Sphaerodactylus is a genus of geckos from the AmericasGamble T, Bauer AM, Colli GR, Greenbaum E, Jackman TR, Vitt LJ, Simons AM (2011). "Coming to America: Multiple Origins of New World Geckos". Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24: 231–244. that are distinguished from other Gekkota by their small size, by their round, rather than vertical, eye pupils, and by each digit terminating in a single, round adhesive pad or scale, from which their name (Sphaero = round, dactylus = finger) is derived. All species in this genus are rather small, but two species, S. ariasae and S. parthenopion, are tiny, and – with a snout-vent length of about – the smallest reptiles in the world.Pennsylvania State University (2001). World's Smallest Lizard Discovered in the Caribbean . Accessed 26 January 2009.
Fossil record Fossil remains referred to Sphaerodactylus have been recovered from Dominican amber.
Species The following 108 species are recognized as being valid. www.reptile-database.org.
Sphaerodactylus alphus - Guanaja large-scaled geckolet Sphaerodactylus altavelensis - Alto Velo least gecko, Alto Velo sphaero Sphaerodactylus argivus - Cayman least gecko Sphaerodactylus argus - ocellated gecko, ocellated sphaero, stippled sphaero Sphaerodactylus ariasae - Jaragua sphaero, Jaragua dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus armasi - Guantanamo least gecko, Guantanamo coastal gecko Sphaerodactylus armstrongi - Armstrong's least gecko, southern forest geckolet Sphaerodactylus asterulus - Haitian least gecko Sphaerodactylus beattyi - Saint Croix's sphaero, Beatty's least gecko Sphaerodactylus becki - Beck's least gecko Sphaerodactylus bromeliarum - El Yunque least gecko Sphaerodactylus caicosensis - Caicos banded sphaero, Caicos least gecko Sphaerodactylus callocricus - rough-banded sphaero, callous least gecko Sphaerodactylus celicara - Baracoan eyespot sphaero Sphaerodactylus cinereus - gray gecko Sphaerodactylus clenchi - peninsula least gecko Sphaerodactylus cochranae - Cochran's least gecko Sphaerodactylus continentalis - upper Central American geckolet Sphaerodactylus copei - Cope's least gecko Sphaerodactylus corticola - central Bahamas sphaero, Rum Cay least gecko Sphaerodactylus cricoderus - Turquino collared sphaero Sphaerodactylus cryphius - Bakoruco least gecko Sphaerodactylus dacnicolor - Jamaican tailspot sphaero, eastern Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero Sphaerodactylus darlingtoni - Darlington's least gecko Sphaerodactylus difficilis - Hispaniolan eyespot sphaero, difficult least gecko Sphaerodactylus dimorphicus - Santiago de Cuba geckolet Sphaerodactylus docimus - Cabo Cruz banded sphaero Sphaerodactylus dunni - Dunn's least gecko Sphaerodactylus elasmorhynchus - Marche Leon least gecko, snout-shield sphaero Sphaerodactylus elegans - ashy gecko Sphaerodactylus elegantulus - Antigua least gecko Sphaerodactylus epiurus - Hispaniolan tailspot sphaero Sphaerodactylus exsul - Swan Islands geckolet Sphaerodactylus fantasticus - fantastic least gecko Sphaerodactylus gaigeae -chevronated sphaero, Gaige's least gecko Sphaerodactylus gilvitorques - Jamaican collared sphaero, Jamaican least gecko Sphaerodactylus glaucus - collared dwarf gecko, least gecko Sphaerodactylus goniorhynchus - Jamaican forest sphaero, Cakoarita least gecko Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner Sphaerodactylus graptolaemus - Costa Rica least gecko Sphaerodactylus guanajae - Guanaja head-spotted geckolet Sphaerodactylus heliconiae Sphaerodactylus homolepis - Caribbean least gecko Sphaerodactylus inaguae Noble GK, Klingel GC (1932). "The Reptiles of Great Inagua Island, British West Indies". American Museum Novitates (549): 1–25. - Inagua sphaero, Inagua least gecko Sphaerodactylus inigoi - Isla Vieques dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus intermedius - Mantanzas least gecko Sphaerodactylus kirbyi - Bequia dwarf gecko, Bequia sphaero, Grenadines sphaero Sphaerodactylus klauberi - Klauber's dwarf gecko, Klauber's least gecko, Puerto Rican highland sphaero Sphaerodactylus ladae - Martin Garcia least gecko Sphaerodactylus lazelli - Cap-Haitien least gecko Sphaerodactylus leonardovaldesi Sphaerodactylus leucaster - eastern least gecko Sphaerodactylus levinsi - Desecheo gecko, Isla Desecheo least gecko Sphaerodactylus lineolatus - Panama least