Strophurus

Strophurus is a genus of lizards in the family Diplodactylidae. All species of Strophurus are endemic to Australia, and are sometimes given the common names phasmid geckos, spiny-tailed geckos, and striped geckos.

For the New Caledonian genus called striped geckos, see Dierogekko. For the Nepalese species called striped gecko, see Cyrtodactylus markuscombaii.

Strophurus
Strophurus taenicauda
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Diplodactylidae
Genus: Strophurus
Fitzinger, 1843
Species

19 recognized species, see article.

Description

The species of the genus Strophurus attain total lengths (including tail) of 80 to 130 mm (3.1 to 5.1 in). The scales of the body are generally small and round, sometimes interspersed with enlarged scales and soft spines.

All members of this genus have the unique defence, the ability to squirt a harmless, foul-smelling fluid from their tails, which can create a highly flammable substance when mixed with ammonia. This fluid is used to deter birds while they are perching in shrubbery, being unusual in the family by exposing themselves during the day. As with many other geckos, they are also nocturnal. Some members lack spines and enlarged scales, while another subgroup features spines on the tail and other parts of the body.[1]

Their habitat is amongst shrubs and hummock grass, but they occasionally move to the ground for warmth or to mate. This behavior is especially prominent in pregnant female, which use the additional warmth of rocks and roads to assist development of the two eggs they carry.[1]

Species

There are 20 species of Strophurus,[2][3] and a number of subspecies.[1]

ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Strophurus assimilis (Storr, 1988)Australia
Strophurus ciliaris (Boulenger, 1885)northern spiny-tailed geckoAustralia
Strophurus congoo Vanderduys, 2016Congoo geckoAustralia (N Queensland)
Strophurus elderi (Stirling & Zietz, 1893)jewelled geckoAustralia
Strophurus horneri (P. Oliver & Parkin, 2014)Arnhem phasmid geckoAustralia
Strophurus intermedius (Ogilby, 1892)eastern spiny-tailed gecko, southern spiny-tailed geckoAustralia NSW, NT, SA, Vic and WA
Strophurus jeanae (Storr, 1988)southern phasmid geckoAustralia
Strophurus krisalys (Sadlier, O'Meally, & Shea, 2005)Australia
Strophurus mcmillani (Storr, 1978)McMillan's spiny-tailed gecko, short-tailed striped geckoAustralia
Strophurus michaelseni (Werner, 1910)robust striped geckoAustralia
Strophurus rankini (Storr, 1979)Exmouth spiny-tailed geckoAustralia
Strophurus robinsoni (L.A. Smith, 1995)Australia
Strophurus spinigerus (Gray, 1842)soft spiny-tailed gecko, south-western spiny-tailed geckoAustralia
Strophurus strophurus (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1836)western spiny-tailed geckoAustralia
Strophurus taeniatus (Lönnberg & Andersson, 1913)phasmid striped gecko, white-striped geckoAustralia
Strophurus taenicauda (De Vis, 1886)golden spiny-tailed gecko, golden-tailed geckoAustralia
Strophurus trux Vanderduys, 2017golden-eyed geckoAustralia
Strophurus wellingtonae (Storr, 1988)Western Shield spiny-tailed gecko, Wellington's spiny-tailed geckoAustralia
Strophurus williamsi (Kluge, 1963)eastern spiny-tailed gecko, soft-spined geckoAustralia
Strophurus wilsoni (Storr, 1983)Mount Augustus spiny-tailed gecko, Mount Augustus striped geckoAustralia

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Strophurus.

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References
  1. Browne-Cooper, Robert; Brian Bush; Brad Maryan; David Robinson (2007). Reptiles and Frogs in the Bush: Southwestern Australia. University of Western Australia Press. pp. 123, 124. ISBN 978-1-920694-74-6.
  2. "Strophurus". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  3. Genus Strophurus at The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database-org.

Further reading
  • Fitzinger L (1843). Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Strophurus, new genus, p. 96). (in Latin).
  • Nielsen SV, Oliver PM, Laver RJ, Bauer AM, Noonan BP (2016). "Stripes, jewels and spines: further investigations into the evolution of defensive strategies in a chemically defended gecko radiation (Strophurus, Diplodactylidae)". Zoologica Scripta 45 (5): 481-493.
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