''Correlophus sarasinorum'', also called commonly Roux's giant gecko, Sarasins' giant gecko, Sarasin's icgiant gecko (incorrectly), and the suras 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 ...

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 ...

Diplodactylidae The Diplodactylidae are a family in the suborder Gekkota (geckos), with over 150 species in 25 genera. These geckos occur in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Diplodactylids are the most ecologically diverse and widespread family of geck ...

. The species is native to the southern portions of the outlying

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

n island of Grande Terre.

Etymology

The specific name, ''sarasinorum'' (masculine, genitive, plural), is in honor of Swiss zoologists Karl Friedrich Sarasin and

Paul Benedict Sarasin Paul Sarasin, full name Paul Benedict Sarasin (11 December 1856 – 7 April 1929) was a Swiss naturalist and ethnologist. He is known as founder of National parks in Switzerland.CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

for protective status and is considered vulnerable to extinction in many

herpetological Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning " reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and r ...

circles. It has been found only in six locales in its native habitat.

Description

Since there is a considerable variation in snout-to-vent length (SVL) of ''C. sarasinorum'', which ranges from 3.5 to 5.5 inches (9 to 14 centimeters), it has been suggested that more than one

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

exists; there is no universal consensus on this point. The basic color of the suras gecko is brown to gray. Two color patterns exist. A white spotted version is the

recessive In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the effect of a different variant of the same gene on the other copy of the chromosome. The first variant is termed dominant and t ...

trait, and a white "V" pattern is the dominant trait. The gecko's appearance has often been described as similar to a large ''

Correlophus ciliatus ''Correlophus'' is a genus of lizards in the family Diplodactylidae endemic to New Caledonia. It includes three species: *''Correlophus belepensis'' Bauer ''et al.'', 2012 *''Correlophus ciliatus'' Guichenot, 1866 (formerly included in ''Rhacodac ...

'', with larger eyes.

Habitat

The preferred 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 ...

s of ''C. sarasinorum'' are

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

and

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

, at altitudes of .

Behavior

''C. sarasinorum'' is

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

, and less

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

than the other ''

Rhacodactylus ''Rhacodactylus'' is a genus of medium to large geckos of the family Diplodactylidae. All species in this genus are found on the islands that make up New Caledonia. Genus characteristics include long limbs and toes with well-developed lamellae. ...

'' (''

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'')

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 ...

s. It is often found hiding under the leaf litter or under loose bark. This species has an animal instinct of sleeping on top of plants or in small trees face up preventing the common FTS (Floppy Tail Syndrome) caused by the gecko sleeping upside down.

Diet

''C. sarasinorum'' is an

omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutr ...

and is also considered to be frugiverous. In the wild it eats

insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of j ...

and

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

Reproduction

The female ''C. sarasinorum'' lays two eggs which are buried in a soft, damp substrate. The eggs hatch 60–90 days after being laid.

In captivity

The species ''C. sarasinorum'' is sometimes seen in captivity.