gecko Sphaerodactylus macrolepis - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner Sphaerodactylus mariguanae - southern Bahamas sphaero, Mayaguana least gecko Sphaerodactylus microlepis - little-scaled least gecko Sphaerodactylus micropithecus - Monito gecko Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus - spotted least gecko Sphaerodactylus molei - Tobago least gecko Sphaerodactylus monensis - Mona least gecko Sphaerodactylus nicholsi - Nichols least gecko, Nichol's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican crescent sphaero Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus - black-spotted least gecko, three-banded sphaero Sphaerodactylus notatus - reef gecko, brown-speckled sphaero Sphaerodactylus nycteropus - Morne Dubois least gecko Sphaerodactylus ocoae - Peravia least gecko Sphaerodactylus oliveri - Juventud least gecko Sphaerodactylus omoglaux - Fond Parisien least gecko Sphaerodactylus oxyrhinus - Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero Sphaerodactylus pacificus - Pacific least gecko Sphaerodactylus parkeri - Parker's least gecko, southern Jamaica banded sphaero Sphaerodactylus parthenopion - Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero, Virgin Gorda least gecko, Virgin Islands dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus parvus - Anguilla Bank geckolet Sphaerodactylus perissodactylius - Dominican least gecko Sphaerodactylus phyzacinus - Les Saintes geckolet Sphaerodactylus pimienta - pepper sphaero, Cuban pepper sphaero Sphaerodactylus plummeri - Barahona big-scaled sphaero Sphaerodactylus poindexteri - Utila small-scaled geckolet Sphaerodactylus ramsdeni - Ramsden's least gecko Sphaerodactylus randi - Pedernales least gecko Sphaerodactylus rhabdotus - two-striped sphaero, Vallede Neiba least gecko Sphaerodactylus richardi - Richard's banded sphaero, Zapata big-scaled sphaero Sphaerodactylus richardsonii - Richardson's least gecko, northern Jamaica banded sphaero Sphaerodactylus roosevelti - Roosevelt's beige sphaero, Roosevelt's least gecko Sphaerodactylus rosaurae - Bay Island least gecko Sphaerodactylus ruibali - Ruibal's least gecko Sphaerodactylus sabanus - Saba least gecko Sphaerodactylus samanensis - Samana least gecko Sphaerodactylus savagei - Altagracia speckled sphaero, Savage's least gecko Sphaerodactylus scaber - double-collared sphaero, Camaguey least gecko Sphaerodactylus scapularis - Boulenger's least gecko Sphaerodactylus schuberti - Neiba agave geckolet, Neiba agave sphaero, Schubert's least gecko Sphaerodactylus schwartzi - Guantanamo collared sphaero, Monitongas collared geckolet, Schwartz's dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus semasiops - Cockpit eyespot sphaero, Cockpit least gecko Sphaerodactylus shrevei - Shreve's least gecko Sphaerodactylus siboney - Siboney gray-headed geckolet Sphaerodactylus sommeri - TerreNueve least gecko, Terre-Neuve least gecko, northwest Haitian banded geckolet Sphaerodactylus sputator - island least gecko Sphaerodactylus storeyae - Isle of Pines sphaero, Los Canarreos sphaero Sphaerodactylus streptophorus - Hispaniola least gecko, Hispaniolan small-eared sphaero Sphaerodactylus thompsoni - Thompson's least gecko, Barahona limestone sphaero Sphaerodactylus torrei - Barbour's least gecko, Cuban broad-banded geckolet Sphaerodactylus townsendi - Townsend's least gecko, Townsend's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican sandy geckolet Sphaerodactylus underwoodi - Underwood's least gecko, Turks Islands geckolet Sphaerodactylus verdeluzicola - Puerto Rican karst gecko Sphaerodactylus vincenti - Vincent's least gecko, Central Lesser Antillean sphaero, Windward geckolet Sphaerodactylus williamsi - Williams's least gecko, Haitian striped geckolet Sphaerodactylus zygaena - Dame-Marie least gecko, Tiburon coastal geckolet
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Sphaerodactylus.
References
Further reading Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Sphaerodactylus, pp. 142–164). Wagler J (1830). Natürliches System der AMPHIBIEN, mit vorangehender Classification der SÄUGTHIERE und VÖGEL. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie. Munich, Stuttgart and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. vi + 354 pp. + one plate. (Sphaerodactylus, new genus, p. 143). (in German and Latin).
External links