Sphaerodactylus difficilis BARBOUR, 1914
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Sphaerodactylus difficilis
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| Higher Taxa | Sphaerodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | Sphaerodactylus difficilis anthracomus SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis difficilis BARBOUR 1914 Sphaerodactylus difficilis diolenius SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis euopter SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis lycauges SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis peratus SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis typhlopous SCHWARTZ 1983 |
| Common Names | E: Hispaniolan Eyespotted Geckolet, Hispaniolan eyespot sphaero, Difficult Least Geckko |
| Synonym | Sphaerodactylus difficilis BARBOUR 1914:265 Sphaerodactylus difficilis — COCHRAN 1941 Sphaerodactylus notatus difficilis — SHREVE 1968: 2 Sphaerodactylus difficilis difficilis Sphaerodactylus difficilis — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1991: 487 Sphaerodactylus difficilis — KLUGE 1993 Sphaerodactylus difficilis — RÖSLER 2000: 111 Sphaerodactylus difficilis anthracomus SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis anthracomus SCHWARTZ 1983: 22 Sphaerodactylus difficilis anthracomus — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988 Sphaerodactylus difficilis anthracomus — DE LISLE et al. 2013 Sphaerodactylus difficilis diolenius SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis diolenius SCHWARTZ 1983: 19 Sphaerodactylus difficilis diolenius — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 176 Sphaerodactylus difficilis diolenius — DE LISLE et al. 2013 Sphaerodactylus difficilis euopter SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis euopter SCHWARTZ 1983: 13 Sphaerodactylus difficilis euopter — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 176 Sphaerodactylus difficilis euopter — DE LISLE et al. 2013 Sphaerodactylus difficilis lycauges SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis lycauges SCHWARTZ 1983: 11 Sphaerodactylus difficilis lycauges — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 177 Sphaerodactylus difficilis lycauges — DE LISLE et al. 2013 Sphaerodactylus difficilis peratus SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis peratus SCHWARTZ 1983: 17 Sphaerodactylus difficilis peratus — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 177 Sphaerodactylus difficilis peratus — DE LISLE et al. 2013 Sphaerodactylus difficilis typhlopous SCHWARTZ 1983 Sphaerodactylus difficilis typhlopous SCHWARTZ 1983: 14 Sphaerodactylus difficilis typhlopous — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 177 Sphaerodactylus difficilis typhlopous — DE LISLE et al. 2013 |
| Distribution | Dominican Republic (Oviedo, Prov. Pedernales, La Vega, Santiago, Espaillat, Duarte, S Puerto Plata), Muertos, Hispaniola, Ile de la Tortue (Haiti) difficilis: north-central República Dominicana. Altitudinal distribution about 300 ft. to at least 2000 ft. Type locality: Santiago de la Vega, La Vega Province, República Dominicana. anthracomus: east coast of Peninsula de Barahona, República Dominicana. Type locality: 1 km NE Paraiso, Rio Nizaito, Barahona Province, Republica Domincana diolenius: south-central and eastern República Dominicana; Isla Pascal in Bahia de Samana; presumably the subspecies at Hinche, Dépt. du Centre, Haiti. Type locality: 2 mi. (3.2 km) SE San Cristobal, San Cristobal Province, Republica Dominicana. euopter: Île de la Tortue. Type locality: Vicinity of Palmiste, Ile de la Tortue, Haiti. lycauges: all of northern Haiti. Type locality: Cap-Ha'itien, Departement du Nord, Haiti. peratus: extreme northeastern República Dominicana (absent from Peninsula de Samana). Type locality: 5 km NW Los Yayales, Maria Trinidad Sanchez Pro- vince, Republica Dominicana. typhlopous: northwestern República Dominicana, inland to Santiago Rodriguez and Santiago provinces; Cayos Siete Hermanos; specimens from northern slopes or interior Cordillera Central intergradient between S. d. typhlopous, S. d. difficilis, and probably S. d. lycaugues. Type locality: 3 km NE Sosua, Puerto Plata Province, Republica Dominicana. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MCZ 7834. Holotype: CM 52279 [anthracomus] Holotype: USNM 166967 [diolenius] Holotype: CM 54142 [euopter] Holotype: CM 52251 [lycauges] Holotype: CM 52264 [peratus] Holotype: USNM 166966 [typhlopous] |
| Diagnosis | Additional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (1866 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | For illustrations see Cochran, 1941; Shreve, 1968 (as S. notatus difficilis); Schwartz, 1983. |
| Etymology | Apparently named after the difficulty to define the species, given its unusual variability in coloration. From Latin difficilis = difficult. Possibly an allusion to the problems encountered by Barbour due to the observed variation in color and size of the dorsal scales. Etymology not explicitly given by Barbour though. S. d. anthracomus was named after the Greek for "charcoal" and "shoulder" in allusion to the large scapular patch in females. S. d. euopter. Unclear. The etymology of S. d. euopter was not explained by Schwartz 1983. S. d. diolenius was named after the Greek for "with outstretched arms," in allusion to the wide distribution of this subspecies. S. d. lycauges was named after the Greek lycauges meaning "at the gray twilight," a reference to the time of activity of these geckos. S. d. peratus was named after the Greek for "that which may be passed over" in allusion to the pattern similarities between this subspecies and S. d. typhlopous. S. d. typhlopous was named after the Greek for "stepping in blindness," an allusion to the usual absence of ocelli in this subspecies. |
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