''Christinus'' is a genus of
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 g ...
geckos found in southern regions of
Australia. It contains species and subspecies that are regionally termed as marbled geckos. The contrasted patterns of these geckos, marbling, are found in a variety of reddish-brown, grey, silver, white, black and purplish hues. They are frequently found in old knotted trees and sometimes congregate in large numbers in established urban environments.
The genus was named for Christine Biggs, a friend of one of the authors.
Classification
''Christinus'' was first described by Wells and Wellington in 1984, giving the types species as that published as ''Diplodactylus marmoratus'' Gray 1845. Their later proposal to establish a genus ''
Ridegekko'', based on Boulenger's original description of ''Phyllodactylus guentheri'' (''C. guentheri''), is not given in later literature.
The genus has been described as containing two species, the island population and the widespread southern population.
The latter, ''C. marmoratus'', has two or more subspecies in its distribution range. One proposed subspecies, ''Christinus marmoratus alexanderi''
Storr Storr is a surname of Old Scandinavian origin, and may refer to
* Anthony Storr (1920–2001), English psychiatrist and author
* Catherine Storr (1913–2001), English novelist and children's writer
* Farrah Storr (born 1978), British journalist
* ...
, has been elevated by some authorities to the rank of species.
[Donnellan, S. C., Aplin, K. P. and Dempsey, P. J. (2000). Genetic and morphological variation in Australian Christinus (Squamata : Gekkonidae): preliminary overview with recognition of a cryptic species on the Nullarbor Plain. Australian Journal of Zoology 48, 289–315.][Greer, A.E. 2006]
Encyclopedia of Australian Reptiles.
Australian Museum Online
Version date: 7 August 2006
Species
* ''
C. alexanderi'' (endemic to
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of , 'no', and , 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its ...
)
* ''
C. guentheri'', (
Lord Howe and
Norfolk Island)
* ''
C. marmoratus'', (widespread: southern mainland, northwest interior, islands)
**''C. m. macrodactylus''
**''C. m. marmoratus''
References
External links
Geckos of Australia
Lizard genera
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