The giant wall gecko (''Tarentola gigas'') 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
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
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Phyllodactylidae. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Cape Verde
, national_anthem = ()
, official_languages = Portuguese
, national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole
, capital = Praia
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, demonym ...
, where it occurs on the island of
São Nicolau and on the nearby islets of
Branco and
Raso.
The species was named by
José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.
There are two subspecies:
*''Tarentola gigas brancoensis''
*''Tarentola gigas gigas''
Description
The giant wall gecko reaches maximum 15.5 cm snout–vent length and its dorsal skin has a grey color.
References
Further reading
* Bocage 1875 :
2. Sur deux reptiles nouveaux de l’Archipel du Cap-Vert'
'On Two New Reptiles of the Cape Verde Archipelago'' Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes (Journal of Science, Mathematics, Physrics and Nature), Lisbon, vol. 5, p. 108-112
*Carranza, S., Arnold, E. Nicholas; Mateo, J. A. and L. F. López-Jurado 2000 Long-distance colonization and radiation in gekkonid lizards, Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Proc. R. Soc. London B 267: 637-649
*Schleich, 1984 : ''Die Geckos der Gattung Tarentola der Kapverden (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae)''
'Geckos of the Tarentola Species in Cape Verde'' Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, vol. 68, p. 95-106.
*Schleich, H.H. 1987 ''Herpetofauna caboverdiana.'' Spixiana Suppl. (no. 12) p. 75
*Schleich H H 1988 ''Ascalabotes gigas BOCAGE 1875 (currently Tarentola gigas); proposed conservation of the specific name, by suppression of the senior synonym Tarentola borneensis Gray 1845. Bull. Zool. Nomencl. 45
*Jesus, J.; Brehm, A. & Harris, D.J. 2002 Relationships of Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the Cape Verde Islands estimated from DNA sequence data. Amphibia-Reptilia 23 (1): 47-54
*Joger U 1993 On two collections of reptiles and amphibians from the Cape Verde Islands, with descriptions of three new taxa. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 159: 437-444
*Joger, U. 1984 Die Radiation der Gattung Tarentola in Makaronesien. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 71: 91-111
gigas
Geckos of Africa
Endemic vertebrates of Cape Verde
Fauna of São Nicolau, Cape Verde
Reptiles described in 1875
Taxa named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage
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