Lucasium byrnei
| Lucasium byrnei | |
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| Species: | L. byrnei
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| Binomial name | |
| Lucasium byrnei (Lucas & Frost, 1896)
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Lucasium byrnei, the gibber gecko or Byrne's gecko, is a species of small, nocturnal gecko endemic to Australia.
Appearance
Up to 80 mm in length, the gibber gecko is a pale, creamy-fawn to reddish-brown or dark brown colour above, with scattered darker flecks and spots and some tiny pale dots, and usually with a distinct series of four or five conspicuous, irregular, W-shaped dark brown transverse bars or blotches between nape and hindlimbs.[1]
It has a short, convex head with a rounded snout; the ear-opening is very small and rounded. Its rostral scale is very low and is about four times as broad as high, without a median cleft. Scales on the throat are minute and granular, whereas abdominal scales are flat, roundish, juxtaposed, and a little smaller than the dorsal tubercles. The Gibber gecko's tail is cylindrical and tapering, with rings of scales that are convex above and flat and subquadrangular beneath. The male of the species has three or four blunt spines on each side of the base of the tail.[2]
Habitat
Gibber geckos are terrestrial, hiding in ground litter, holes and ground crevices during the day, and emerging at night to forage in open areas. They are found in a wide range of habitats from mallee and open woodland to saltbush and sandy desert.[1] Due to the delicate surface architecture of its apical plates, it is considered unlikely that the Gibber gecko would actively burrow, and instead it would be expected to be restricted to occupying previously excavated burrows or other retreats. [3]
Geographic Range
Gibber geckos are found in central New South Wales and its southern interior, the eastern half of South Australia and extending into adjacent border regions of Queensland and the Northern Territory.[1]
Diet
Gibber geckos are insectivorous, with their natural diet comprising small spiders, ants, cockroaches, crickets, termites and moths.[4]
Taxonomy
The family Gekkonidae comprises 111 species in Australia which are normally no larger than 150mm SVL with five digits that bear circular toe pads. [5] The family is separated into two subfamilies: Gekkoninae and Diplodactylinae. These sub families are further broken down into the following genera: Diplodactylus, Gehyra, Hemidactylus, Heteronotia, Lepidodactylus, Nactus, Nephrurus, Oedura, Phyllurus, Pseudothecadactylus, Rhynchoedura, Saltuarius, Strophurus and Underwoodisaurus.[6] Described by Lucas & Frost in 1896, the Gibber gecko is found in the subfamily Diplodactylinae and further in the genus Diplodactylus which can be identified by the lack of caudal glands, the presence of small, retractable claws and digits that lie flat on the ground.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Cogger, Harold (2014). Retiles and Amphibians of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 309–310. ISBN 978-0-643-10035-0.
- ^ "Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria Volume VIII" Issued April 1896
- ^ Doughty, P., and Hutchinson, M. "A new species of Lucasium (Squamata: Diplodactylidae) from the southern deserts of Western Australia and South Australia" Records of the Western Australian Museum 25: pp95-106 (2008)
- ^ Brown, D. "The Care and Husbandry of Diplodactylus Geckoes" http://www.geckodan.com/pages/caresheets/Caresheet%20-%20Diplodactylus.pdf
- ^ Swan, Gerry; Shea, Glenn; Sadlier, Ross (2004). A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales. New Holland Publishing. ISBN 9781877069062.
- ^ Swan, Gerry; Wilson, Steve (2010). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. New Holland Publishing. ISBN 9781877069765.