Gomera gecko

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Gomera gecko
Tarentola gomerensis.JPG

Gomera gecko ( Tarentola gomerensis )

Systematics
Superordinate : Scale lizards (Lepidosauria)
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Geckos (gekkota)
Family : Leaf finger geckos (Phyllodactylidae)
Genre : Tarentola
Type : Gomera gecko
Scientific name
Tarentola gomerensis
Joger & Bischoff , 1983

The Gomera gecko ( Tarentola gomerensis ) is a gecko species endemic to the Canary Island of Gomera .

features

The Gomera gecko reaches a head-trunk length of 7.5 centimeters. It is very similar to the Canary Island gecko , but its upper side is much darker and more uniform in color. There is usually no dark markings, only faded dark transverse ties can sometimes be seen. In contrast to the dark basic color, there are white spots that are irregularly distributed. The species can be reliably determined from this characteristic. The iris of the Gomera gecko is silver-gray. The tubercle scales of the back are usually keeled, but they stand out clearly on the non-regenerated tail.

The sexes can be distinguished on the basis of the smaller size of the female (max. 6.2 centimeters head-trunk length) and the lack of retractable claws in males.

Occurrence

The Gomera gecko only occurs on the Canary Island of Gomera . It can be found from sea level up to 1150 meters above sea level, but usually stays below 700 meters. Its habitats are exposed to the sun and only moderately overgrown. It can be found on the entire island with the exception of the laurel forests and the summit zones.

Phylogeny

The Gomera gecko is the sister species of the Canary Islands gecko. After Gomera was colonized by Canary geckos from Tenerife , the Gomera gecko developed on Gomera in an allopatric species formation . The split occurred about 4 million years ago.

Existence and endangerment

The Gomera gecko is considered common and its population is stable. The IUCN therefore classifies the Gomera gecko as not endangered ( least concern ).

supporting documents

  • Dieter Glandt : Pocket dictionary of amphibians and reptiles in Europe. All types from the Canary Islands to the Urals. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-494-01470-8 , pp. 539-540.
  1. ↑ Ulrich Joger , Wolfgang Bischoff: Two new taxa of the genus Tarentola (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae) from the Canary Islands. In: Bonn zoological contributions. Volume 34, No. 4, 1983, ISSN  0006-7172 , pp. 459-468 ( online ).
  2. ↑ Salvador Carranza, Edwin N. Arnold, José A. Mateo, Luis F. López-Jurado: Long-distance colonization and radiation in gekkonid lizards, Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences. In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. Volume 267, No. 1444, 2000, pp. 637-649, ( digitized version ).
  3. ↑ Tarentola gomerensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Jose Antonio Mateo Miras, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, 2008. Accessed April 21, 2011th

Web links

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