Sphaerodactylus
Template:Short description Template:Italic title Template:Automatic taxobox
Sphaerodactylus is a genus of geckos from the Americas<ref>Gamble T, Bauer AM, Colli GR, Greenbaum E, Jackman TR, Vitt LJ, Simons AM (2011). "Coming to America: Multiple Origins of New World Geckos". Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24: 231–244.</ref> that are distinguished from other Gekkota by their small size, by their round, rather than vertical, eye pupils, and by each digit terminating in a single, round adhesive pad or scale, from which their name (Sphaero = round, dactylus = finger) is derived. All species in this genus are rather small, but two species, S. ariasae and S. parthenopion, are tiny, and – with a snout-vent length of about Template:Convert – the smallest reptiles in the world.<ref>Pennsylvania State University (2001). World's Smallest Lizard Discovered in the Caribbean Template:Webarchive. Accessed 26 January 2009.</ref>
Fossil recordEdit
Fossil remains referred to Sphaerodactylus have been recovered from Dominican amber.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
SpeciesEdit
The following 108 species are recognized as being valid.<ref>Template:EMBL genus www.reptile-database.org.</ref>
- Sphaerodactylus alphus Template:Small - Guanaja large-scaled geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus altavelensis Template:Small - Alto Velo least gecko, Alto Velo sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus argivus Template:Small - Cayman least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus argus Template:Small - ocellated gecko, ocellated sphaero, stippled sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus ariasae Template:Small - Jaragua sphaero, Jaragua dwarf gecko
- Sphaerodactylus armasi Template:Small - Guantanamo least gecko, Guantanamo coastal gecko
- Sphaerodactylus armstrongi Template:Small - Armstrong's least gecko, southern forest geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus asterulus Template:Small - Haitian least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus beattyi Template:Small - Saint Croix's sphaero, Beatty's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus becki Template:Small - Beck's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus bromeliarum Template:Small - El Yunque least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus caicosensis Template:Small - Caicos banded sphaero, Caicos least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus callocricus Template:Small - rough-banded sphaero, callous least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus celicara Template:Small - Baracoan eyespot sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus cinereus Template:Small - gray gecko
- Sphaerodactylus clenchi Template:Small - peninsula least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus cochranae Template:Small - Cochran's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus continentalis Template:Small - upper Central American geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus copei Template:Small - Cope's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus corticola Template:Small - central Bahamas sphaero, Rum Cay least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus cricoderus Template:Small - Turquino collared sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus cryphius Template:Small - Bakoruco least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus dacnicolor Template:Small - Jamaican tailspot sphaero, eastern Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus darlingtoni Template:Small - Darlington's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus difficilis Template:Small - Hispaniolan eyespot sphaero, difficult least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus dimorphicus Template:Small - Santiago de Cuba geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus docimus Template:Small - Cabo Cruz banded sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus dunni Template:Small - Dunn's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus elasmorhynchus Template:Small - Marche Leon least gecko, snout-shield sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus elegans Template:Small - ashy gecko
- Sphaerodactylus elegantulus Template:Small - Antigua least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus epiurus Template:Small - Hispaniolan tailspot sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus exsul Template:Small - Swan Islands geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus fantasticus Template:Small - fantastic least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus gaigeae Template:Small -chevronated sphaero, Gaige's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus gilvitorques Template:Small - Jamaican collared sphaero, Jamaican least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus glaucus Template:Small - collared dwarf gecko, least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus goniorhynchus Template:Small - Jamaican forest sphaero, Cakoarita least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis Template:Small - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner
- Sphaerodactylus graptolaemus Template:Small - Costa Rica least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus guanajae Template:Small - Guanaja head-spotted geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus heliconiae Template:Small
- Sphaerodactylus homolepis Template:Small - Caribbean least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus inaguae Template:Small<ref>Noble GK, Klingel GC (1932). "The Reptiles of Great Inagua Island, British West Indies". American Museum Novitates (549): 1–25. [1] [2]</ref> - Inagua sphaero, Inagua least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus inigoi Template:Small - Isla Vieques dwarf gecko
- Sphaerodactylus intermedius Template:Small - Mantanzas least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus kirbyi Template:Small - Bequia dwarf gecko, Bequia sphaero, Grenadines sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus klauberi Template:Small - Klauber's dwarf gecko, Klauber's least gecko, Puerto Rican highland sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus ladae Template:Small - Martin Garcia least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus lazelli Template:Small - Cap-Haitien least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus leonardovaldesi Template:Small
