Brazilian pygmy gecko

The Brazilian pygmy gecko (Chatogekko amazonicus) is a species of South American lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is monotypic in the genus Chatogekko.[2] It grows to a maximum total length (including tail) of only 24 millimetres (0.94 in). It is found in leaf litter on the forest floor, and preys on springtails and mites.[3][4] The species is oviparous.[1]

Brazilian pygmy gecko
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Sphaerodactylidae
Genus: Chatogekko
Gamble, Daza, Colli, Vitt & Bauer, 2011
Species:
C. amazonicus
Binomial name
Chatogekko amazonicus
(Andersson, 1918)
Synonyms[1]
  • Sphaerodactylus amazonicus
    Andersson, 1918
  • Coleodactylus zernyi
    Wettstein, 1928
  • Coleodactylus amazonicus
    Vanzolini, 1957
  • Coleodactylus guimaraesi
    Vanzolini, 1957
  • Coleodactylus amazonicus
    Rösler, 1995
  • Chattogekko amazonicus
    — Gamble et al., 2011

The gecko's skin is highly hydrophobic, to the degree that Chatogekko amazonicus is able to avoid drowning in rainstorms despite its small size, and even float on water.[5]

The following cladogram presented by Gamble et al. in 2011 represents phylogenetic relationships among the genera of sphaerodactyl geckos which were recognized as being valid at that time.[2]

Saurodactylus

Chatogekko

Gonatodes

Lepidoblepharis

Pseudogonatodes

Coleodactylus

Sphaerodactylus

References

  1. Uetz, Peter; Hallermann, Jakob; Hosek, Jiri. "Coleodactylus amazonicus (ANDERSSON, 1918)". Reptile Database.
  2. Gamble, Tony; Daza, Juan D.; Colli, Guarino R.; Vitt, Laurie J.; Bauer, Aaron M. [in French] (2011). "A new genus of miniaturized and pug-nosed gecko from South America (Sphaerodactylidae: Gekkota)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 163 (4): 1244–1266. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00741.x. PMC 3223738. PMID 22125341. (Chatogekko, new genus).
  3. Pianka, Eric R.; Vitt, Laurie J. (2006). Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity. Oakland, California: University of California Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-520-24847-2.
  4. Zug, George R. [in German]; Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2001). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, Second Edition. San Diego, California: Academic Press. p. 480. ISBN 978-0-12-782622-6.
  5. "BBC One - Life, Reptiles and Amphibians, Floating lizard". BBC. Retrieved 2022-06-05.

Further reading

  • Andersson LG (1918). "New Lizards from South America. Collected by Nils Holmgren and A. Roman". Arkiv för Zoologi 1 (16): 1–9. (Sphærodactylus amazonicus, new species, pp. 1–2).
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