The Antilles leaf-toed gecko (''Hemidactylus palaichthus''), also known as the Maria Islands leaf-toed gecko or spiny gecko, is a

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards ...

species found in northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

and the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...

. It can be found on small rocks and islets offshore of

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint Vincent ...

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, and

Tobago Tobago, officially the Ward of Tobago, is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger islan ...

, though it is absent from the main islands.

Habitat and conservation

''Hemidactylus palaichthus'' occurs in tropical savannas, dry forests, and rainforests. It can occur in disturbed habitats (scrubby second growth, or on isolated vegetation (palms, logs) in pastures) and villages (on walls and posts). It is common in parts of its range is not facing any major threat.

References

* Hemidactylus

Geckos of Brazil Reptiles of Colombia Reptiles of Guyana Reptiles of Saint Lucia Reptiles of Suriname Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago Reptiles of Venezuela Reptiles described in 1969 Taxa named by Arnold G. Kluge {{Hemidactylus-stub