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Giant wall gecko
Species of lizard From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The giant wall gecko (Tarentola gigas) is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae.
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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
The giant wall gecko reaches maximum 15.5 cm snout–vent length and its dorsal skin has a grey color.[2] They are one of the largest geckos in the world.[3]
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.[4]
Diet and Habits
Giant wall geckos are nocturnal.[5]
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. [6]
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.[7]
References
Further reading
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