Yellow-headed dwarf gecko

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Yellow-headed dwarf gecko
Lygodactylus picturatus

Lygodactylus picturatus

Systematics
Superordinate : Scale lizards (Lepidosauria)
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Geckos (gekkota)
Family : Geckos (Gekkonidae)
Genre : Lygodactylus
Type : Yellow-headed dwarf gecko
Scientific name
Lygodactylus picturatus
( Peters , 1868)

White-headed dwarf gecko ( Lygodactylus picturatus ) is a species in the genus Lygodactylus (dwarf gecko) in the family of gecko (Gekkonidae).

features

The yellow-headed dwarf geckos can reach a total length of 7 to 9 cm, but in nature they are usually only 4 to 5 cm long. Males grow slightly larger than females of the same age. Both sexes have a yellow head, the body is gray-blue to blue in the males and brown to gray-blue in the females. However, this depends on the mood of the animals; if disturbed, the whole body can turn dark brown. The male's throat is jet black, the females have a light-colored throat.

habitat

The distribution area of ​​these geckos is mainly East Africa, from southern Sudan via Somalia , Tanzania and southern Kenya to southern Africa. In these areas he mostly lives in the coastal regions. In Uganda and parts of Central Africa, it occurs in moist forests in the regions around Lake Victoria .

Way of life

The yellow-headed dwarf gecko is active during the day and at dusk. In its area of ​​distribution, the temperature does not fall below 20 ° C even at night. The geckos spend the day preferably in large trees up to four meters high (arboricole way of life). Climbing is made possible by the toes covered with adhesive organs (adhesive scales), which are covered with tactile bristles. In Lygodactylus picturatus an adhesive organ is also available at the tip of the tail. In this species it consists of 7 to 9 pairs of adhesive scales.

nutrition

Lygodactylus picturatus is a prey hunter, which means that it often sits motionless on a branch until a prey animal comes close and can then react very quickly. Thanks to his relatively large and good eyes, he can detect movements of small insects even from a distance.

Subspecies

  • Lygodactylus picturatus mombasicus , Loveridge, 1935
  • Lygodactylus picturatus picturatus , (Peters, 1868)
  • Lygodactylus picturatus sudanensis , Loveridge, 1935

literature

  • WCH Peters : Contribution to the knowledge of the herpetological fauna of South Africa. Monthly reports of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, 1870, pp. 110–115.
  • G. Tornier: The crawling animals of German East Africa. Contributions to systematics and descent theory. D. Reimer, Berlin 1897.
  • Beate Röll: Lygodactylus picturatus (Peters). Sauria, Supplement 16 (3), 1994 pp. 289-296.
  • Beate Röll: Lygodactylus luteopicturatus Pasteur 1965 [1964]: a synonym of Lygodactylus picturatus (Peters 1870) (Sauria: Gekkonidae). Sauria, Berlin 26 (1), 2004, pp. 31-35.
  • Beate Röll: Diurnal dwarf geckos from Africa and Madagascar: the genus Lygodactylus. Draco 5 (18), 2004, pp. 18-27.
  • Beate Röll: dwarf geckos - Lygodactylus. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster, 2004, ISBN 3937285164 , p. 64.
  • Herbert Rösler: Annotated list of the recently, subordinate and fossil known Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha). Gekkota 2, 2000, pp. 28-153.
  • Herbert Rösler: Studies on the mating organs of the geckos (Reptilia: Gekkota) - 2. The hemipenis morphology of Lygodactylus GRAY 1864 (Gekkonidae: Gekkoninae). Gekkota 2, 2000, pp. 208-219.
  • Hermann Seufer: Geckos. 2nd Edition. Teacher Library, Landbuch-Verlag, 1995, ISBN 3784211127 .

Web links

Commons : Yellow-headed dwarf gecko ( Lygodactylus picturatus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files