Bibron's thick-toed gecko

Bibron's gecko
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Sauria
Infraorder:	Gekkota
Family:	Gekkonidae
Subfamily:	Gekkoninae
Genus:	Pachydactylus
Species:	P. bibronii
Binomial name
	Pachydactylus bibronii; (A. Smith, 1846)
Synonyms
	Tarentola bibronii A. Smith, 1846; Pachydactylus bibronii ; — Boulenger, 1885; Chondrodactylus bibronii ; — Bauer & Lamb, 2005; Pachydactylus bibronii ; — Branch & Bauer, 2005;

Bibron's gecko (Pachydactylus bibronii) is a species of thick-toed gecko endemic to southern Africa.

Etymology

Both the specific name, bibronii, and the common name, Bibron's gecko, are in honor of French herpetologist Gabriel Bibron.^[2]

Geographic range

P. bibronii is distributed across the southern part of the African continent. It is common in South Africa, where it is one of the largest gecko species.

Description

This moderate-sized gecko reaches a total length (including tail) of 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm). It has a stockier build than most other geckos. The female is generally smaller than the male. Its base color is brown, and it has a beaded pattern dorsally, with black crossbars. The male has white dots. The female may, as well. The belly is white or very light brown. The newly hatched Bibron's gecko has solid line and color patterns, while the adult's patterns are more broken.

Behavior

Bibron's gecko is arboreal and ground-dwelling. It is territorial, and males are very aggressive toward each other. Individuals can commonly be found missing appendages in the wild.

Reproduction

The female usually lays two clutches per year, with two eggs per clutch.

References

^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. (Chondrodactylus bibronii ).
^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Pachydactylus bibroni [sic], p. 25).

External links

"Pachydactylus bibronii (A. Smith, 1846)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

[1] The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. (Chondrodactylus bibronii ).

[2] Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Pachydactylus bibroni [sic], p. 25).

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