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Sphaerodactylus cricoderus THOMAS, HEDGES & GARRIDO, 1992

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Higher TaxaSphaerodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Turquino Collared Geckolet, Turquino collared Sphaero 
SynonymSphaerodactylus cricoderus THOMAS, HEDGES & GARRIDO 1992: 362
Sphaerodactylus cricoderus — KLUGE 1993
Sphaerodactylus cricoderus — RÖSLER 2000: 111 
DistributionCaribbean: Cuba

Type locality: "2.8 km N Uvero. Santiago de Cuba Prov. Cuba, 136 m"  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: MNHNCU 238 (actually 2222) 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A moderate-sized Sphaerodactylus (both adults 25 mm SVL) having small, nearly granular dorsal scales, rostral with a semicircular flat plate delimited by a ridge, three internasals, one postnasal, 3-4 postmentals, and a head pattern of broad pale postocular stripes that fail to meet (or abut) a pale transverse neck band and therefore do not form a continuous U-shaped figure; weak sexual dichromatism present in throat pattern and head stripes. The presence of more than one internasal and very small dorsal scales readily separates S. cricoderus from other Sphaerodactylus except for S. ramsdeni and S. schwartzi. Those three species can be separated by a variety of characters (Table 1; Fig. 3). From S. ramsdeni, S. cricoderus differs in being smaller (25 mm SVL versus 33 mm SVL), having a semicircular rostra} plate (not V-shaped), one postnasal (no postnasal), 3-4 postmentals (two), fewer gular scales (38-41 versus 43-49), and moderately swollen dorsal scales (weakly swollen). From S. schwartzi it differs in being larger (25 mm SVL versus 20 mm SVL), having more dorsal scales (59-61 versus 52-58), fewer ventrals (29-32 versus 32-35), three internasals-isomorphic with snout scales (versus two large and squarish internasals), 3-4 postmentals (two), moderately swollen dorsal scales (greatly swollen), and a triangular first infralabial (rectangular). Also, the head patterns of the two species differ in that none of the specimens of S. cricoderus have the postocular stripes and transverse head stripe confluent and forming a single U-shaped figure, which is the modal condition in S. schwartzi. The neck stripes of the two adult S. cricoderus (both males) are more prominent (more heavily darkedged than those of the male S. schwartzi. In S. ramsdeni (Fig. 3e), the nasal is greatly expanded laterally (presumably by fusion with the upper postnasal) and contacts the spur of the first upper labial. In all three species of this group, a dorsal spur of the first labial blocks contact of other scales with the naris, so that ramsdeni has no true postnasals (from Thomas et al. 1992: 362). 
CommentSee also S. schwartzi. 
EtymologyNamed after Greek “krikos” (= ring), and “dere” (= neck) in allusion to the pale band across the neck of this species. 
References
  • Rodríguez Schettino, Lourdes, Carlos A. Mancina & Vilma Rivalta González 2013. REPTILES OF CUBA: CHECKLIST AND GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTIONS. Smithsonian Herp. Inf. Serv. (144): 1-96 - get paper here
  • Rösler, H. 2000. Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha). Gekkota 2: 28-153
  • Thomas, R., S. B. Hedges, and O.H. Garrido. 1992. Two new species of Sphaerodactylus from eastern Cuba (Sauria: Gekkonidae). Herpetologica 48: 358-367. - get paper here
 
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