''Lygodactylus'' 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 diurnal

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 with 72

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 ...

. They are commonly referred to as dwarf geckos. They are mainly found in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

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 ...

although two species are found in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. ''Lygodactylus picturatus'', the best known species, is found in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and commonly known as the white-headed dwarf gecko. Recently, illegal importation from

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

of brightly colored (and critically-endangered), ''

Lygodactylus williamsi ''Lygodactylus williamsi'' is a critically endangered species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to a small area of Tanzania. Common names include turquoise dwarf gecko, William's dwarf gecko, and, in the pet trade, elect ...

,'' known as electric blue geckos, has been gaining attention for ''Lygodactylus'' geckos in the reptile trade. Since all trade in wild-caught ''Lygodactylus williamsi'' is illegal, shipments of these geckos are often intentionally mislabelled as ''Lygodactylus spp.'' or as ''

Lygodactylus capensis The Cape dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus capensis'')('lygodactylus' = 'flexible fingers') is a species of dwarf gecko found in the woodlands and forests of central and southern Africa. It also occurs commonly in towns and cities and is sometimes ke ...

''.CITES Proposal for inclusion
/ref> As some customs officials have difficulty identifying members of this genus,
''Lygodactylus spp.'' identification guide
has been published online by

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

Species

Species in alphabetical order by

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

: *'' Lygodactylus angolensis''

Bocage Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use. ''Bocage'' may als ...

, 1896 – Angola dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus angularis The angulated dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus angularis'') is a species of gecko native to southern Zaire and Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Af ...

'' Günther, 1893 – angulated dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus arnoulti Pasteur's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus arnoulti''), also Common name, commonly known as Arnoult's gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the Family (biology), family Gekkonidae. The species is native to Madagascar. Etymology The Specific name ( ...

'' G. Pasteur, 1965 – Pasteur's dwarf gecko, Arnoult's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus baptistai'' Marques, Ceríaco, Buehler, Bandeira, Janota & Bauer, 2020 *''

Lygodactylus bernardi Bernard's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus bernardi''), also commonly known as FitzSimons' dwarf gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Zimbabwe. Etymology The specific name, ''bernardi'', is in h ...

'' V. FitzSimons, 1958 – Bernard's dwarf gecko, FitzSimon's dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus bivittis The tiny scaled gecko (''Lygodactylus bivittis'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. Taxonomy ''L. bivittis'' was formerly placed in a monotypic genus ''Microscalabotes''. However, molecular da ...

'' ( W. Peters, 1883) – tiny scaled gecko *''

Lygodactylus blancae ''Lygodactylus blancae'' is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. Etymology The specific name, ''blancae'', is in honor of French geneticist Françoise Blanc.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; ...

'' G. Pasteur, 1995 ‡ *''

Lygodactylus blanci Blanc's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus blanci'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to central Madagascar. They are the least known species of dwarf geckos in Madagascar. Blanc's dwarf geckos are one out of eleven ...

'' G. Pasteur, 1967 ‡ – Blanc's dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus bonsi Bons's dwarf day gecko or Bons' dwarf day gecko (''Lygodactylus bonsi'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Malawi. Etymology The specific name, ''bonsi'', is in honor of French herpetologisJacques Bons(bo ...

'' G. Pasteur, 1962 – Bons's dwarf day gecko *''

Lygodactylus bradfieldi Bradfield's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus bradfieldi'') is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa. Geographic range ''L. bradfieldi'' is native to southern Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and t ...

'' Hewitt, 1932 – Bradfield's dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus broadleyi Broadley's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus broadleyi'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to East Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''broadleyi'', is in honor of African herpetologist Donald George Broadley. Be ...

'' G. Pasteur, 1995 – Broadley's dwarf gecko *''

'' ( A. Smith, 1849) – Cape dwarf gecko, common dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus chobiensis'' V. FitzSimons, 1932 – Okavango dwarf gecko, Chobe dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus conradti'' Matschie, 1892 – Matschie's dwarf gecko, Conradt's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus conraui'' Tornier, 1902 – Cameroon dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus decaryi''

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

, 1930 – Angel's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus depressus'' K.P. Schmidt, 1919 – Zaire dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus expectatus'' G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1967 – Ambilobe dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus fischeri''

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 ...

, 1890 – Fischer's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus grandisonae'' G. Pasteur, 1962 – Kenya dwarf gecko, Bunty's dwarf gecko, Grandison's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus graniticolus'' Jacobsen, 1992 – granite dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus gravis'' G. Pasteur, 1965 – Usambara dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus grotei'' Sternfeld, 1911 – Grote's dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus guibei The western dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus guibei'') is a small species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. Etymology The specific name, ''guibei'', is in honor of French herpetologist Jean Marius ...

'' G. Pasteur, 1965 – western dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus gutturalis'' (Bocage, 1873) – Uganda dwarf gecko, chevron-throated dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus heterurus'' Boettger, 1913 – Boettger's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus incognitus'' Jacobsen, 1992 – cryptic dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus inexpectatus'' G. Pasteur, 1965 – Dar es Salaam dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus insularis'' Boettger, 1913 – insular dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus intermedius'' G. Pasteur, 1995 *'' Lygodactylus keniensis''

Parker Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho * Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Park ...

, 1936 – Parker's dwarf gecko, Kenya dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus kimhowelli'' G. Pasteur, 1995 – Kim Howell's dwarf gecko, Tanzanian dwarf gecko, zebra dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus klemmeri'' G. Pasteur, 1965 – Malagasy dwarf gecko, Klemmer's dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus klugei Kluge's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus klugei'') is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to northeastern Brazil. Etymology The specific name, ''klugei'', is in honor of American herpetologist Arnold G. Kluge ...

