This is not Sphaerodactylus arisae
anonymous
November 21 2008, 04:58:55 UTC
An adult S. arisae is not only much smaller than this animal, it also completely lacks the banding pattern.
I think the animal you have depicted is a Sphaerodactylus glaucus, from Central America. Sphaerodactylus is a genus that contains 98 described species, and all are under 3" in total length.
In the southern part of Hispaniola, something crazy happened with these already puny geckos. It seems that the suturing of S-Hispaniola (the South island= Barahona+Tiburon Penninsula) in the Miocene (~15mya) to the Northern half (the Cordillera Centrale, Seirra Martin Garcia) produced an extensive desert habitat (the present day Valle de Neiba/ Cul de Sac and south of the Barahona Mountains). Many lineages of Sphaerodactylus appear to have evolved extremely reduced body sizes to survive in the very small moist microhabitats distributed throughout these Acacia-cactus deserts. These is the area where S. ariasae and its relatives evolved.
S. ariasae and it's closest relatives are essentially unicolored. However, they all are noted for have two parallel, thin, dark lateral stripes that flank the hips and extend partway down the tail. Some species also have a chevron or U-shaped markings over the shoulders.
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I think the animal you have depicted is a Sphaerodactylus glaucus, from Central America. Sphaerodactylus is a genus that contains 98 described species, and all are under 3" in total length.
In the southern part of Hispaniola, something crazy happened with these already puny geckos. It seems that the suturing of S-Hispaniola (the South island= Barahona+Tiburon Penninsula) in the Miocene (~15mya) to the Northern half (the Cordillera Centrale, Seirra Martin Garcia) produced an extensive desert habitat (the present day Valle de Neiba/ Cul de Sac and south of the Barahona Mountains). Many lineages of Sphaerodactylus appear to have evolved extremely reduced body sizes to survive in the very small moist microhabitats distributed throughout these Acacia-cactus deserts. These is the area where S. ariasae and its relatives evolved.
S. ariasae and it's closest relatives are essentially unicolored. However, they all are noted for have two parallel, thin, dark lateral stripes that flank the hips and extend partway down the tail. Some species also have a chevron or U-shaped markings over the shoulders.
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