The genus Gonatodes comprises several species distributed throughout the Central and northern South America, from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Colombia and Ecuador. All are small and few if any are seen in the pet trade. There is little information readily available in print or on the Internet on this genus, and this page is included mainly for completeness. As we find more data we will update it. The EMBL database contains bibliographic references for anyone interested in pursuing the study of these somewhat neglected geckos.
Smith (1946/1995) gives the following characteristics of the genus: lack of dilation of digits; rudimentary (and non-functional) eyelid at the edge of the orbit; absence of prefemoral or preanal pores.
| QUICK INDEX | ||
| G. albogularis, Yellow-Headed Gecko | G. annularis, Annulated Gecko | G. antillensis |
| G. atricucularis, Brown Dwarf Gecko | G. caudiscutatus, Greater Dwarf Gecko | G. cecilae |
| G. concinnatus, Collared Streak Lizard | G. eladioi | G. falconensis |
| G. hasemani, Brown-Headed Streak Lizard | G. humeralis, Amazon Streak Lizard | G. ocellatus |
| G. petersi | G. seigliei | G. taniae |
| G. tapojonicus | G. vittatus | |
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| G. albogularis | Yellow-Headed Gecko | Central and South America | ?" | Scalation: >12 scales below the 3rd anterior digit and >16 scales below posterior 4th digit; 2nd toes larger than 5th. EMBL database entry has some useful information and links to pictures. |
| G. a. albogularis | ||||
| G. a. bodinii | Venezuela | Formerly considered a full species (see Blanco). Scalation: <16 scales below the 3rd anterior digit and <21 scales below posterior 4th digit; 2nd toes larger than 5th. 48-55 longitudinal ventral rows and 18-20 transverse ventral rows. | ||
| G. a. fuscus | Central and South America, Cuba; USA (S Florida, introduced) | Formerly considered a full species, G. fuscus. Lee notes that in the Yucatán peninsula this subspecies has only been found in a limited number of buildings in Belize City, having therefore probably been introduced by human agency. Scalation: rostral large, grooved above: supralabials decrease in size posteriorly; row of enlarged median subcaudal scales. Sometimes a small black spine in the skin bordering the eye above. Coloration: males usually yellowish or orange on head and neck; overall coloration usually grey-brown, which may be accompanied by a pattern of darker and lighter spots in a more or less irregular pattern, or by darker coloration posterior to the shoulders. These markings may be also be accompanied by a white vertical line in front of the forelimbs, bordered by black on either side; within this black area there may be small white spots. On each side of the body behind the shoulders is a row of 4-6 black or brown rounded spots, edged posteriorly by a narrow white line: these markings may be extended to give a somewhat crossbanded effect. The limbs may be uniform in colour or have small light round spots. The tail is uniform or spotted on the basal portion. The tip of an unregenerated tail is almost white. | ||
| G. a. notatus | Hispaniola, inc. Ile à Cabrit, Ile de la Gonâve; Jamaica; Grand Cayman Island | Found at various altitudes from sea level up to 3,000 ft. | ||
| G. annularis | Annulated Gecko | Antilles, Panama, E Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil (Amapa) | ?" | ? |
| G. antillensis | ? Gecko | N Venezuela, Bonaire, Las Aves, Orchila, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba | ?" | Scalation: 10-12 scales below the 3rd anterior digit and 12-16 scales below posterior 4th digit. |
| G. atricucullaris | ?Gecko | NW Peru (Cajamarca) | ?" | ? |
| G. caudiscutatus | ? Gecko | Ecuador, Colombia | ?" | Found in the Andes. |
| G. ceciliae | ? | Venezuela, Trinidad | ?" | Venezuelan habitat is cloud forest. See EMBL database entry for more details. Click here for a picture. |
| G. concinnatus | Collared (Forest) Gecko/ Collared Streak Lizard | Ecuador, Colombia, N Peru, N Venezuela, poss. NW Brazil | ?" | ? |
| G. eladioi | ? | Galapagos, Cocos Island, Caribbean Islands, Brazil | ?" | The EMBL database entry notes that this species is sympatric with G. humeralis. |
| G. falconensis | ? | Venezuela | ?" | Species name derives from its distribution in the locality of Falcon. |
| G. hasemani | Brown-Headed Streak Lizard | N Bolivia, E Peru, Brazil | See EMBL database entry for more precise details of distribution. | |
| G. humeralis | Bridled (Forest) Gecko/ Amazon Streak Lizard | Trinidad, Tobago, French Guiana, Suriname, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Bolivia, NE Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil | ?. | |
| G. ocellatus | Trinidad, Tobago, Venezuela | ?" | ? | |
| G. petersi | Venezuela | ?" | ?. | |
| G. seigliei | Venezuela | ?" | ?. | |
| G. taniae | Venezuela | ?" | Scalation: 16-20 scales below the 3rd anterior digit and 21-23 scales below posterior 4th digit; 2nd toes shorter than 5th.. | |
| G. tapajonicus | Brazil | ?" | ?. | |
| G. vittatus | Striped Leaf Gecko | Venezuela (Los Roques Islands), Colombia, Trinidad, Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, Margarita, Coche, Cubagoa, Los Frailes, Los Testigos | Scalation: <16 scales below the 3rd anterior digit and <21 scales below posterior 4th digit; 2nd toes larger than 5th..38-48 longitudinal ventral rows and 15-17 transverse ventral rows. Coloration: males have a very conspicuous white vertebral line outlined in black. | |
"Una nueva especie del genero Gonatodes Fitzinger (Sauria: Sphaerodactylidae) de Venezuela, con clave para las especies del pais", Carlos V Rivero Blanco, Acta Biologica Venezuelica, Vol 4:5, 10 September 1964.
Handbook of Lizards: Lizards of the United States and Canada, Hobart M Smith, Cornell University, 1946 (1995 reprint).
A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Maya World, Julian C Lee, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 2000.
The Darwin Foundation of the Galapagos Islands has an interesting article on alien invaders to the islands that includes some accounts of Gonatodes geckos.
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