Sphaerodactylus exsul BARBOUR, 1914
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Higher Taxa | Sphaerodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Swan Islands Geckolet |
Synonym | Sphaerodactylus exsul BARBOUR 1914 Sphaerodactylus notatus exsul — SCHWARTZ 1966: 170 Sphaerodactylus notatus exsul — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988 Sphaerodactylus exsul — MCCRANIE 2011 Sphaerodactylus exsul — POWELL & HENDERSON 2012 Sphaerodactylus exsul — MCCRANIE 2015 |
Distribution | Honduras (Swan Island) Type locality: Little Swan Island, Swan Islands |
Reproduction | oviparous (manual imputation, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
Types | Holotype: MCZ 7894 |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis. The combination of lacking moveable eyelids, having dorsal surface of the head covered with small scales, having the claws displaced laterally by expanded terminal subdigital lamellae, and having a superciliary spine distinguishes Sphaerodactylus exsul from all other Honduran lizards, except the remaining Sphaerodactylus. Sphaerodactylus exsul has larger middorsal scales numbering 22– 30 longitudinal rows and lacks a middorsal zone of granular scales (versus 40 or more dorsal scales, or if less than 40 dorsal scales, a distinct middorsal zone of granules present, in all other Sphaerodactylus) (McCranie 2018: 110). Color in life: (adult male, MCZ R191125; Plate 19 in McCranie 2018): dorsal surface of body Drab (color 19 in Köhler, 2012) with Dark Drab (45) spots, each spot confined to single scale; dorsal surface of head pale brownish white with numerous Brownish Olive (276) stripes and elongated blotches, nuchal area also with Sayal Brown (41) mottling; nuchal blotch absent; basal portion of top of tail similar in color to body, posterior two-thirds of top of tail mottled with Dark Drab and orange brown; dorsal surfaces of fore- and hind limb mottled with Dark Drab and Cinnamon Drab (50); ventral surfaces of head and body pale brown; ventral surfaces of toe pads white; subcaudal surface mottled pale and medium brown; iris Buff (15) with white ring around pupil. Color in life of an adult female (MCZ R191145): dorsal surfaceofbodyClayColor(color18inKo ̈hler, 2012) with Dark Brownish Olive (127) and Amber (51) spots, each spot confined to 1 scale; dorsal surface of head Cinnamon-Drab (50) with Russet (44) preand postocular and middorsal stripes, middorsal stripe Clay Color medially at posterior edge of head; Sepia (279) occipital blotch present, blotch outlined anteriorly by dirty white line, paired yellowish white spots present on posterolateral portion of Sepia occipital blotch; no separate nuchal blotch present; dorsal surfaces of fore- and hind limb Clay Color with Olive-Brown (278) spots and lines, Mikado Brown (42) spots also present on hind limb; basal portion of tail similar in color to that of body, posterior three-quarters of tail Mikado Brown with scattered dark brown spots; ventral surfaces of head, body, and tail pale brown, distal three-quarters of subcaudal surface Mikado Brown; iris Mikado Brown with golden brown ring around pupil (McCranie 2018: 111). |
Comment | For illustrations see Barbour and Ramsden, 1919; Barbour, 1921 (as S. notatus, S.exsul) Abundance: only known from the type locality (Meiri et al. 2017). |
Etymology | The specific name exsul is Latin, meaning banished person or exile. The name alludes to the isolated occurrence of this species. |
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