Fantastic least gecko

The fantastic least gecko (Sphaerodactylus fantasticus) is a species of gecko found in the Caribbean, on the islands of Dominica, Montserrat, and the Guadeloupe archipelago. Nine subspecies have been described, each of which has a very restricted range and varies in coloration and other physical characteristics.

Fantastic least gecko
1921 illustration of specimen from Guadeloupe

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Sphaerodactylidae
Genus: Sphaerodactylus
Species:
S. fantasticus
Binomial name
Sphaerodactylus fantasticus
Subspecies

See text

On Dominica, the distribution of the subspecies S. fantasticus fuga is limited to the western coast (Malhotra and Thorpe 1999). These dwarf geckos have recently been found to be genetically similar to one population on Guadeloupe, suggesting that they are recent colonizers of Dominica (Malhotra and Thorpe 1999; Thorpe et al. 2008).

Subspecies
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus fantasticus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1836
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus anidrotus Thomas, 1965
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus fuga Thomas, 1965
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus hippomanes Thomas, 1965
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus karukera Thomas, 1965
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus ligniservulus King, 1962
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus orescius Thomas, 1965
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus phyzacinus Thomas, 1965
  • Sphaerodactylus fantasticus tartaropylorus Thomas, 1965[2]
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References
  1. Dewynter, M., Daltry, J.C., Powell, R. & Gomès, R. 2017. Sphaerodactylus fantasticus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T75605443A75607754. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T75605443A75607754.en. Downloaded on 28 February 2019.
  2. Schwartz, Albert and Richard Thomas. 1975. A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. pp. 150-151.
  • Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S.; Hypolite, Eric; James, Arlington (2007). "A report on the status of the herpetofauna of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies". Appl. Herpetol. 4 (2): 177–94. doi:10.1163/157075407780681365.
  • Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S. (1999). Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean. Macmillan Education Ltd. pp. 27, 35, 37, 75, 82–83, 86–87. ISBN 0-333-69141-5.


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