Cope's least gecko

Cope's least gecko (Sphaerodactylus copei) is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to the West Indies.

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Suborder:Gekkota

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Cope's least gecko

Sphaerodactylus copei, drawing by E.N. Fischer from Barbour, 1921
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Gekkota
Family:	Sphaerodactylidae
Genus:	Sphaerodactylus
Species:	S. copei
Binomial name
*Sphaerodactylus copei* Steindachner, 1867
Synonyms^[2]
Sphaerodactylus anthracinus Cope, 1862 Sphaerodactylus copei Steindachner, 1867 Sphaerodactylus copii [sic] — Boulenger, 1885 Sphaerodactylus asper Garman, 1888 Sphaerodactylus copei — Schwartz & Henderson, 1991

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Etymology

The specific name, copei, is in honor of American herpetologist and paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope.^[3]

Geographic range

S. copei is found in Haiti and the Bahamas.^[2] Whether the Bahamian populations result from introductions or natural dispersal is debated.^[1]

Habitat

The preferred habitat of S. copei is forest at altitudes of 0–900 m (0–2,953 ft).^[1] Through findings in the terms of biogeographic and other relationships, it was found that the West Indian Geckos belong to the genus Sphaerodactylus by the analysis of protein variation. ^[4]

Reproduction

S. copei is oviparous.^[2]

Subspecies

Nine subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies^[2]

Sphaerodactylus copei astreptus Schwartz, 1975
Sphaerodactylus copei cataplexis Schwartz & Thomas, 1965
Sphaerodactylus copei copei Steindachner, 1867
Sphaerodactylus copei deuterus Schwartz, 1975
Sphaerodactylus copei enochrus Schwartz & Thomas, 1965
Sphaerodactylus copei pelates Schwartz, 1975
Sphaerodactylus copei picturatus Garman, 1887
Sphaerodactylus copei polyommatus Thomas, 1968
Sphaerodactylus copei websteri Schwartz, 1975

References

Barbour T (1921). "Sphaerodactylus ". Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 47 (3): 215-282. (Sphaerodactylus copei, pp. 259–260 + Plate 7, figure 2; Plate 21, figures 5–8).
Garman S (1887). "On West Indian Geckonidæ and Anguidæ". Bulletin of the Essex Institute 19: 17-24. (Sphærodactylus picturatus, new species, pp. 19–20).
Rösler H (2000). "Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha) ". Gekkota 2: 28-153. (Sphaerodactylus copei, p. 111). (in German).
Schwartz A (1975). "New Subspecies of Sphaerodactylus copei Steindachner (Sauria, Gekkonidae) from Hispaniola". Herpetologica 31 (1): 1-18. (Sphaerodactylus copei astreptus, new subspecies; S. c. deuterus, new subspecies; S. c. pelates, new subspecies; S. c. websteri, new subspecies).
Schwartz A, Henderson RW (1991). Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press. 720 pp. ISBN 978-0813010496. (Sphaerodactylus copei, p. 480).
Schwartz A, Thomas R (1965). "Subspeciation in Sphaerodactylus copei ". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences 27 (4): 316-332. (Sphaerodactylus copei cataplexis, new subspecies, pp. 326–330; S. c. enochrus, new subspecies, pp. 322–324).
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 copei, pp. 146–148).
Steindachner F (1867). "Reptilien ". pp. 1–98. In: von Scherzer K (1867). Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 [unter den Befehlen des Kommodore] B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair. Zoologischer Theil. Erster Band. (Wirbelthiere). Vienna: Kaiserlich-Könlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei/ Karl Gerold's Sohn. (Sphaerodactylus copei, new species, pp. 18–19). (in German).
Thomas R (1968). "Notes on Antillean Geckos (Sphaerodactylus)". Herpetologica 24 (1): 46-60. (Sphaerodactylus copei polyommatus, new subspecies).

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Cope's least gecko

Etymology

Geographic range

Habitat

Reproduction

Subspecies

References

Further reading

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