Strophurus spinula
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Strophurus spinula | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Strophurus |
| Species: | S. spinula |
| Binomial name | |
| Strophurus spinula | |
Strophurus spinula, commonly known as the lesser thorn-tailed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. It is endemic to Australia.
The specific name spinula is Latin for 'little thorn', referring to the fact that its tail spines are comparatively small (a feature distinguishing it from the Goldfields spiny-tailed gecko).[1]
The lesser thorn-tailed gecko was originally assigned as a population of Strophurus assimilis (the Goldfields spiny-tailed gecko). However, a 2023 study using molecular evidence has found it to be a distinct parapatric species, thus it was described as a new species Strophurus spinula.[1][2]