Strophurus strophurus (DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1836)
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Strophurus strophurus
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| Higher Taxa | Diplodactylidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Western Spiny-tailed Gecko |
| Synonym | Phyllodactylus strophurus DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1836: 397 Discodactylus (Strophurus) Dumerilli FITZINGER 1843 Phyllodactylus Dumerilli — DUMÉRIL 1856 Diplodactylus strophurus — BOULENGER 1885: 100 Diplodactylus strophurus — LUCAS & FROST 1894 Diplodactylus spinigerus — WERNER 1910 Diplodactylus strophurus strophurus — MITCHELL 1955 Diplodactylus strophurus — WERMUTH 1965: 25 Diplodactylus strophurus — PIANKA 1976 Strophurus strophurus — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Strophurus strophurus — GREER 1989 Strophurus strophurus — KLUGE 1993 Diplodactylus strophurus — COGGER 2000: 228 Strophurus strophurus — RÖSLER 2000: 115 Strophurus strophurus — WILSON & SWAN 2010 |
| Distribution | Australia (Western Australia) Type locality: Baie des Chiens-Marins (now: Sharks Bay), Western Australia. Neotype locality: Yalgoo, WA. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Neotype: WAM R6535 (designated by Kluge 1967); original holotype in MNHN (= MNHP), lost, Shark Bay, WA, collected by Quoy & Gaimard. |
| Diagnosis | |
| Comment | Group: Diplodactylus strophurus group (subgenus Strophurus) Type species: Phyllodactylus strophurus DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1836: 397 is the type species of the genus Strophurus FITZINGER 1843: 96. Members of the genus Strophurus (colloquially referred to as striped, jewelled, phasmid and spiny-tailed geckos) are all characterized by the ability to exude a viscous, highly adhesive, slightly malodorous and distasteful substance from paired, mid-dorsal glands running the length of the tail (Greer 1989). These glands largely replace adipose bodies present in the tails of most other (closely related) gecko species and are coupled with reduced frequency of tail autotomy, suggesting functional importance (Rosenberg & Russell 1980). Most Strophurus species forcibly eject exudate towards antagonists and can do so accurately up to 50 cm (Greer 1989). This remarkable morphology and behaviour has evolved twice within Gekkota (occurring also within New Caledonian diplodactylids of the genus Eurydactylodes; Böhme & Sering, 1997), but is otherwise unique within squamates. Some Strophurus are also referred to as ‘phasmid geckos’ owing to their resemblance to stick insects (Phasmatidae) in their elongate and gracile proportions, camouflage and movement. |
| Etymology | Both genus and species were named after Greek “strophos” (= band) and “ura” (= tail). |
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