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Information about New Caledonian Bumpy Gecko

Gargoyle Gecko

Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Family:Gekkonidae
Genus:Rhacodactylus
Species:R. auriculatus
Binomial name
Rhacodactylus auriculatus
Bavay, 1869
Synonyms
Platydactylus auriculatus
Ceratolophus hexaceros
Gecko ceratolophus
New Caledonian bumpy gecko or gargoyle gecko (Rhacodactylus auriculatus) is a species of gecko found only on the southern end of the island of New Caledonia. Its habitat is threatened by deforestation on the island. This gecko, along with several other Rhacodactylus species are being considered for protective measures by CITES, which would put restrictions on their exportation. This gecko was first described by Bavay in 1869.

Description

More commonly known as the Gargoyle Gecko, this reptile gets its name from the cranial bumps that give the appearance of horns or ears. Other characteristics of this gecko include a thin tail, which will regenerate if it drops off, thin toe pads, and mite pockets found on the rear legs.

They occur in many colors, including varying shades of greys, browns, or white, with varying patterns of blotches and striping. They are commonly captive bred for particular traits.

Behavior

Gargoyle geckos are nocturnal and arboreal, making their home in scrub forests. The female lays two eggs per clutch which hatch 60-90 days after they are laid.

In captivity

Gargoyle geckos make interesting terrarium inhabitants. In captivity, these geckos readily accept live foods such as crickets and waxworms. They also will accept fruit mashes and fruit baby food. Males should be housed separately or as a part of a breeding pair or trio with females. Males housed together will often fight. Females are social and can be housed together. Young geckos should also be housed apart because they can be aggressive toward their cage mates.

Gallery


Red Striped morph juvenile Gargoyle Gecko

Juvenile Gargoyle Gecko


References

External links

Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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If you are prevented from editing this page, and you wish to make a change, please discuss changes on the talk page, request unprotection, log in, or
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Chordata
Bateson, 1885

Typical Classes

See below

Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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Sauropsida*
Goodrich, 1916

Subclasses
  • Anapsida
  • Diapsida
Synonyms
  • Reptilia Laurenti, 1768
Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class
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Squamata
Oppel, 1811

black: range of Squamata


Suborders
see text

This article is about the Squamata order of reptiles. For the Roman scale armour see: Lorica squamata.

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Gekkonidae
Gray, 1825

Subfamilies

Aeluroscalabotinae
Eublepharinae
Gekkoninae
Teratoscincinae
Diplodactylinae

Geckos are small to average sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae
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Rhacodactylus

Species
See text.
Rhacodactylus is a genus of medium to large geckos of the subfamily Diplodactylinae. All species in this genus are found on the islands that make up New Caledonia.
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binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming species. The system is also called binominal nomenclature (particularly in zoological circles), binary nomenclature (particularly in botanical circles), or the binomial classification system.
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In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. Usage and terminology are different for zoology and botany.

Zoology

In zoological nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names that pertain to the same taxon, for example
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species is one of the basic units of biological classification. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
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Gekkonidae
Gray, 1825

Subfamilies

Aeluroscalabotinae
Eublepharinae
Gekkoninae
Teratoscincinae
Diplodactylinae

Geckos are small to average sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae
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Anthem
La Marseillaise


Capital Nouméa
Largest city Nouméa
Official languages French
Government Overseas territory of France
 -  President of France Nicolas Sarkozy
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Habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits") is the area where a particular species lives. It is essentially the natural environment in which an organism lives—at least the physical environment—that surrounds (influences and is utilized by) a species population.
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Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land for use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged area, or wasteland.[] Generally, the removal or destruction of significant areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment with
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Rhacodactylus

Species
See text.
Rhacodactylus is a genus of medium to large geckos of the subfamily Diplodactylinae. All species in this genus are found on the islands that make up New Caledonia.
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CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
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The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals and birds.
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Mites, including ticks, belong to the subclass Acarina (also known as Acari) and the class Arachnida. Mites are among the most diverse and successful of all the invertebrate groups.
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Grey or gray (see spelling differences) describes any color between black and white. Collectively, white, black, and the range of greys between them are known as achromatic colors or neutral colors. Greys are seen commonly in nature and fashion.
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Brown, when used as a general term, is a color which is a dark yellow, orange, or red, of low luminance relative to lighter or white colored objects.[1]

Some pale orange and yellow colors of lower saturation are called light browns.
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White is the combination of all the colors of the visible light spectrum.[1]. It is sometimes described as an achromatic color, like black.

White is technically achromatic, and not a color, since it has no hue.
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Captive breeding is the process of breeding rare or endangered species in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife preserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the
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nocturnality describes sleeping during the daytime and being active at night - the opposite of the diurnal human lifestyle, and that of those animals with which we are most familiar. The intermediate crepuscular schedule (twilight activity) is also common.
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Arboreal is a word meaning "related to or resembling trees". Its meaning comes from the Latin arbor, meaning tree.

In biology, an arboreal animal is one which inhabits or spends large amounts of time in trees or bushes.
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FOREST (an acronym for "Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco") is a United Kingdom political pressure group that campaigns for the right of people to smoke tobacco and opposes attempts to ban or reduce tobacco consumption.
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In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. To enable incubation the egg is usually kept within a favourable temperature range as it nourishes and protects the growing embryo.
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vivarium (plural: vivariums or vivaria) is an area, usually enclosed, for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research. Often, a portion of the ecosystem for a particular species is simulated on a smaller scale, with controls for environmental
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Gryllidae
Bolívar, 1878

Subfamilies

See Taxonomy section

Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as "true crickets"), are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets (family
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Waxworms are the larvae of the wax moth. There are two related species, the lesser wax moth (Achroia grisella) and the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella).
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fruit has different meanings depending on context. In botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary—together with seeds—of a flowering plant. In many species, the fruit incorporates the ripened ovary and surrounding tissues.
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