''Ptyodactylus puiseuxi'',
common names Israeli fan-fingered gecko and Levante fan-fingered gecko, is a species of
lizard in the family
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 else ...
to the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
.
Etymology
The specific name, ''puiseuxi'', is in honor of French astronomer Victor Alexandre Puiseux
Victor Alexandre Puiseux (; 16 April 1820 – 9 September 1883) was a French mathematician and astronomer. Puiseux series are named after him, as is in part the Bertrand–Diquet–Puiseux theorem. His work on algebraic functions and unif ...
.
Description
''P. puiseuxi'' is a medium-sized gecko. It is light to dark brown, with numerous white spots on the dorsal surface. The head is large and triangular. The tail has several white bands, and is shorter than the overall head and body length (snout-to-vent length). The dorsal scales are small and granular.[
]
Geographic range
''P. puiseuxi'' is found in Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, and Syria.[
]
Habitat and behaviour
''P. puiseuxi'' usually emerges after dark to feed, but can be seen in rocky, shady areas, and near caves.
Reproduction
''P. puiseuxi'' is oviparous.[
]
References
Further reading
* Boutan L (1893). "''Mémoire sur les Reptiles rapportés de Syrie par le Dr Th. Barrois, 1re partie, genre Ptyodactyle'' ". ''Revue Biologique du Nord de la France'' 5 (9-10): 329-345, 369-384 + Plate III. (''Ptyodactylus puiseuxi'', new species, pp. 379–384 + Plate III, figure 4). (in French).
* Rösler H (2000). "''Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)''". ''Gekkota'' 2: 28-153. (''Ptyodactylus puiseuxi'', p. 107). (in German).
* Sindaco R, Jeremčenko VK (2008). ''The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic. 1. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Turtles, Crocodiles, Amphisbaenians and Lizards of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia''. (Monographs of the ''Societas Herpetologica Italica''). Latina, Italy: Edizioni Belvedere. 580 pp. .
* Werner YL, Sivan N (1993). "Systematics and zoogeography of ''Ptyodactylus'' (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae) in the Levant: 1. Biometry of three species in Israel". ''Revista Española de Herpetología'' 7: 47-64.
*Werner YL, Sivan N (1994). "Systematics and zoogeography of ''Ptyodactylus'' (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae) in the Levant: 2. Taxonomy, with a review of ecology and zoogeography". ''Revista Española de Herpetología'' 8: 105-122.
Ptyodactylus
Reptiles of the Middle East
Geckos of Iraq
Reptiles of Jordan
Reptiles of Syria
Reptiles described in 1893
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