Phyllodactylus reissii PETERS, 1862
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Phyllodactylus reissii
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| Higher Taxa | Phyllodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Peters' Leaf-toed Gecko G: Peruanischer Blattfingergecko |
| Synonym | Phyllodactylus reissii PETERS 1862: 626 Phyllodactylus reissii — COPE 1878: 37 Phyllodactylus reissii — BOULENGER 1885: 80 Phyllodactylus baessleri WERNER 1901: 2 Phyllodactylus guayaquilensis WERNER 1910: 4 Phyllodactylus baessleri — WERNER 1910: 5 Phyllodactylus abrupteseriatus WERNER 1913 Phyllodactylus abrupteseratus [sic] WERNER 1913 (fide HALLERMANN 1998) Phyllodactylus magister NOBLE 1924: 110 Phyllodactylus reissii — TAYLOR 1942: 110 Phyllodactylus reissii — DIXON & HUEY 1970: 50 Phyllodactylus reissii — KLUGE 1993 Phyllodactylus quayaquilensis [sic] — HALLERMANN 1998 Phyllodactylus reissii — RÖSLER 2000: 104 Phyllodactylus reissii — AURICH et al. 2015 |
| Distribution | Ecuador (Guayaquil Perico/Rio Chinchipe Chanchamayo), Peru (Cajamarca, Piura), introduced to the Galapagos Islands (Hoogmoed 1989, SWASH & STILL 2000), elevation 0-2000 m. Type locality: “in der Nähe der Guayaquil” [Ecuador] |
| Reproduction | oviparous. Gravid females of Phyllodactylus reissii were detected end of March (CORBIDI 5693) and in July (ZFMK 88744, 88745), each containing two eggs. Three juveniles with a SVL of 28 mm (CORBIDI 5689), 31 mm (ZFMK 90877), and 34 mm (CORBIDI 5690) were found in March 2009. Two subadults (CORBIDI 5687, 5688) with a SVL of 41 mm and 36 mm, respectively, were collected in March 2009. In Pucará we found P. reissii in sympatry with the congener P. johnwrighti (Koch et al. 2016). |
| Types | Lectotype: ZMB 4567, adult female, designated by DIXON & HUEY 1970; other syntypes include ZMB 3734 (4); the lectotype is also cited as BMNH 4567 by Dixon & Huey. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis and comparison. Phyllodactylus reissii is a comparatively large species, probably reaching a SVL of 75 mm (according to data of Dixon & Huey 1970). Thus, by its larger size this species can be distinguished from all species of Phyllodactylus found in mainland South America except P. delsolari, P. dixoni, P. pachamama and P. ventralis. It can further be distinguished from P. thompsoni by the lack of an enlarged postanal plate and from P. angustidigitus, P. heterurus, and P. gerrhopygus by the absence of a preanal plate. By having ≥10 well-defined rows of enlarged, trihedral keeled tubercles on the dorsum, P. reissii differs from P. angustidigitus, P. gerrhopygus, P. heterurus (dorsal tubercles absent in all three species), P. delsolari, P. inaequalis (fewer than 10 poorly defined rows of small, smooth, round tubercles in both species), and P. microphyllus (dorsal tubercular rows indistinct, composed of small flat, oval tubercles. Phyllodactylus sentosus (26–31) generally has a lower number of paravertebral tubercles between rear of head and cloaca. By the presence of tubercles on the tibia, P. reissii can further be differentiated from P. angustidigitus, P. clinatus, P. delsolari, P. gerrhopygus, P. inaequalis, P. interandinus, P. lepidopygus, and P. microphyllus, and by the absence of tubercles on the forearm it can be differentiated from P. dixoni, P. kofordi, P. sentosus, and P. ventralis. The absence of tubercles on the tail further differentiates it from P. heterurus, P. kofordi, P. pumilus, and P. sentosus. In contrast to P. angustidigitus, P. microphyllus and P. sentosus, P. reissii possesses large terminal lamellae. It further differs from P. magister by the absence of small tubercles on the thigh (present in about half of the in P. magister). On average the number of scales around midbody (69-102, mean 84.1) is lower when compared to P. magister (78-114, mean 90.3) and P. pachamama (92-116, mean 103.0). Compared to P. magister the anterior edge of the ear opening is strongly denticulated with pointed scales (smooth or only slightly denticulated in most specimens of P. magister). (Koch et al. 2016, see also Dixon & Huey 1970 for a redescription). |
| Comment | Synonymy: mostly after DIXON & HUEY 1970, KOCH et al. 2016. |
| Etymology | Named after Carl Reiss, a German living in Ecuador. He regularly sent specimens, including this gecko, to Peters, who mentions him as the source of material from Guayaquil in the early 1860s. |
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