Goggia essexi, also known commonly as Essex's dwarf leaf-toed gecko, Essex's leaf-toed gecko, and Essex's pygmy gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.[2]
Goggia essexi | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Gekkonidae |
Genus: | Goggia |
Species: | G. essexi
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Binomial name | |
Goggia essexi (Hewitt, 1925)
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Synonyms[2] | |
Etymology
editThe specific name, essexi, is in honor of South African herpetologist Robert Essex.[3]
Geographic range
editG. essexi is found in Eastern Cape province, South Africa.[1]
Habitat
editThe preferred natural habitat of G. essexi is rocky areas in shrubland.[1]
Description
editG. essexi is very small for its genus. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 2.0–2.5 cm (0.79–0.98 in), with a tail slightly longer than SVL. The maximum recorded SVL is 2.84 cm (1.12 in).[4]
Reproduction
editG. essexi is oviparous.[2] Sexually mature females lay eggs in a communal site under a rock.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R. (2018). "Goggia essexi ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T169698A115655138. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T169698A115655138.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Goggia essexi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Goggia essexi, p. 85).
- ^ a b Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Goggia essexi, p. 240 + Plate 108).
Further reading
edit- Bauer AM, Good DA, Branch WR (1997). "The taxonomy of the southern African leaf-toed geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with a review of Old World Phyllodactylus and the description of five new genera". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 49 (14): 447–497. (Goggia essexi, new combination, p. 470).
- Branch WR, Bauer AM, Good DA (1995). "Species limits in the Phyllodactylus lineatus complex (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), with the elevation of two taxa to specific status and the description of two new species". Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 44 (2): 33–54. (Phyllodactylus essexi).
- Hewitt J (1925). "On some new species of Reptiles and Amphibians from South Africa". Records of the Albany Museum, Grahamstown 3: 343–370. (Phyllodactylus essexi, new species, p. 343).
- Rösler H (2000). "Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)". Gekkota 2: 28–153. (Goggia essexi, p. 83). (in German).