Ghats of India. It has been found from northern Maharashtra, with a habitat range possibly extending to southern Gujarat. Cyrtodactylus albofasciatus was previously considered conspecific with Cyrtodactylus deccanensis but is now accepted as a valid species.

Cyrtodactylus nebulosus, also known as the clouded Indian gecko, is a species of gecko found in India.

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

The Malayan forest gecko or banded bent-toed gecko is a species of gecko found in Southeast Asia.

Lawder's bent-toed gecko is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to northern India. Its type locality is "Kumaon", restricted to Almora by Malcolm Arthur Smith. It is named after Mr. A. Lawder who collected the holotype. His identity is not known for sure, but he is likely to have been A.W. Lawder who was a member of the Geological Society of London, as was Ferdinand Stoliczka who described the species. It is sometimes placed in the genus Cyrtopodion.

Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis, also known as the Jeypore Indian gecko, the Jeypore ground gecko, or the Patinghe Indian gecko, is an endangered species of gecko found in India, which was until recently considered extinct. Described from a single specimen in 1877, it was rediscovered in 2010 in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha state, India.

Hemidactylus karenorum, commonly known as the Burmese leaf gecko, the Burmese leaf-toed gecko, or the Burmese spotted gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Hemidactylus persicus, also known as the Persian leaf-toed gecko or Persian gecko, is a species of gecko found in West Asia.

The reticulate leaf-toed gecko is a species of terrestrial, nocturnal, insectivorous gecko found in rocky areas of South India. It takes refuge under stones on ground during day time and emerges out at night for its activities.

Hemidactylus subtriedrus, also known as Jerdon's gecko or Madras blotched gecko, is a species of gecko found in India and Sri Lanka.

Hemidactylus triedrus, also known as the termite hill gecko, Dakota's leaf-toed gecko, or blotched house gecko, is a species of gecko found in South Asia. The race lankae of Sri Lanka, is now given species status and known as Hemidactylus lankae

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References

↑ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
↑ 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. (Calodactylodes aureus, p. 21).
1 2 Sreekar R, Srinivasulu C, Seetharamaraju M, Srinivasulu CA. 2010. Selection of egg attachment sites by the Indian Golden Gecko Calodactylodes aureus (Beddome, 1870) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) in Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa2 (11): 1268-1272.
↑ Daniel JC, Bhushan B, Sekar AG. 1986. Rediscovery of the Golden gecko Calodactylodes aureus (Beddome) in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society83: 15–16.
↑ Beddome RH. 1870. Descriptions of some new Lizards from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly J. Med. Sci.1: 30–35.
↑ Boulenger GA. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Calodactylus aureus, pp. 80–81).
↑ Bauer AM, Das I. 2000. A review of the gekkonid genus Calodactylodes (Reptilia: Squamata) from India and Sri Lanka. J. South Asian Nat. Hist., Colombo5 (1): 25–35.
↑ Bauer AM, Günther R. 1991. An annotated type catalogue of the geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) in the Zoological Museum, Berlin. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin67: 279–310.

External links

Calodactylodes aureus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database

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[1] The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

[2] 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. (Calodactylodes aureus, p. 21).

[sreekar-3] 1 2 Sreekar R, Srinivasulu C, Seetharamaraju M, Srinivasulu CA. 2010. Selection of egg attachment sites by the Indian Golden Gecko Calodactylodes aureus (Beddome, 1870) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) in Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa2 (11): 1268-1272.

[4] Daniel JC, Bhushan B, Sekar AG. 1986. Rediscovery of the Golden gecko Calodactylodes aureus (Beddome) in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society83: 15–16.

[5] Beddome RH. 1870. Descriptions of some new Lizards from the Madras Presidency. Madras Monthly J. Med. Sci.1: 30–35.

[6] Boulenger GA. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Calodactylus aureus, pp. 80–81).

[7] Bauer AM, Das I. 2000. A review of the gekkonid genus Calodactylodes (Reptilia: Squamata) from India and Sri Lanka. J. South Asian Nat. Hist., Colombo5 (1): 25–35.

[8] Bauer AM, Günther R. 1991. An annotated type catalogue of the geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) in the Zoological Museum, Berlin. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin67: 279–310.

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