Coleonyx brevis, Texas Banded Gecko, Webb Co

''Coleonyx'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of terrestrial

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

s commonly referred to as banded geckos.

Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of ''Coleonyx'' are found in the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. Banded Geckos enjoy dry, warm weather which is why they are typically found in the Peninsular Desert. They are relatively small lizards, measuring about inches in total length (including tail). They are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

and are found primarily in dry, rocky

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s. Banded Geckos have preyed by snakes, their main predators being rattlesnakes and glossy snakes. Banded Geckos can decipher how they should react when they obtain a chemical cue based on their knowledge of the predator. A main resource they use to distract the predator is losing their tail or escaping quickly. Banded Geckos possess heteromorphic euchromatic sex chromosomes which play a large role in their historical contingency. Microsatellite distribution on sex chromosomes at different stages of heteromorphism and heterochromatinization in two lizard species (Squamata: Eublepharidae: Coleonyx elegans and Lacertidae: Eremias velox)

Species

* ''

Coleonyx brevis The Texas banded gecko (''Coleonyx brevis'') is a species of small gecko native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Description Texas banded geckos are small, terrestrial lizards, rarely exceeding in length. They have alte ...

'' (

Stejneger Leonhard Hess Stejneger (30 October 1851 – 28 February 1943) was a Norwegian-born American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles ...

, 1893) – Texas banded gecko * ''

Coleonyx elegans ''Coleonyx'' is a genus of terrestrial geckos commonly referred to as banded geckos. Species of ''Coleonyx'' are found in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Banded Geckos enjoy dry, warm weather which is why they are t ...

'' – Yucatán banded gecko ** ''Coleonyx elegans nemoralis'' ( Klauber, 1945) ** ''Coleonyx elegans elegans'' (

Gray Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...

, 1845) * ''

Coleonyx fasciatus The black banded gecko (''Coleonyx fasciatus'') is a gecko endemic to western Mexico. It is found in Madrean foothills in Sinaloa and southern Sonora, and perhaps in extreme adjacent southwestern Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihua ...

'' (

Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer * Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo * George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...

, 1885) – black banded gecko * ''

Coleonyx mitratus The Central American banded gecko (''Coleonyx mitratus'') is a species of moderately-sized gecko in the genus ''Coleonyx'', native to Central America and first identified by Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich (or Hartwig) Peters (22 April 18 ...

'' (

Peters Peters may refer to: People * Peters (surname) * Peters Band, a First Nations band in British Columbia, Canada Places United States * Peters, California, a census-designated place * Peters, Florida, a town * Peters Township, Kingman County, Kansas ...

, 1863) – Central American banded gecko * ''

Coleonyx nemoralis ''Coleonyx nemoralis'' is a gecko endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south an ...

'' Klauber, 1945 * ''

Coleonyx reticulatus The reticulate banded gecko or reticulated gecko (''Coleonyx reticulatus'') is a species of small gecko native to the United States (Texas) and Mexico (Coahuila). Description Reticulate banded geckos can grow to 6.5 inches long, and are a pink ...

'' (

Davis Davis may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Davis (Antarctica) * Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago) * Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land Canada * Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community * Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Gre ...

& Dixon, 1958) – reticulate banded gecko * ''

Coleonyx switaki Switak's banded gecko (''Coleonyx switaki''), also commonly known as the barefoot banded gecko, the barefoot gecko, and Switak's barefoot gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Eublepharidae. The species is indigenous to the extreme southwes ...

'' (Murphy, 1974) – Switak's banded gecko * ''

Coleonyx gypsicolus ''Coleonyx gypsicolus'', sometimes called the Isla San Marcos barefoot banded gecko is a gecko endemic to Isla San Marcos in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of N ...

'' ( Grismer & Ottlery, 1988) * ''

Coleonyx variegatus The western banded gecko (''Coleonyx variegatus'') is a species of lizard in the family Eublepharidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Five subspecies are recognized. Geographic range In ...

Baird Baird may refer to: Places United States * Baird, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Baird, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Baird, Texas, a city * Baird, Washington, a community * Baird Mountains, Alaska * Baird Inlet, Alaska ...

, 1858 – western banded gecko ** ''Coleonyx variegatus abbotti'' ( Klauber, 1945) ** ''Coleonyx variegatus bogerti'' ( Klauber, 1945) ** ''Coleonyx variegatus peninsularis'' ( Klauber, 1945) ** ''Coleonyx variegatus slevini'' ( Klauber, 1945) ** ''Coleonyx variegatus sonoriensis'' ( Klauber, 1945) ** ''Coleonyx variegatus utahensis'' ( Klauber, 1945) ** ''Coleonyx variegatus variegatus'' (

, 1858)

References

External links

* Lizard genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray {{gecko-stub