Gilbert's leaf-toed gecko (''Phyllodactylus gilberti)'', also known
commonly as the Wenman Island gecko, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Phyllodactylidae
The Phyllodactylidae are a family of geckos (Gekkota) consisting of over 150 species in 10 genera, distributed throughout the New World, North Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The family was first delineated based on a molecular phylogenetic a ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to the
Galapagos Islands.
Etymology
The
specific name, ''gilberti'', is in honor of American ichthyologist
Charles Henry Gilbert
Charles Henry Gilbert (December 5, 1859 in Rockford, Illinois – April 20, 1928 in Palo Alto, California) was a pioneer ichthyologist and fishery biologist of particular significance to natural history of the western United States. He col ...
.
Geographic range
''P. gilberti'' is only found on two small islands,
Darwin Island
Darwin Island (Spanish: ''Isla Darwin'') is among the smallest in the Galápagos Archipelago with an area of just . It is named in honour of English scientist Charles Darwin. With no dry landing sites, Darwin Island's main attractions are fo ...
and
Wolf Island
Wolf Island ( Spanish: ''Isla Wolf'') or Wenman Island is a small island in the Galápagos Islands and was named after the German geologist Theodor Wolf, who also has the volcano Wolf on Isabela Island named after him. It has an area of and a ...
, in the Galápagos archipelago of
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...
.
The
type locality
Type locality may refer to:
* Type locality (biology)
* Type locality (geology)
See also
* Local (disambiguation)
* Locality (disambiguation)
{{disambiguation ...
is "Wenman Island",
[ which is a name previously used for Wolf Island.
]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s of ''P. gilberti'' are shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ...
and rocky areas at altitudes from sea level to .
Description
''P. gilberti'' may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . Dorsally
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
, it is slate-blue with darker blotches and spots. There is a light gray stripe from the nape of the neck to the middle of the back. Ventrally, it is pale lemon-colored, except for the throat which is light flesh-colored.[ Van Denburgh J (1907). "Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands, 1905–1906. VI. The Geckos of the Galapagos Archipelago". ''Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series'' 1: 405–430. (''Phyllodactylus gilberti'', pp. 413–416).]
Reproduction
''P. gilberti'' is oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), a ...
.[
]
References
Further reading
* Heller E (1903). "Papers from the Hopkins Stanford Galapagos Expedition, 1898–1899. XIV. Reptiles". ''Proceedings of the Washington Academy of Sciences'' 5: 39–98. (''Phyllodactylus gilberti'', new species, pp. 61–63).
* Rösler H (2000). "''Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekkanten Geckotaxa (Reptilia:Gekkonomorpha)''". ''Gekkota'' 2: 28–153. (''Phyllodactylus gilberti'', p. 104). (in German).
*Swash, Andy; Still, Rob (2006). ''Birds, Mammals & Reptiles of the Galápagos Islands, 2nd Edition''. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. 168 pp. .
* Torres-Carvajal O, Pazmiño-Otamendi G, Salazar-Valenzuela D (2019). "Reptiles of Ecuador: a resource-rich online portal, with dynamic checklists and photographic guides". ''Amphibian & Reptile Conservation'' 13 (1) eneral Section 209–229 (e178).
*Torres-Carvajal O, Rodríguez-Guerra A, Chaves JA (2016). "Present diversity of Galápagos leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylidae: ''Phyllodactylus'') stems from three independent colonization events". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 103: 1–5.
Phyllodactylus
Endemic reptiles of the Galápagos Islands
Reptiles described in 1903
Taxa named by Edmund Heller
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