The giant cave gecko (''Pseudothecadactylus lindneri)'', also known
commonly as the northern giant cave gecko, is a
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), ...
of
lizard
Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Diplodactylidae
The Diplodactylidae are a Family (biology), family in the suborder Gekkota (geckos), with over 150 species in 25 Genus, genera. These geckos occur in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Diplodactylids are the most ecologically diverse and ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
to Australia.
[ www.reptile-database.org.]
Etymology
The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''lindneri'', is in honor of Australian herpetologist
David A. Lindner.
Description
Adults of ''P. lindneri'' usually have a
snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about . The
dorsal
Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to:
* Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism
* Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage
The fus ...
coloration is dark purplish brown, with lighter irregular crossbands. The crossbands are pale orange to cream-colored, and often do not meet neatly in the middle.
Wilson S
Wilson may refer to:
People
*Wilson (name)
** List of people with given name Wilson
** List of people with surname Wilson
* Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender
* Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson R ...
, Swan G (2023). ''A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Sixth Edition''. Sydney: Reed New Holland Publishers. 688 pp. . (Northern Giant Cave Gecko ''Pseudothecadactylus lindneri'', pp. 120–121).
Geographic range
''P. lindneri'' is found in
Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territorial capital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compa ...
,
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
, Australia.
[
]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, 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 manifestation of its ...
of ''P. lindneri'' is caves and crevices in sandstone escarpments.[
]
Reproduction
''P. lindneri'' is oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that reproduce by depositing fertilized zygotes outside the body (i.e., by laying or spawning) in metabolically independent incubation organs known as eggs, which nurture the embryo into moving offsprings kno ...
.[
]
References
Further reading
* Cogger HG (1975). "New lizards of the genus ''Pseudothecadactylus'' (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) from Arnhem Land and northwestern Australia". ''Records of the Australian Museum'' 30 (3): 87–97. (''Pseudothecadactylus lindneri'', new species).
*Cogger HG (2014). ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition''. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
* Rösler H (1995). ''Geckos der Welt – Alle Gattungen''. Leipzig: Urania. 256 pp. (''Rhacodactylus lindneri)''. (in German).
Pseudothecadactylus
Reptiles described in 1975
Taxa named by Harold Cogger
Geckos of Australia
{{Diplodactylidae-stub