''Strophurus horneri'', also known
commonly as the Arnhem phasmid 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 ...
Diplodactylidae. 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
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
[ www.reptile-database.org.]
Etymology
The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''horneri'', is in honour of Australian zoologist
Paul Horner
Paul Horner (November 5, 1978 – September 18, 2017) was an American writer, comedian and contributor to fake news websites. The Associated Press,
''The Chicago Tribune'', PolitiFact and ''The Washington Post'' all called Horner a "hoax artis ...
who is a Curator Emeritus of the
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the main museum in the Northern Territory. The museum is located in the inner Darwin suburb of Fannie Bay. The MAGNT is governed by the Board of the Museum and Art Gallery of the ...
.
[
]
Geographic range
''S. horneri'' is found in Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
of northern Australia.[
]
Description
''S. horneri'' is narrow-headed and slender-bodied. Its dorsal colouration consists of four broad yellow stripes on a brown or grayish ground colour. A small species, its snout-to-vent length is only about .[
]
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. horneri'' is grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
.
References
Further reading
* Laver RJ, Nielsen SV, Rosauer DF, Oliver PM (2017). "Trans-biome diversity in Australian grass-specialist lizards (Diplodactylidae: ''Strophurus'')". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 115: 62–70.
*Oliver PM, Parkin T (2014). "A new phasmid gecko (Squamata: Diplodactylidae: ''Strophurus'') from the Arnhem Plateau: more new diversity in rare vertebrates from Northern Australia". ''Zootaxa'' 3878 (1): 037–048. (''Strophurus horneri'', new species).
Strophurus
Reptiles described in 2014
Taxa named by Paul M. Oliver
Taxa named by Tom Parkin
Geckos of Australia
{{Diplodactylidae-stub