'' ( H.M. Smith, R.L. Martin &

Swain Swain, Swains or Swain's may refer to: Places * Swain Islands, Antarctica * Swain's Island (Newfoundland and Labrador), Canada * Swains Island, an atoll in the Tokelau chain, American Samoa * Swain County, North Carolina, United States * Swains ...

, 1977) – Kluge's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus laterimaculatus'' G. Pasteur, 1964 – side-spotted dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus lawrencei Lawrence's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus lawrencei'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to Southern Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''lawrencei'', is in honor of South African entomologist Reginald Freder ...

'' Hewitt, 1926 – Lawrence's dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus luteopicturatus The yellow-headed dwarf gecko or dwarf yellow-headed gecko (''Lygodactylus luteopicturatus'') is a small species of dwarf gecko found in the rocky areas of southern Kenya, Somalia (maybe as an introduced species), eastern Tanzania, and Zanzibar ...

'' G. Pasteur, 1964 – dwarf yellow-headed gecko, yellow-headed dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus madagascariensis'' (Boettger, 1881) – Madagascar dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus manni Mann's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus manni'') is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to East Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''manni'', is in honor of William Montana Mann, who was an American entomol ...

'' Loveridge, 1928 – Mann's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus methueni'' V. FitzSimons, 1937 – Methuen's dwarf gecko, Woodbrush dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus miops'' Günther, 1891 – Günther's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus mirabilis'' (G. Pasteur, 1962) *'' Lygodactylus mombasicus'' Loveridge, 1935 – white-headed dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus montanus'' G. Pasteur, 1965 – Mount Ivohibe gecko *'' Lygodactylus montiscaeruli'' Jacobsen, 1992 – Makgabeng dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus nigropunctatus'' Jacobsen, 1992 – black-spotted dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus nyaneka'' Marques, Ceríaco, Buehler, Bandeira, Janota & Bauer, 2020 *'' Lygodactylus ocellatus''

Roux Roux () is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooke ...

, 1907 – ocellated dwarf gecko, spotted dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus ornatus'' G. Pasteur, 1965 – ornate dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus pauliani'' G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1991 – ornate dwarf gecko

*'' Lygodactylus picturatus'' (W. Peters, 1871) – white-headed dwarf gecko, painted dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus pictus'' (W. Peters, 1883) – robust dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus rarus'' G. Pasteur & C. Blanc, 1973 – thin dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus regulus'' Portik, Travers,

Bauer Bauer is a German surname meaning "peasant" or "farmer". For notable people sharing the surname, see Bauer (surname). Bauer may also refer to: Education and literature * Bauer's Lexicon, a dictionary of Biblical Greek * Bauer College of Busin ...

Branch A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk (botany), trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term '' ...

, 2013 – prince dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus rex'' Broadley, 1963 – king dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus roavolana'' Puente, Glaw, Vieites, & Vences, 2009 *'' Lygodactylus scheffleri'' Sternfeld, 1912 – Scheffler's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus scorteccii'' G. Pasteur, 1959 – Scortecci's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus somalicus'' Loveridge, 1935 – Somali dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus soutpansbergensis'' Jacobsen, 1994 – Soutpansberg dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus stevensoni'' Hewitt, 1926 – Stevenson's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus tchokwe'' Marques, Ceríaco, Buehler, Bandeira, Janota & Bauer, 2020 *'' Lygodactylus thomensis'' (W. Peters, 1881) – Annobon dwarf gecko *''

Lygodactylus tolampyae Grandidier's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus tolampyae'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. Etymology The specific name, ''tolampyae'', may refer to Ambatolampy, a city in Madagascar. Grandidier ...

'' ( Grandidier, 1872) – Grandidier's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus tsavoensis'' Malonza, Bauer, Granthon, D. Williams & Wojnowski, 2019 – Tsavo dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus tuberosus''

Mertens __NOTOC__ Mertens () is a surname of Flemish Origin, meaning "son of Merten" (Martin). It is the fifth most common name in Belgium with 18,518 people in 2008. Geographical distribution As of 2014, 43.4% of all known bearers of the surname ''Merte ...

, 1965 *'' Lygodactylus verticillatus'' Mocquard, 1895 – Mocquard's dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus viscatus'' (Vaillant, 1873) – Howell's dwarf gecko, Copal dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus waterbergensis'' Jacobsen, 1992 – Waterberg dwarf gecko *'' Lygodactylus wetzeli'' (H.M. Smith, R.L. Martin & Swain, 1977) – South American dwarf gecko *''

'' Loveridge, 1952 – Williams' dwarf gecko, turquoise dwarf gecko, electric blue gecko *'' Lygodactylus wojnowskii'' Malonza, Granthon & D. Williams, 2016 – Mt. Kenya dwarf gecko ‡ ''L. blancae'' (

feminine Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered fe ...

genitive In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

singular Singular may refer to: * Singular, the grammatical number that denotes a unit quantity, as opposed to the plural and other forms * Singular homology * SINGULAR, an open source Computer Algebra System (CAS) * Singular or sounder, a group of boar, ...

) is named for (Ms) Françoise Blanc, a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

geneticist; but ''L. blanci'' (masculine, genitive, singular) is named for (Mr.) Charles Pierre Blanc, a French herpetologist.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Lygodactylus blancae'' and ''L. blanci'', p. 26). ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was original described in a genus other than ''Lygodactylus''.

Species

References

Further reading