Fan finger

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Fan finger
Ptyodactylus hasselquisti

Ptyodactylus hasselquisti

Systematics
without rank: Sauropsida
Superordinate : Scale lizards (Lepidosauria)
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Geckos (gekkota)
Family : Leaf finger geckos (Phyllodactylidae)
Genre : Fan finger
Scientific name
Ptyodactylus
Oken , 1817

The fan fingers ( Ptyodactylus ) are a genus of gecko-like . Ptyodactylus species live in North Africa and the Middle East . Here they prefer rocky ground in deserts and on their edges.

features

Fan-like lamellae on the underside of the toes of Ptyodactylus puiseuxi

The name fan finger refers to the fan-like toes, on the underside of which there are radially arranged adhesive lamellae. The claws, which are located in the small indentation in the middle of each fan toe, are retractable. The fan fingers reach a head-trunk length of 6-11 centimeters. The coloration of the fan finger species is very variable. The individuals also have the ability to change color . In all species the upper side of the tail is curled light-dark, on the back they have 8-14 longitudinal stripes. The pupil is slit vertically. Outwardly, the sexes can only be distinguished during the reproductive period, since both sexes lack femoral pores and anal pores .

Ptyodactylus hasselquistii with easily recognizable, thorn-like tubercles on the back

With the exception of Ptyodactylus homolepis , all fan- finger geckos have tubercles , i.e. wart-like enlarged skin flakes, on their back and tail. The shape of the tubercles can be used to determine the species.

Way of life

Some species are diurnal, others are nocturnal. Most species of the genus prefer temperatures above 30 ° C and feed on beetles, crickets, worms, grasshoppers and the like. The poisonous yellow Mediterranean scorpion ( Leiurus quinquestriatus ) is also hunted, with Ptyodactylus guttatus , unlike Ptyodactylus puiseuxi, being immune to its poison.

species

The following 12 recent species belong to the fan finger genus (as of August 17, 2020):

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Peter Heimes: Contribution to the systematics of the fan fingers (Sauria: Gekkonidae: Ptyodactylus). In: Salamandra. Volume 23, No. 4, 1987, pp. 212-235 ( PDF; 9.27 MB ).
  2. ↑ Zeev Arad, Pnina Raber, Yehudah L. Werner : Selected Body Temperature in Diurnal and Nocturnal Forms of Ptyodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkoninae) in a Photothermal Gradient. In: Journal of Herpetology. Volume 23, No. 2, 1989, pp. 103-108, doi: 10.2307 / 1564015 .
  3. ↑ Eliahu Zlotkin, Tanya Milman, Guy Sion, Yehudah L. Werner: Predatory behavior of gekkonid lizards, Ptyodactylus spp., Towards the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus, and their tolerance of its venom. In: Journal of Natural History. Volume 37, No. 5, 2003, pp. 641-646, doi: 10.1080 / 00222930210133264 .
  4. ^ Ptyodactylus in The Reptile Database ; accessed on August 17, 2020.

Web links

Commons : Fan Finger ( Ptyodactylus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files