Giant wall gecko
Species of lizard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The giant wall gecko (Tarentola gigas) is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae.
| Giant wall gecko | |
|---|---|
| |
| T. gigas brancoensis in Cape Verde | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Phyllodactylidae |
| Genus: | Tarentola |
| Species: | T. gigas |
| Binomial name | |
| Tarentola gigas (Bocage, 1875) | |
| Subspecies | |
| |
Taxonomy
The species was named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.
There are two subspecies:[2]
- Tarentola gigas brancoensis Schleich, 1984
- Tarentola gigas gigas Bocage, 1875
Description
Distribution and habitat
The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of São Nicolau and on the nearby islets of Branco and Raso.[2]
Before human settlement to Cape Verde, giant wall geckos also inhabited São Vicente and Santa Luzia.[3]
Diet and Habits
Giant wall geckos are nocturnal.
Both subspecies of the Cape Verdean T. gigas have a generalist diet, feeding on a variety of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates (such as Coleoptera, Diptera, and more) available within their trophic environment.[3]
Conservation
The giant wall gecko is listed as threatened because of the reduction and its range, and the decrease in the species it preys on.[3]
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