Lawrence's dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus lawrencei'') 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
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 alt ...
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 ...
Gekkonidae
Gekkonidae (the common geckos) is the largest family of geckos, containing over 950 described species in 64 genera. Members of the Gekkonidae comprise many of the most widespread gecko species, including house geckos (''Hemidactylus''), tokay ge ...
. The species is native to
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name, ''lawrencei'', is in honor of South African
entomologist
Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
Reginald Frederick Lawrence
Reginald Frederick Lawrence FRSSAf (6 March 1897 in George, Western Cape – 9 October 1987 in Pietermaritzburg) was a South African arachnologist and myriapodologist at the South African Museum in Cape Town from 1922 until 1935, director of ...
.
[Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael(2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Lygodactylus lawrencei'', p. 152).]
Geographic range
''L. lawrencei'' is found in southern
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
, and adjacent northern
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
.
Description
''L. lawrencei'' is a small species. The snout-to-vent length (SVL) of adults is .
Dorsally
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
, it is ashy-gray with many thin broken dark stripes. Ventrally, it is white.
[ Branch, Bill (2004). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. (''Lygodactylus lawrencei'', p. 247 + Plate 109).]
Habitat
The preferred
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 ...
of ''L. lawrencei'' is rocky, dry
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
.
[
]
Reproduction
''L. lawrencei'' is oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
.[
]
References
Further reading
* Hewitt J (1926). "Some New or Little-known Reptiles and Batrachians from South Africa". ''Annals of the South African Museum'' 20: 473-490 + Plates XLIV-XLV. (''Lygodactylus lawrencei'', new species, pp. 478–479).
Lygodactylus
Reptiles of Angola
Reptiles of Namibia
Reptiles described in 1926
Taxa named by John Hewitt (herpetologist)
{{Lygodactylus-stub