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Geckolepis
''Geckolepis'' is a genus of geckos, commonly referred to as fish scale geckos, which are endemic to Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. They are nocturnal, arboreal, insectivorous lizards, found in primary and secondary forest, as well as degraded habitats. They are best known for their ability to lose their skin and scales when grasped by a predator. Skin and scales The scales of ''Geckolepis'' are imbricated (overlapping) and ossified. Histological studies on the scales were performed as early as 1911 by Wilhelm Josef Schmidt. Schmidt noted the heterogeneity and imbrication of the scales, which makes meristics difficult on ''Geckolepis''. Schmidt noted that the imbrication of the scales was a result of their folding, essentially being bilayered rather than monolayered. He showed also that the scale centres are ossified, formed from irregular crystals, which he illustrated in some detail. In their micro-CT scans, Scherz et al. found that the scales of ''G. megalepis'' and oth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geckolepis
''Geckolepis'' is a genus of geckos, commonly referred to as fish scale geckos, which are endemic to Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. They are nocturnal, arboreal, insectivorous lizards, found in primary and secondary forest, as well as degraded habitats. They are best known for their ability to lose their skin and scales when grasped by a predator. Skin and scales The scales of ''Geckolepis'' are imbricated (overlapping) and ossified. Histological studies on the scales were performed as early as 1911 by Wilhelm Josef Schmidt. Schmidt noted the heterogeneity and imbrication of the scales, which makes meristics difficult on ''Geckolepis''. Schmidt noted that the imbrication of the scales was a result of their folding, essentially being bilayered rather than monolayered. He showed also that the scale centres are ossified, formed from irregular crystals, which he illustrated in some detail. In their micro-CT scans, Scherz et al. found that the scales of ''G. megalepis'' and oth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geckolepis Megalepis
''Geckolepis megalepis'' is a species of gecko found in the limestone karst formations of northern Madagascar. It is the first addition to the ''Geckolepis'' genus since 1942. This species of gecko has the largest scales of any known gecko and can detach them as a defence mechanism when a predator attacks, leaving the predator with a mouthful of scales rather than itself; a character it shares with all other members of the genus ''Geckolepis''. Its scales were reported to come away with greater ease than its congeners. Distribution and conservation status ''Geckolepis megalepis'' was described from Ankarana National Park. It is thought to be restricted to the ''tsingy'' karst formations of this park. It was proposed to be Near Threatened in its original description, due to ongoing anthropogenic degradation of its habitat, but probable resilience to these changes. Defense mechanism ''Geckolepis megalepis'' has remarkably large scales (hence the specific epithet megalepis''', fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geckolepis Typica
Grandidier's gecko (''Geckolepis typica'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa .... References {{Taxonbar, from=Q3100049 Geckolepis Endemic fauna of Madagascar Reptiles of Madagascar Reptiles described in 1867 Taxa named by Alfred Grandidier ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geckolepis Maculata
''Geckolepis maculata'' is a species of gecko that is commonly found in Madagascar. The gecko has large scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ..., large legs, and is chestnut-cream with black bands. Its common names are Peters's spotted gecko and fish-scale gecko. References External links * Geckolepis Reptiles described in 1880 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters {{gecko-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geckolepis Humbloti
Geckolepis humbloti, commonly known as the Comoran fish scale gecko, is a nocturnal species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to Grande Comore in the Comoros. Originally described in 1887, this species was synonymized with ''Geckolepis maculata'' in 1942. It was later resurrected in 2015, following various subsequent scientific studies and expeditions.Hawlitschek, O., Scherz, M.D., Straube, N. et al. Resurrection of the Comoran fish scale gecko Geckolepis humbloti Vaillant, 1887 reveals a disjunct distribution caused by natural overseas dispersal. Org Divers Evol 16, 289–298 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-015-0255-1 Hawlitschek et al. (2015) resurrected ''G. humbloti'' when it was determined to be paraphyletic based on DNA data, separating the species from ''G. maculata'' once again. Like the rest of its genus, ''G. humbloti'' sheds A shed is typically a simple, single-story roofed structure that is used for hobbies, or as a workshop in a bac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geckolepis Polylepis
The many-scaled gecko (''Geckolepis polylepis'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to western Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa .... References Geckolepis Reptiles described in 1893 {{Gecko-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lizard Genera
