''Quedenfeldtia moerens'', known
commonly as the Atlas day gecko, 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 ...
Sphaerodactylidae
The Sphaerodactylidae are a family of geckos (Gekkota) distributed in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, as well as in Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and into Central Asia. The family contains 12 li ...
. 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
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
.
Taxonomy
This species, ''Quedenfeldtia moerens'', should not be confused with a different species, ''
Q. trachyblepharus'', which is also known commonly as the Atlas day gecko.
Geographic range
''Q. moerens'' is found in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
. It might also occur in
Western Sahara
Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the r ...
.
Habitat
The natural
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 ''Q. moerens'' is rocky areas.
References
Further reading
*
Arnold EN (1990). "The two species of Moroccan day geckoes, ''Quedenfeldtia'' (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)". ''Journal of Natural History'' 24 (3): 757- 762. (''Quedenfeldtia moerens'', new combination).
*
Chabanaud P (1916). "''Sur divers Reptiles et Batraciens du Maroc recueillis par M. Pallary'' ". ''Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris'' 22: 228–233. (''Gymnodactylus moerens'', new species, pp. 228–231, Figures 1, 2A). (in French).
Quedenfeldtia
Geckos of Africa
Reptiles of North Africa
Endemic fauna of Morocco
Reptiles described in 1916
Taxa named by Paul Chabanaud
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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