Fish scale gecko
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Fish scale gecko ( Geckolepis megalepis ) |
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| Geckolepis megalepis | ||||||||||||
| Scherz , Daza , Köhler , Vences , Glaw , 2017 |
The fish scale gecko ( Geckolepis megalepis ) belongs to the gecko family and lives in the limestone formations in northern Madagascar . It is the first addition to the genus Geckolepis since 1942. This gecko species has the largest scales of all geckos and can shed them as a defense mechanism to protect itself from predators ( autotomy ). Most of the time, only the scales of the gecko remain in the mouth of a predator . The fish scale gecko shares this ability with other species of the genus Geckolepis . The scales of the fish scale gecko, however, loosen much more easily than in the other species.
Distribution and conservation
Geckolepis megalepis is known from Ankarana National Park . The habitat is limited to the Tsingy Karst formations in the park. In the original description, the species was described as critically endangered due to the shrinking of the range by humans , but it is believed that the species can adapt to the changes.
Defense Mechanism
Due to the fact that the fish scale gecko is the species with the largest scales of all geckos, they have developed their shedding particularly well as a measure to escape from predators. The scales have evolved so that they fall off very easily. Under the scales there is a predetermined breaking point that is formed by the skin. Geckolepis megalepis may not be the only species of geckos that has mastered this defense mechanism , but it is the only one that can do it willingly. The flaky skin grows back within a few weeks. Because the skin is so easily detachable, it was not easy for the scientists to catch the geckos and study them in depth. It was finally found that the material of the scales is very dense and mineralized . The form of regeneration has not yet been fully researched.
ecology
Little is known about the ecology of the fish scale geckos. We only know that they are nocturnal, prefer trees and eat insects .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Mark D. Scherz, Juan D. Daza, Jörn Köhler, Miguel Vences, Frank Glaw: Off the scale: a new species of fish-scale gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Geckolepis) with exceptionally large scales . In: PeerJ 5: e2955, 2017, doi : 10.7717 / peerj.2955
- ↑ http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2017/02/new-species-gecko-massive-scales-and-tear-away-skin-identified
