Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus (HALLOWELL, 1861)
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Higher Taxa | Sphaerodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Lower Central American Geckolet, Spotted Least Gecko S: Gequillo de Puntos |
Synonym | Sphaeriodactylus millepunctatus HALLOWELL 1861: 480 Sphaerodactylus continentalis WERNER 1896 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — TAYLOR 1956: 49 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — WERMUTH 1965: 170 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — HARRIS & KLUGE 1984: 17 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — KLUGE 1993 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — LINER 1994 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — KÖHLER 2000: 51 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — MCCRANIE & HEDGES 2012: 73 Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus — MARTÍNEZ-FONSECA et al. 2024 |
Distribution | Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua (incl. Isla de Maíz Grande), Honduras, Costa Rica (from the Mosquitia region of northeastern Honduras to northern Costa Rica), Mexico (Tabasco) Type locality: Nicaragua. |
Reproduction | oviparous |
Types | Neotype: UMMZ 173053, original holotype: USNM 6057 (lost) |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus can be distinguished from S. continentalis in having slightly larger and fewer dorsal scales (42–57, x = 51.7 ± 5.0 in 15 S. millepunctatus versus 59–70, x = 63.5 ± 3.4 in 20 S. continentalis examined for this study; see Discussion and Appendix I). Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus differs from both S. guanajae and S. leonardovaldesi in lacking a short thin pale yellow line above each pelvis, in usually having distinct dorsal spots that are larger than one scale, and in usually having distinct dark stripes on the posterior end of the head and anterior portion of the body (versus short pale pelvic lines almost always present, only scattered dark spots on body that are confined to one scale, and indistinct dark stripes on head and body in those two species). Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus also differs from S. guanajae in having more subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe (9–12, x = 9.7 ± 0.8 on 30 sides versus 8–9, x = 8.6 ± 0.5 on 12 sides in S. guanajae) and also differs from S. leonardovaldesi in having larger dorsal scales (42–57, x = 51.7 ± 5.0 in 15 S. millepunctatus versus 58–66, x = 61.7 ± 2.7 in 13 S. leonardovaldesi). Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus also differs from S. continentalis, S. guanajae, and S. leonardovaldesi in molecular data (Fig. 1). Sphaerodactylus homolepis Cope also narrowly occurs sympatrically with S. millepunctatus in southeastern Nicaragua and adjacent northeastern Costa Rica, but S. homolepis has a single supranasal scale and has alternating median subcaudal scales (versus two supranasals and subcaudals aligned in a single series in S. millepunctatus) [from MCCRANIE & HEDGES 2012]. |
Comment | Distribution: KÖHLER 2000 states “not on the Yucatan peninsula” but see map in LEE 1996: 180. Synonymy: S. lineolatus, S. glaucus. Relative abundance in Honduras: infrequent |
Etymology | The name millepunctatus is derived from the Latin words mille (a thousand) and punctum (spot) and the Latin suffix -atus (provided with). The name alludes to the spotted pattern of the syntypes. |
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