The Central American banded gecko (''Coleonyx mitratus'') is a
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 moderately-sized
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 ...
in the genus ''
Coleonyx
''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 ...
'', native to
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. ...
and first identified by
Wilhelm Peters
Wilhelm Karl Hartwich (or Hartwig) Peters (22 April 1815 in Koldenbüttel – 20 April 1883) was a German natural history, naturalist and explorer.
He was assistant to the anatomist Johannes Peter Müller and later became curator of the Natural ...
in 1863. It is a member of the
eyelid geckos.
Description
Length (including tail) reaches 190mm, with the tail encompassing 50-54% of the total. As indicated by their name, these geckos have brown, black and yellow horizontal bands on their dorsal surfaces.
Biology
The Central American banded gecko is crepuscular and hides in a burrow in the soil during the day. It emerges at dusk to forage for insects. If threatened, like most geckos, it can lose its tail. Most will regenerate lost tails within a year.
Distribution
These geckos are found from Guatemala south to Costa Rica.
In captivity
Central American banded geckos are popular as pets. A single Central American banded gecko can be housed in a 20-gallon terrarium.
See also
Lizards of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua
References
Coleonyx
Reptiles of Central America
Reptiles described in 1863
Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters
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