''Sphaerodactylus notatus'', also known as the Florida reef gecko or brown-speckled sphaero, is a small species 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 ...

native to Florida and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Taxonomy

There are four subspecies: ''S. n.'' ''notatus'' (native to most of The Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida), ''S. n.'' ''amaurus'' (endemic to the Great Bahama Bank, on San Salvador Island and Cat Island), ''S. n.'' ''atactus'' (endemic to the Cayo Ballenatos, near Nuevitas in Cuba, and apparently introduced to the

Morant Morant is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Angela Morant (b. 1941), English actress * Blake Morant, Dean of George Washington University School of Law * Breaker Morant, (1864–1902), Australian drover, horseman, bush poet and ...

and

Pedro Cays Pedro Bank is a large bank of sand and coral, partially covered with seagrass, about 80 km south and southwest of Jamaica, rising steeply from a seabed of 800 metres depth. It slopes gently from the Pedro Cays to the west and north with depths f ...

in Jamaica and Great Inagua in the Bahamas), and ''S. n. peltastes'' (endemic to Little Bahama Bank). The taxonomic status of populations on

Isla de la Juventud Isla de la Juventud (; en, Isle of Youth) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Islan ...

and the Canarreos Archipelago is uncertain.

Distribution

It is found in Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas, and has been introduced to some offshore islands of Jamaica. Being found in Florida, it is widely considered to be one of the few geckos native to the United States. Many herpetologists have questioned whether it should truly be considered native;

Stejneger Leonhard Hess Stejneger (30 October 1851 – 28 February 1943) was a Norwegian-born American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles ...

and Barbour (1933) claimed that the species was accidentally introduced into

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

in 1878, when trade between Florida and Cuba was far more common; the same route is responsible for at least seven other herpetofaunal species established in Florida. There were past attempts to put this gecko on the threatened/endangered list, but due to the debate over its origins, it was denied. The reef gecko was detected in Florida circa 1850, around the times it became a U.S. territory, supporting the shipping-introduction theory. However, genetic evidence indicates that they originally colonized Key Largo, not Key West, likely by rafting, supporting a natural origin for the species in Florida. The reef gecko can be found in both natural and man-made habitats. It is mainly found in damp forests, in shrubs, bushes, under logs, or in hollow timber. In Florida, its survival is closely linked to that of the seagrape (''Coccoloba uvifera''); the species was extirpated from some localities after devastating events such as Hurricane Irma, but recolonized these areas when the seagrape returned. Additionally, in Florida, the species is threatened by sea level rise, and it has disappeared from some known regions of habitation, including Everglades National Park, parts of

Big Pine Key Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

, and parts of

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...

. It has been petitioned that the Florida reef gecko be listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

in the state of Florida, which would legally afford it beneficial protections.

Description

''Sphaerodactylus notatus'' is a small lizard, about two inches long. It feeds on insects and spiders.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3008468 Sphaerodactylus

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 ...

Reptiles of Cuba Reptiles of the Bahamas Reptiles of the United States Fauna of the Southeastern United States Least concern biota of North America Least concern biota of the United States Reptiles described in 1859