''Sphaerodactylus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of geckos from the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

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 A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in this genus are rather small, but two species, '' S. ariasae'' and '' S. parthenopion'', are tiny, and – with a snout-vent length of about – the smallest

reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

s in the world.

Fossil record

Fossil remains referred to ''Sphaerodactylus'' have been recovered from Dominican amber.

Species

The following 108 species are recognized as being valid. *'' Sphaerodactylus alphus'' - Guanaja large-scaled geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus altavelensis'' - Alto Velo least gecko, Alto Velo sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus argivus'' - Cayman least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus argus'' - ocellated gecko, ocellated sphaero, stippled sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus ariasae'' - Jaragua sphaero, Jaragua dwarf gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus armasi'' - Guantanamo least gecko, Guantanamo coastal gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus armstrongi'' - Armstrong's least gecko, southern forest geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus asterulus'' - Haitian least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus beattyi'' - Saint Croix's sphaero, Beatty's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus becki'' - Beck's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus bromeliarum'' - El Yunque least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus caicosensis'' - Caicos banded sphaero, Caicos least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus callocricus'' - rough-banded sphaero, callous least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus celicara'' - Baracoan eyespot sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus cinereus'' - gray gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus clenchi'' - peninsula least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus cochranae'' - Cochran's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus continentalis'' - upper Central American geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus copei'' - Cope's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus corticola'' - central Bahamas sphaero, Rum Cay least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus cricoderus'' - Turquino collared sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus cryphius'' - Bakoruco least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus dacnicolor'' - Jamaican tailspot sphaero, eastern Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus darlingtoni'' - Darlington's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus difficilis'' - Hispaniolan eyespot sphaero, difficult least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus dimorphicus'' - Santiago de Cuba geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus docimus'' - Cabo Cruz banded sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus dunni'' - Dunn's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus elasmorhynchus'' - Marche Leon least gecko, snout-shield sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus elegans'' - ashy gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus elegantulus'' - Antigua least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus epiurus'' - Hispaniolan tailspot sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus exsul'' - Swan Islands geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus fantasticus'' - fantastic least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus gaigeae'' -chevronated sphaero, Gaige's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus gilvitorques'' - Jamaican collared sphaero, Jamaican least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus glaucus'' - collared dwarf gecko, least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus goniorhynchus'' - Jamaican forest sphaero, Cakoarita least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis'' - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner *'' Sphaerodactylus graptolaemus'' - Costa Rica least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus guanajae'' - Guanaja head-spotted geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus heliconiae'' *'' Sphaerodactylus homolepis'' - Caribbean least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus inaguae'' Noble GK, Klingel GC (1932). "The Reptiles of Great Inagua Island, British West Indies". ''American Museum Novitates'' (549): 1–25

/ref> - Inagua sphaero, Inagua least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus inigoi'' - Isla Vieques dwarf gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus intermedius'' - Mantanzas least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus kirbyi'' - Bequia dwarf gecko, Bequia sphaero, Grenadines sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus klauberi'' - Klauber's dwarf gecko, Klauber's least gecko, Puerto Rican highland sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus ladae'' - Martin Garcia least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus lazelli'' - Cap-Haitien least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus leonardovaldesi'' *'' Sphaerodactylus leucaster'' - eastern least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus levinsi'' - Desecheo gecko, Isla Desecheo least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus lineolatus'' - Panama least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus macrolepis'' - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner *'' Sphaerodactylus mariguanae'' - southern Bahamas sphaero, Mayaguana least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus microlepis'' - little-scaled least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus micropithecus'' - Monito gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus'' - spotted least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus molei'' - Tobago least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus monensis'' - Mona least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus nicholsi'' - Nichols least gecko, Nichol's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican crescent sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus'' - black-spotted least gecko, three-banded sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus notatus'' - reef gecko, brown-speckled sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus nycteropus'' - Morne Dubois least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus ocoae'' - Peravia least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus oliveri'' - Juventud least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus omoglaux'' - Fond Parisien least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus oxyrhinus'' - Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus pacificus'' - Pacific least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus parkeri'' - Parker's least gecko, southern Jamaica banded sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus parthenopion'' - Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero, Virgin Gorda least gecko, Virgin Islands dwarf gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus parvus'' - Anguilla Bank geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus perissodactylius'' - Dominican least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus phyzacinus'' - Les Saintes geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus pimienta'' - pepper sphaero, Cuban pepper sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus plummeri'' - Barahona big-scaled sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus poindexteri'' - Utila small-scaled geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus ramsdeni'' - Ramsden's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus randi'' - Pedernales least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus rhabdotus'' - two-striped sphaero, Vallede Neiba least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus richardi'' - Richard's banded sphaero, Zapata big-scaled sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus richardsonii'' - Richardson's least gecko, northern Jamaica banded sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus roosevelti'' - Roosevelt's beige sphaero, Roosevelt's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus rosaurae'' - Bay Island least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus ruibali'' - Ruibal's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus sabanus'' - Saba least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus samanensis'' - Samana least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus savagei'' - Altagracia speckled sphaero, Savage's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus scaber'' - double-collared sphaero, Camaguey least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus scapularis'' - Boulenger's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus schuberti'' - Neiba agave geckolet, Neiba agave sphaero, Schubert's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus schwartzi'' - Guantanamo collared sphaero, Monitongas collared geckolet, Schwartz's dwarf gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus semasiops'' - Cockpit eyespot sphaero, Cockpit least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus shrevei'' - Shreve's least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus siboney'' - Siboney gray-headed geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus sommeri'' - TerreNueve least gecko, Terre-Neuve least gecko, northwest Haitian banded geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus sputator'' - island least gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus storeyae'' - Isle of Pines sphaero, Los Canarreos sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus streptophorus'' - Hispaniola least gecko, Hispaniolan small-eared sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus thompsoni'' - Thompson's least gecko, Barahona limestone sphaero *'' Sphaerodactylus torrei'' - Barbour's least gecko, Cuban broad-banded geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus townsendi'' - Townsend's least gecko, Townsend's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican sandy geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus underwoodi'' - Underwood's least gecko, Turks Islands geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus verdeluzicola'' - Puerto Rican karst gecko *'' Sphaerodactylus vincenti'' - Vincent's least gecko, Central Lesser Antillean sphaero, Windward geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus williamsi'' - Williams's least gecko, Haitian striped geckolet *'' Sphaerodactylus zygaena'' - 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''.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Lizard genera Lizards of North America Lizards of South America Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler

Fossil record

Species

References

Further reading

External links