Biology:Saltuarius
| Saltuarius | |
|---|---|
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| Saltuarius swaini in Myall Lakes National Park. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Carphodactylidae |
| Genus: | Saltuarius Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993[1] |
Saltuarius is a genus of larger Australia n geckos, known collectively as leaf-tailed geckos. The genus was created in 1993 to accommodate some former members of the genus Phyllurus. These geckos appear very similar to the Uroplatus geckos native to Madagascar . However, this is a convergent evolution.
The genus name is derived from the Latin word saltuarius, meaning "keeper of the forest".[2]
Habitat and distribution
The species in the genus Saltuarius inhabit Australia's eastern coastal region, a vegetation composed of rainforests and dry Eucalyptus forests. Saltuarius cornutus and Saltuarius swaini are arboreal geckos, the remaining species live on rocky outcrops. They all need a high level of relative air humidity. The species from southern regions must hibernate for several months at temperatures varying between 8 °C (46 °F) and 15 °C (59 °F).
Reproduction
These species invariably lay soft-shelled eggs which are buried in humid substrates.
Species
The following seven species are recognized as being valid.[3]
- Saltuarius cornutus (Ogilby, 1892) – northern leaf-tailed gecko
- Saltuarius eximius Hoskin & Couper, 2013 – Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko
- Saltuarius kateae Couper et al., 2008 – Kate's leaf-tailed gecko
- Saltuarius moritzi Couper et al., 2008 – Moritz's leaf-tailed gecko
- Saltuarius salebrosus (Covacevich, 1975) – rough-throated leaf-tailed gecko
- Saltuarius swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985) – southern leaf-tailed gecko
- Saltuarius wyberba Couper, Schneider & Covacevich, 1997 – granite leaf-tailed gecko
The former Saltuarius occultus Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993, the long-necked northern leaf-tailed gecko, is now Orraya occultus.
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Saltuarius.
References
- ↑ Couper PJ, Covacevich JA, Moritz C. 1993. A review of the leaf-tailed geckos endemic to eastern Australia: a new genus, four new species, and other new data. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34 (1): 95-124. (Saltuarius, new genus, p. 97).
- ↑ Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko, Australian Reptile Online Database, 2013.
- ↑ "Saltuarius ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
Wikidata ☰ Q2706624 entry
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