- Sphaerodactylus leucaster Template:Small - eastern least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus levinsi Template:Small - Desecheo gecko, Isla Desecheo least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus lineolatus Template:Small - Panama least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus macrolepis Template:Small - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner
- Sphaerodactylus mariguanae Template:Small - southern Bahamas sphaero, Mayaguana least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus microlepis Template:Small - little-scaled least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus micropithecus Template:Small - Monito gecko
- Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus Template:Small - spotted least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus molei Template:Small - Tobago least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus monensis Template:Small - Mona least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus nicholsi Template:Small - Nichols least gecko, Nichol's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican crescent sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus Template:Small - black-spotted least gecko, three-banded sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus notatus Template:Small - reef gecko, brown-speckled sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus nycteropus Template:Small - Morne Dubois least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus ocoae Template:Small - Peravia least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus oliveri Template:Small - Juventud least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus omoglaux Template:Small - Fond Parisien least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus oxyrhinus Template:Small - Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus pacificus Template:Small - Pacific least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus parkeri Template:Small - Parker's least gecko, southern Jamaica banded sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus parthenopion Template:Small - Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero, Virgin Gorda least gecko, Virgin Islands dwarf gecko
- Sphaerodactylus parvus Template:Small - Anguilla Bank geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus perissodactylius Template:Small - Dominican least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus phyzacinus Template:Small - Les Saintes geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus pimienta Template:Small - pepper sphaero, Cuban pepper sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus plummeri Template:Small - Barahona big-scaled sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus poindexteri Template:Small - Utila small-scaled geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus ramsdeni Template:Small - Ramsden's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus randi Template:Small - Pedernales least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus rhabdotus Template:Small - two-striped sphaero, Vallede Neiba least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus richardi Template:Small - Richard's banded sphaero, Zapata big-scaled sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus richardsonii Template:Small - Richardson's least gecko, northern Jamaica banded sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus roosevelti Template:Small - Roosevelt's beige sphaero, Roosevelt's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus rosaurae Template:Small - Bay Island least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus ruibali Template:Small - Ruibal's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus sabanus Template:Small - Saba least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus samanensis Template:Small - Samana least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus savagei Template:Small - Altagracia speckled sphaero, Savage's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus scaber Template:Small - double-collared sphaero, Camaguey least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus scapularis Template:Small - Boulenger's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus schuberti Template:Small - Neiba agave geckolet, Neiba agave sphaero, Schubert's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus schwartzi Template:Small - Guantanamo collared sphaero, Monitongas collared geckolet, Schwartz's dwarf gecko
- Sphaerodactylus semasiops Template:Small - Cockpit eyespot sphaero, Cockpit least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus shrevei Template:Small - Shreve's least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus siboney Template:Small - Siboney gray-headed geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus sommeri Template:Small - TerreNueve least gecko, Terre-Neuve least gecko, northwest Haitian banded geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus sputator Template:Small - island least gecko
- Sphaerodactylus storeyae Template:Small - Isle of Pines sphaero, Los Canarreos sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus streptophorus Template:Small - Hispaniola least gecko, Hispaniolan small-eared sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus thompsoni Template:Small - Thompson's least gecko, Barahona limestone sphaero
- Sphaerodactylus torrei Template:Small - Barbour's least gecko, Cuban broad-banded geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus townsendi Template:Small - Townsend's least gecko, Townsend's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican sandy geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus underwoodi Template:Small - Underwood's least gecko, Turks Islands geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus verdeluzicola Template:Small - Puerto Rican karst gecko
- Sphaerodactylus vincenti Template:Small - Vincent's least gecko, Central Lesser Antillean sphaero, Windward geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus williamsi Template:Small - Williams's least gecko, Haitian striped geckolet
- Sphaerodactylus zygaena Template:Small - Dame-Marie least gecko, Tiburon coastal geckolet
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Sphaerodactylus.
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Sphaerodactylus, pp. 142–164).
- Wagler J (1830). Natürliches System der AMPHIBIEN, mit vorangehender Classification der SÄUGTHIERE und VÖGEL. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie. Munich, Stuttgart and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. vi + 354 pp. + one plate. (Sphaerodactylus, new genus, p. 143). (in German and Latin).