''Phelsuma hielscheri'' 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 ...
, a
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. 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
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 ...
.
Etymology
The
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 ...
, ''hielscheri'', is in honor of German biochemist Michael Hielscher who was one of the discoverers of this species.
[ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Phelsuma hielscheri'', p. 123).]
Geographic range
''Phelsuma hielscheri'' is found in central and western Madagascar, at elevations from sea level to .
Description
Males of ''P. hielscheri'' are larger than females. The maximum recorded total length (including tail) for a male is , whereas for a female it is only .
[
]
Habitat
''Phelsuma hielscheri'' is found on screw palms (''Pandanus
''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...
'') in both wild and urban settings.
Reproduction
''Phelsuma hielscheri'' 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
* Berghof H-P (2002). "Experiences with the Care and Breeding of ''Phelsuma hielscheri'', a Day Gecko from the Isalo National Park, Madagascar". ''Gekko'' 3 (1): 39–42.
* Glaw F, Rösler H (2015). "Taxonomic checklist of the day geckos of the genera ''Phelsuma'' Gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
, 1825 and ''Rhoptropella'' Hewitt, 1937 (Squamata: Gekkonidae". ''Verebrate Zoology'' 65 (2): 247–283.
*Rösler H, Obst FJ, Seipp R (2001). "''Eine neue Taggekko-Art von Westmadagaskar'' Phelsuma hielscheri sp. n. ''(Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae)'' ". ''Zoologische Abhandlungen, Museum für Tierkunde Dresden'' 51 (6): 51–60. (''Phelsuma hielscheri'', new species). (in German).
* Schönecker, Patrick; Schönecker, Stefanie (2010). 'Phelsumensuche in Madagaskar – empfehlenswerte Ziele für Naturerlebnisse mit Taggeckos'' ". ''Draco'' 11 (43): 65–76. (in German).
Phelsuma
Reptiles described in 2001
Reptiles of Africa
Reptiles of Madagascar
Endemic fauna of Madagascar
Taxa named by Herbert Rösler (herpetologist)
{{gecko-stub