Sphaerodactylus is a genus of geckos from the Americas that are distinguished from other Gekkota by their small size, by their round, rather than vertical, eye pupils, and by each digit terminating in a single, round adhesive pad or scale, from which their name is derived. All species in this genus are rather small, but two species, S. ariasae and S. parthenopion, are tiny, and – with a snout-vent length of about 1.6 cm (0.63 in) – the smallest reptiles in the world.
The Monito gecko is a lizard, a species of gecko endemic to the island of Monito, in the archipelago of Puerto Rico.
Sphaerodactylus ariasae, commonly called the Jaragua sphaero or the Jaragua dwarf gecko, is the smallest species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae.
The Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero, Virgin Gorda least gecko, or Virgin Islands dwarf gecko is a species of gecko and also one of the smallest terrestrial vertebrates. It has only been found on three of the British Virgin Islands: Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and Moskito Island. It was discovered in 1964 and is suspected to be a close relative of Sphaerodactylus nicholsi, a dwarf sphaero from the nearby island of Puerto Rico. It shares its range with the big-scaled least gecko (S. macrolepis), which is found in leaf litter. Unlike this larger gecko, the Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero lives on drier hillsides, yet prefers moist microhabitats found under rocks because it lacks the adaptations necessary for preventing water loss, which is a significant problem due to its small body size.
Sphaerodactylus macrolepis, also known as the big-scaled dwarf gecko or the big-scaled least gecko, is a lizard of the Sphaerodactylus genus. It was first documented in 1859 in the US Virgin Islands, specifically, St. Croix. This diurnal species has since been spotted in other locations such as Puerto Rico with major populations in Culebra.
There are two species of gecko named big-scaled least gecko:
Sphaerodactylus klauberi is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae The species is endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico.
John Paul Richard Thomas is an American taxonomist and systematist, and retired professor of herpetology and evolution at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. He described several species new to science, mostly amphibians and reptiles, from throughout the Caribbean islands including the common coquí, the national animal of Puerto Rico.
Sphaerodactylus beattyi, also known commonly as the Saint Croix's sphaero, Beatty's least gecko, and the cotton ginner gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. There are two recognized subspecies.
Sphaerodactylus gaigeae, also known commonly as the chevronated sphaero or Gaige's least gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico.
Sphaerodactylus levinsi, also known commonly as the Desecheo gecko or the Isla Desecheo least gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Desecheo Island in Puerto Rico.
The Mona least gecko is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is endemic to Isla de Mona of Puerto Rico.
Sphaerodactylus nicholsi, also known commonly as Nichols least gecko, Nichol's dwarf sphaero or the Puerto Rican crescent sphaero, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico.
Sphaerodactylus roosevelti, also known commonly as Roosevelt's beige sphaero or Roosevelt's least gecko, is a small species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico.
Sphaerodactylus townsendi, known commonly as the Townsend's dwarf sphaero or Townsend's least gecko, is a small species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico.
The Isla Vieques dwarf gecko is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is endemic to Vieques and western Culebra in Puerto Rico. Sphaerodactylus inigoi was previously considered a subspecies of Sphaerodactylus macrolepis was but was elevated to full species status based on morphological and molecular data.
The big-scaled dwarf gecko, big-scaled least gecko, or cotton ginner is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis was formerly a subspecies of Sphaerodactylus macrolepis but was elevated to full species status using a combination of molecular and morphological data. Sphaerodactylus g. phoberus is no longer considered valid and was synonymized with S. g. grandiquamis.
