Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis STEJNEGER, 1904
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis?
Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Sphaerodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis ateles THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis grandisquamis STEJNEGER 1904 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis guarionex THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis mimetes THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis spanius THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis stibarus THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 |
| Common Names | E: Big-scaled Dwarf Gecko, Big-scaled Least Gecko, “Cotton ginner” |
| Synonym | Sphaerodactylus macrolepis grandisquamis STEJNEGER 1904: 602 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis — FOWLER 1918 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis — HEATWOLE et al. 1963 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis grandisquamis — THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966: 200 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis phoberus THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966: 204 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis phoberus — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 183 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis grandisquamis — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 183 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis grandisquamis — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1991 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis grandisquamis — BAUER 2013 (plates) Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis grandisquamis — DAZA et al. 2019 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis ateles THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis ateles THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966: 210 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis ateles — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 182 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis ateles — DAZA et al. 2019: 169 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis guarionex THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis guarionex THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966: 217 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis guarionex — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 182 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis guarionex — DAZA et al. 2019: 168 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis mimetes THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis mimetes THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966: 208 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis mimetes — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 182 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis mimetes — DAZA et al. 2019: 170 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis spanius THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis spanius THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966: 214 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis spanius — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 183 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis spanius — DAZA et al. 2019: 171 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis stibarus THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis stibarus THOMAS & SCHWARTZ 1966: 201 Sphaerodactylus macrolepis stibarus — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988: 183 Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis stibarus — DAZA et al. 2019: 172 |
| Distribution | Puerto Rico, extreme east; Cayo Santiago, Cayo Algodones, Cayo Batata, Isla Piñeros Type locality: Luquillo, Puerto Rico. ateles: SW Puerto Rico; Type locality: Balneario de Boqueron, Puerto Rico. grandisquamis: Puerto Rico, extreme east; Cayo Santiago, Cayo Algodones, Cayo Batata, Isla Pilleros; Type locality: Luquillo, Puerto Rico. guarionex: Puerto Rico, northwest and north-central. elevation sea level to 900 ft.; Type locality: Officer's Club Beach, Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico. mimetes: Puerto Rico, the south; Type locality: 12.3 km SE Patillas, Puerto Rico. phoberus (invalid): north-central Puerto Rico; intergrades with S. m. grandisquamis near Loiza Aldea; Type locality: Isla Verde (San Juan International Air- port), Puerto Rico. spanius: Puerto Rico, Cordillera Central, Sierra de Cayey. elevation 1100 ft. to 2800 ft.; Type locality: 17.7 km NE Utuado (about 8 km airline), Puerto Rico. stibarus: Isla Piñeros; Type locality: Isla Piiieros, Puerto Rico. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: USNM 27007 (grandisquamis) Holotype: MCZ 81043 [ateles] Holotype: MCZ 81048 [guarionex] Holotype: MCZ 81036 [mimetes] Holotype: MCZ 81023 [phoberus] Holotype: MCZ 81047 [spanius] Holotype: MCZ 81022 [stibarus] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (grandisquamis): SVL Min/Max (17.79/34.08 mm); midbody scales 36–46 (x̅ 41.2); scales on the snout are rounded (also in S. g. guarionex and S. g. stibarus); head ventral scales with faint keels (contrary to the other species where the keels are more defined); seven toe lamellae on the fourth toe; males with faint head pattern (also in S. g. guarionex and S. g. stibarus); males with faint throat pattern; females without throat pattern; males and females with a large hexagonal black scapular patch; ocelli enclosed on the scapular patch, and patch usually surrounded by a white margin (also in S. g. stibarus and S. g. ateles) (Daza et al. 2019, also for the remaining subspecies) (Daza et al. 2019: 167). Diagnosis (ateles): SVL Min/Max (14.38/33 mm); midbody scales 36–42 (x̅ 39.4); nine to ten toe lamellae on the fourth toe; males head pattern absent (also in S. g. spanius); males with no pigmentation on chest, variable pigmentation on throat; males with two light lines extending from the orbits to the scapular patch (also in some S. g mimetes and S. g. stibarus); males and females with a large black scapular patch, ocelli near the edge of the patch; some specimens have the patch surrounded by a white margin (also in S. g. stibarus and S. g. ateles) or absent patch; males with a red head (Daza et al. 2019: 170). Diagnosis (guarionex): SVL Min/Max (12.17/34.2 mm); midbody scales 36–49 (x̅ 41.3); number of dorsal body scales very reduced (around 14) compared to the other subspecies of S. grandisquamis (17–23); rounded snout scales; one internasal scale; low number of escutcheon scales (around 67, other subspecies of S. grandisquamis [73–95]); nine toe lamellae on the fourth toe; males with orange head; males throat patterned (also in S. g. mimetes and S. g. spanius) and variable in females; the scapular patch is the largest among all members of the S. macrolepis complex, especially in females, and is usually hexagonal enclosing the ocelli (Daza et al. 2019: 168). Diagnosis (mimetes): SVL Min/Max (13.3/33.19 mm); midbody scales 31–40 (x̅ 36.1); nine toe lamellae on the fourth toe; males with salt and pepper dorsal pattern; males with very marked lineated or fragmented head pattern; males with blue head (background color); males with reticulate pattern on the gular area; males with or without scapular patch, ocelli on the periphery or enclosed on the patch. The males of this species are superficially similar to the males of S. macrolepis but lack the bicolored scapular patch and the head pattern is less fragmented than in S. macrolepis (Daza et al. 2019: 171). Diagnosis (spanius): SVL Min/Max (14.68/35.68 mm); midbody scales 41–47 (x̅ 43.6); males with elevated number of escutcheon scales (~95); ten toe lamellae on the fourth toe; males with marked lineated head pattern; males with marked reticular pattern; scapular patch reduced to a midcentral rectangle, and ocelli located on the periphery of the patch; scapular patch in contact with nuchal spots (Padilla 2006) (Daza et al. 2019: 172). Diagnosis (stibarus): SVL Min/Max (13.34/29.44 mm); midbody scales 36–41 (x̅ = 38.6); snout scales rounded; five loreal scales; eight toe lamellae on the fourth toe; males with faint lineated head pattern; males with two light lines extending from the orbits to the scapular patch, scapular patch surrounded by white margin, and patch can also have brown color; the ocelli are large in proportion to the scapular patch and are more separated than in any other member of the S. macrolepis species complex (Padilla 2016); males with anterior dorsolateral lines not contacting the scapular patch; males with marked throat pattern (Daza et al. 2019: 172). |
| Comment | Habitat: terrestrial NCBI taxon ID: 1427979 [ateles] NCBI taxon ID: 1427980 [guarionex] |
| References |
|
| External links |