Crowned gecko
| Crowned gecko | ||||||||||||
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New Caledonian Crowned Gecko ( Correlophus ciliatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Correlophus ciliatus | ||||||||||||
| Guichenot , 1866 |
The New Caledonian Crowned Gecko ( Correlophus ciliatus , Syn . : Rhacodactylus ciliatus ) belongs to the family of double- fingered geckos and was first described by Guichenot in 1866. Until its rediscovery in 1994 by Seipp & Klemmer, it was considered extinct. With the publication of Aaron Bauer's revision in 2012, Rhacodactylus was reclassified to Correlophus . The crowned gecko occurs at the southern end of Grande Terre on the main island of New Caledonia and on the offshore Île des Pins and is therefore endemic . It is arboricolous and inhabits the canopy of trees in hot, humid and densely overgrown lowland rainforests. Although the natural habitat of the Crowned Gecko continues to decline due to permanent environmental destruction, it is not subject to any international protection status.
The crowned gecko is a crepuscular and nocturnal gecko and is less shy than species of the genus Rhacodactylus . Its activity time begins at dusk and ends in the early hours of the morning. The crowned gecko rests on the branches of the trees, but also in knotholes which it can hide. The crowned gecko is a skilled climber. His adhesive lamellae and claws as well as his tail, which serves as an additional gripping organ and to keep his balance, are helpful. Like most geckos, the Crowned Gecko is able to shed its tail when in danger ( autotomy ). However, no complete regenerate is formed in the crown gecko, so that only a short stub remains.
Color shapes
The crown gecko comes in several natural color forms: gray, brown, green, pale yellow and rust-red, as well as different patterns. The distribution is not determined geographically and animals from the same egg-laying often show different color forms.
Keeping in the terrarium
The export of wild crowned geckos is strictly prohibited. Before this regulation came into force, biologists and researchers exported some animals (later also with special permission) in order to study and breed this species. Due to its relatively uncomplicated keeping requirements, the Crowned Gecko is enjoying increasing popularity and is successfully kept and bred in terrariums. With good husbandry, life expectancy is 20 to 25 years.
literature
- Stefanie Bach: The crown gecko. Rhacodactylus ciliatus. Natur-und-Tier-Verlag, Münster 2006, ISBN 3-937285-77-6 .
- Robert Seipp, Friedrich Wilhelm Henkel: Rhacodactylus. Biology, husbandry and breeding. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2000, ISBN 3-930612-23-2 .
- Philippe de Vosjoli: Crested Geckos. BowTie, New York NY 2012, ISBN 978-1-882770-80-9 .
Web links
- Correlophus ciliatus in The Reptile Database .
- Correlophus ciliatus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Whitaker, AH & Sadlier, RA, 2010. (English).
- Description of the Crowned Gecko on www.kronengecko.nrw (with video)