Sphaerodactylus argus
| Sphaerodactylus argus | |
|---|---|
| File:Ocellated gecko (Sphaerodactylus argus) Madden Haag.jpg | |
| Ocellated gecko (Sphaerodactylus argus) | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Sphaerodactylidae |
| Genus: | Sphaerodactylus |
| Species: | S. argus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Sphaerodactylus argus | |
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Sphaerodactylus argus, also known commonly as the ocellated gecko, the ocellated sphaero, and the stippled sphaero, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae native to the Caribbean and surrounding regions. There are two recognized subspecies.
Etymology
[edit | edit source]The specific name, argus, refers to Argus, the many-eyed giant in Greek mythology, an allusion to the ocelli (eye spots) of this species.[3]
Geographic range
[edit | edit source]S. argus is found in Jamaica,[4] Cuba and on adjacent islets, The Bahamas, San Andres and Providencia in Colombia and in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. S. argus can also be found in the Florida Keys, where it has well-established populations, though introduced.[1]
Habitat
[edit | edit source]The preferred natural habitat of S. argus is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 100 m (330 ft). A climbing species, it can also be seen on walls and in buildings.[1]
Diet
[edit | edit source]S. argus feeds on insects and other small invertebrates.[citation needed]
Reproduction
[edit | edit source]Subspecies
[edit | edit source]Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominate subspecies.[4][5]
- S. a. argus Gosse, 1850
- S. a. andresensis Dunn & Saxe, 1950
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Gosse PH (1850). "Description of a new genus and six new species of Saurian Reptiles". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Second Series 6: 344–348. ("Sphærodactylus Argus ", new species, p. 347).
- ^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. (Sphaerodactylus argus, p. 11).
- ^ a b 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 argus, p. 144).
- ^ a b Species Sphaerodactylus argus at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Dunn ER, Saxe LH (1950). "Results of the Catherwood-Chaplin West Indies Expedition, 1948. Part 5. Amphibians and Reptiles of San Andrés and Providencia". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 102: 141–165. (Sphaerodactylus argus andresensis, new subspecies, p. 148).
- Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 Plates, 207 Figures. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. (Sphaerodactylus argus, p. 269 + Plate 24).
External links
[edit | edit source]Lua error in Module:Taxonbar at line 165: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).