Cochran's least gecko (''Sphaerodactylus cochranae'') 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 the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name, C''ochranae'', is in honor of American herpetologist
Doris Mable Cochran
Doris Mable Cochran (May 18, 1898 – May 22, 1968) was an American Herpetology, herpetologist and custodian of the American Natural Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., for many years.
Life
Born in North Girard, Pennsyl ...
.
[ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Sphaerodactylus cohranae'', p. 56).]
Habitat
The preferred
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 ''S. cochranae'' is
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' ...
at altitudes of .
[
]
Reproduction
''S. cochranae'' 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
* Powell R, Henderson RW (2008). "''Sphaerodactylus cochranae'' ". ''Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles'' (851): 1-2.
*Powell, Robert; Ottenwalder, José A.; Incháustegui, Sixto J.; Henderson, Robert W.; Glor, Richard E. (2000). "Amphibians and reptiles of the Dominican Republic: Species of special concern". ''Oryx'' 34 (2): 118-128.
* Rösler H (2000). "''Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)'' ". ''Gekkota'' 2: 28-153. (''Sphaerodactylus cochranae'', p. 111). (in German).
* Ruibal, "Rudolph ic (1946). "A New ''Sphaerodactylus'' from the Dominican Republic". ''American Museum Novitates'' (1308): 1-4. (''Sphaerodactylus cochranae'', new species).
* Schwartz A, Henderson RW (1991). ''Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History''. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press. 720 pp. . (''Sphaerodactylus cochranae'', p. 480).
*Schwartz A, Thomas R
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
(1975). ''A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles''. Carnegie Museum of Natural History
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as CMNH) is a natural history museum in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Pittsburgh-based industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1896.
Housing some 22 millio ...
Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (''Sphaerodactylus cochranae'', p. 146).
*Thomas R, Schwartz A (1983). "Part 2. ''Sphaerodactylus savagei'', ''S. cochranae'', ''S. darlingtoni'', ''S. armstrongi'', ''S. streptophorus'', and conclusions". pp. 31–60. ''In'': Schwartz A, Thomas R (1983). "The ''difficilis'' complex of ''Sphaerodactylus'' (Sauria, Gekkonidae) of Hispaniola". ''Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History'' (22): 1-60.
Sphaerodactylus
Reptiles of the Dominican Republic
Endemic fauna of the Dominican Republic
Reptiles described in 1946
Taxa named by Rodolfo Ruibal
{{Sphaerodactylus-stub