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia although some lizards are more closely related to these two excluded groups than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon. Most lizards are quadrupedal, running with a strong side-to-side motion. Some lineages (known as "legless lizards"), have secondarily lost their legs, and have long snake-like bodies. Some such as the forest-dwelling ''Draco'' lizards are able to glide. They are often territorial, the males fighting off other males and signalling, often with bright colours, to attract mates and to intimidate rivals. Lizards are mainly carnivorous, often being sit-and-wait predators; many smaller species eat insects, while the Komodo eats mammals as bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia although some lizards are more closely related to these two excluded groups than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon. Most lizards are quadrupedal, running with a strong side-to-side motion. Some lineages (known as "legless lizards"), have secondarily lost their legs, and have long snake-like bodies. Some such as the forest-dwelling ''Draco'' lizards are able to glide. They are often territorial, the males fighting off other males and signalling, often with bright colours, to attract mates and to intimidate rivals. Lizards are mainly carnivorous, often being sit-and-wait predators; many smaller species eat insects, while the Komodo eats mammals a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osteology
Osteology () is the scientific study of bones, practised by osteologists. A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and paleontology, osteology is the detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, microbone morphology, function, disease, pathology, the process of ossification (from cartilaginous molds), and the resistance and hardness of bones (biophysics). Osteologists frequently work in the public and private sector as consultants for museums, scientists for research laboratories, scientists for medical investigations and/or for companies producing osteological reproductions in an academic context. Osteology and osteologists should not be confused with the pseudoscientific practice of osteopathy and its practitioners, osteopaths. Methods A typical analysis will include: * an inventory of the skeletal elements present * a dental inventory * aging data, based upon epiphyseal fusion and dental eruption (for subadults) and deterioration of the pubic symp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ankarana Special Reserve
Ankarana Special Reserve in northern Madagascar was created in 1956. It is a small, partially vegetated plateau composed of 150-million-year-old middle Jurassic limestone. With an average annual rainfall of about , the underlying rocks have been eroded to produce caves and feed subterranean rivers—a karst topography. The rugged relief and the dense vegetation have helped protect the region from human intrusion. The southern entrance of the park is in Mahamasina on the Route nationale 6 some 108 km south-west of Antsiranana and north-east of Ambilobe. Geology The plateau slopes gently to the east, but on the west it ends abruptly in the "Wall of Ankarana", a sheer cliff that extends north to south, and rises up to . To the south, the limestone mass breaks up into separate spires known as ''tower karst''. In the center of the plateau, seismic activity and eons of rainfall have eroded the limestone, forming deep gorges and ribbons of flowstone. In places where the calcifi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions. Subterranean drainage may limit surface water, with few to no rivers or lakes. However, in regions where the dissolved bedrock is covered (perhaps by debris) or confined by one or more superimposed non-soluble rock strata, distinctive karst features may occur only at subsurface levels and can be totally missing above ground. The study of ''paleokarst'' (buried karst in the stratigraphic column) is important in petroleum geology because as much as 50% of the world's hydrocarbon reserves are hosted in carbonate rock, and much of this is found in porous karst systems. Etymology The English word ''karst'' was borrowed from German in the late 19th century, which entered German much earlier ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cryptic Species
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each other, further blurring any distinctions. Terms that are sometimes used synonymously but have more precise meanings are cryptic species for two or more species hidden under one species name, sibling species for two (or more) species that are each other's closest relative, and species flock for a group of closely related species that live in the same habitat. As informal taxonomic ranks, species group, species aggregate, macrospecies, and superspecies are also in use. Two or more taxa that were once considered conspecific (of the same species) may later be subdivided into infraspecific taxa (taxa within a species, such as bacterial strains or plant varieties), that is complex but it is not a species complex. A species complex is in most cas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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