Phyllurus

Last updated

Phyllurus
Phyllurus platurus.jpg
Broad-tailed gecko (Phyllurus platurus)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Carphodactylidae
Genus: Phyllurus
Schinz, 1822 [1] [2]

Phyllurus is a small genus of Australian leaf-tailed geckos, lizards in the family Carphodactylidae. Rarely seen outside their native habitat, they are notable for their highly effective camouflage which is in part aided by the spiny tubercles that cover every body part.

Contents

Most member species, except for P. caudiannulatus, P. gulbaru and P. kabikabi, have very flattened, leaf-shaped tails. Some of these species have recently been reassigned to the genus Saltuarius . The Phyllurus geckos resemble the Uroplatus geckos of Madagascar. This is an example of convergent evolution because they are not closely related. As of 2023, Scawfell Island leaf-tailed gecko is the last known species of gecko to be found in Australia.

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid. [3]

The northern leaf-tailed gecko (previously Phyllurus cornutus Ogilby, 1892), is now placed in the genus Saltuarius .

Nota bene : A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Phyllurus.

Related Research Articles

South Cumberland Islands is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 831 km northwest of Brisbane. It is famous for the marine stingers which can be found in the waters of the park between October and May.

<i>Carphodactylus</i> Genus of lizards

Carphodactylus is a monotypic genus of geckos in the family Carphodactylidae. The genus consists of the sole species Carphodactylus laevis, commonly known as the chameleon gecko. The species is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Australia. It is rated as Least Concern, as it is common within its range and occurs within protected areas. It currently experiences no major threats, though long-term climate change may alter or reduce its geographic distribution under some scenarios.

<i>Saltuarius</i> Genus of lizards

Saltuarius is a genus of larger Australian geckos, known collectively as leaf-tailed geckos. The genus was created in 1993 to accommodate some former members of the genus Phyllurus. These geckos appear very similar to the Uroplatus geckos native to Madagascar. However, this is a convergent evolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Melville</span> Point in Queensland, Australia

Cape Melville is a headland on the eastern coast of the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. To its west lies Princess Charlotte Bay. It is part of the Cape Melville National Park. Cape Melville was named Stoney Cape in 1815 by Lieutenant Charles Jeffreys on the HM Kangaroo but later renamed by him as Cape Melville

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

The broad-tailed gecko, southern leaf-tailed gecko, or Sydney leaf-tailed gecko is a common gecko of the family Carphodactylidae found in the Sydney Basin. The species uses its mottled colour to camouflage against bark or rock, and if threatened can drop its large fleshy tail as a decoy. The tail is also useful for fat storage. This species of gecko is available in captivity as a pet, they are a nocturnal ambush hunter, relying on camouflage and patience to catch prey. Primary prey items include large nocturnal invertebrates such as spiders, cockroaches and beetles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champion's leaf-tailed gecko</span> Species of lizard

Champion's leaf-tailed gecko, also known commonly as the Koumala leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Carphodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia.

<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 32 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">Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko is a species of geckos that is endemic to the Melville Range on Cape Melville in Northern Australia. The species was described in 2013 by Australian zoologists Conrad Hoskin and Patrick J. Couper. The lizards are about 20 cm (7.9 in) long and are believed to be a relic species from the time period rainforests were more abundant in Australia. The name derives from the Latin word for "extraordinary" or "exquisite", and refers to the lizard's distinctive, camouflaged appearance. It hides among rocky boulders in the day and emerges at night to hunt on rocks and trees. The lizard has large eyes, a long and slender body, and specialized limbs adapted to life in dimly lit boulder fields.

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

The northern leaf-tailed gecko is a species of the genus Saltuarius, the Australian leaf-tailed geckos.

Orraya is a monotypic genus of lizard in the family Carphodactylidae. The genus contains the sole species Orraya occultus, also known commonly as the McIlwraith leaf-tailed gecko or the long-necked northern leaf-tailed gecko. The species is endemic to Australia.

Phyllurus amnicola, also known as the Mount Elliot leaf-tailed gecko or the Riverine leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of gecko found in Australia. It is endemic to Mount Elliot in Bowling Green Bay National Park in northeastern Queensland.

Phyllurus caudiannulatus, also known as the Bulburin leaf-tailed gecko or ringed thin-tail gecko is a gecko found in Australia. It is endemic to the Bulburin State Forest in the Dawes Range and Many Peaks Range in southeastern Queensland.

Phyllurus gulbaru, the Gulbaru leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of gecko found in Australia. It is endemic to the extreme southern end of the Paluma Range in Queensland.

Phyllurus isis, also known commonly as the Mount Blackwood leaf-tailed gecko and the Mount Jukes broad-tailed gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Carphodactylidae. The species is endemic to Mount Blackwood and Mount Jukes in mideastern Queensland, Australia.

<i>Phyllurus nepthys</i> Species of lizard

Phyllurus nepthys, also known commonly as the Eungella leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Carphodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia.

Saltuarius kateae, also known commonly as Kate's leaf-tailed gecko or the Mount Marsh leaf-tailed gecko is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Carphodactylidae. The species is native to New South Wales.

<i>Saltuarius moritzi</i> Species of lizard

Saltuarius moritzi, also known commonly as the New England leaf-tailed gecko or Moritz's leaf-tailed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Carphodactylidae. The species is native to Australia.

<i>Saltuarius salebrosus</i> Species of lizard

Saltuarius salebrosus, also known as the rough-throated leaf-tailed gecko or Central Queensland leaf-tailed gecko, is a gecko found in Australia. It is endemic to dry areas in mid-eastern and south-central Queensland.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scawfell Island leaf-tailed gecko</span> Species of lizard

Phyllurus fimbriatus, the Scawfell Island leaf-tailed gecko, is a large species of gecko endemic to mid-east Queensland, Australia.

References

  1. Dahms Tierleben. www.dahmstierleben.de/systematik/Reptilien/Squamata/Gekkota/Carphodactylidae.
  2. Russell AP (1980). "Underwoodisaurus Wermuth, a junior synonym of Phyllurus Schinz 1822". Journal of Herpetology14 (4): 415-416.
  3. Genus Phyllurus at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  4. A new species of Phyllurus leaf-tailed gecko (Lacertilia: Carphodactylidae) from Scawfell Island, mid-east Queensland, Australia, Conrad J Hoskin, Zootaxa, 2023-02-20

Further reading