The Trans-Atlantic Geckos, Family Phyllodactylidae (Gamble, T., A. M Bauer, E. Greenbaum, T. R Jackman. 2008. Out of the blue: a novel, trans-Atlantic clade of geckos (Gekkota, Squamata). Zoological Scripta.) consists of 103 species found in semiarid and tropical regions of North Africa, the Middle East, North and South America and the Caribbean. The name Phyllodactylidae refers to the leaf-shaped toes of many of the species in this group (phyllo meaning “leaf:” dactyl meaning “toe”). The family includes the genera: Asaccus, Haemodracon, Homonota, Phyllodactylus, Phyllopezus, Ptyodactylus, Tarentola and Thecadactylus. Since the description of this family Venegas et al., (2008, Journal of Herpetology 42:386-396) have described two new species of Phyllodactylus from the xeric Balsas region in the upper Maranon Valley of Peru.
Barbados Leaf Toed Gecko, Phyllodactylus pulcher Gray, 1830. Photograph of a captive animal. Adults reach a body length of 62 mm. It appears to be endemic to the xeric scrub on the island and has been reported from Ragged Point, St. Philip on Barbados. It is a poorly known species.
The Cape Leaf Toed Gecko, Phyllodactylus xanti Cope, 1863. Photograph of a captive animal. Adults reach 76 mm in body length. Inhabits rocky deserts from Riverside County, California southward into Cabo San Lucas, Baja. Like most geckos it is nocturnal, and it may be active at relatively low temperatures.
Tuberculate Leaf Toed Gecko, Phyllodactylus tuberculosus Weigmann, 1834. Ranges from Sinaloa, Mexico southward to Costa Rica. Also present in the Galapagos. Adults reach a body length of 65 mm with a tail of similar length. Uses forests, caves, and areas disturbed by humans. Photo of a captive specimen.
The Cape Leaf Toed Gecko, Phyllodactylus xanti Cope, 1863. Photograph of a captive animal. Adults reach 76 mm in body length. Inhabits rocky deserts from Riverside County, California southward into Cabo San Lucas, Baja. Like most geckos it is nocturnal, and it may be active at relatively low temperatures. Tenerife Wall Gecko, Tarentola delalandii Dumeril and Bibron, 1836. Known from Tenerife, La Palma in the Canary Islands. Photograph of a captive specimen of unknown origin.
The Moorish Gecko, Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758). Photograph of a captive of unknown origin. Total length is up to 160 mm. Inhabits rock cliffs, stone piles, stone walls, and tree trunks. Females lay clutches of 2 eggs, but they may produce 15 clutches per year. Ranges throughout the Mediterranean region of Europe, Asia and Africa.
American Wall Gecko, Tarentola americana Gray, 1831. Photograph of a captive animal that was said to be T. a. warreni, meaning that it may have come from the Great Bahamas Bank.
Turnip Tail Gecko, Thecadactylus rapicauda (Houttuyn, 1782). Photographed in the Arima of Trinidad's Northern Range. Adults can reach 200 mm in total length. Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean Islands close to the continent. The tail is easily broken (top photo), and the skin will tear readily when the lizard is restrained. They live on tree trunks, walls of buildings, and vertical rock surfaces in distrubed areas as well as primary rainforests.
Turnip Tail Geckos also have a remarkable ability to change color. The bottom two photos were taken near Charlottesville, Tobago. Note how well the lizard blends with the bark of the tree, these geckos can readily chage color and pattern.
