Unidentified species from Costa Rica.
Note
extreme small size of this Sphaerodactylus species (S. macrolepis
or S. parthenopion). Picture by Kenneth Boone.Added 19 September 2001.
The extremely small size of these geckos has both advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantage is that a small colony can be kept and bred in a fairly small (down to 10-gal size) tank, with some room for a naturalistic display. The disadvantages are the requirement for tiny food items (fruitflies and pinhead crickets, not always available from the local pet shop) and the need for utmost security, since finding such a diminutive escapee would be very difficult. This also translates into taking the utmost care when cleaning out the terrarium, although at least such small lizards will not produce much mess. See the Bibliography for the availability of captive care notes.
There are not many Sphaerodactylus species available to keepers in the US as far as I am aware, while I cannot recall seeing a single one ever for sale in Europe. Those that are sold tend mainly to be S. e. elegans, S. n. notatus and S. cinereus. In my opinion these geckos are for specialists rather than the average hobbyist, which is not to say that they are very difficult to keep, nor that they should be kept in less optimum conditions than other captive herptiles.
|
Unidentified species from Costa Rica. |
Note
extreme small size of this Sphaerodactylus species (S. macrolepis
or S. parthenopion). Picture by Kenneth Boone. |
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QUICK INDEX
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| S. altavelensis, Alto Velo Sphaero | S. argivus, Cayman Islands Sphaero | S. argus, Stippled Sphaero |
| S. armasi, Spotted Head Sphaero | S. armstrongi, Southern Forest Sphaero | S. asterulus, Haitian Stippled Sphaero |
| S. beattyi, St Croix Sphaero | S. becki, Navassa Sphaero | S. bromeliarum, Cuban Bromeliad Sphaero |
| S. caicosensis, | S. callocricus, Rough-Banded Sphaero | S. celicara, Baracoan Eyespot Sphaero |
| S. cinereus, Haitian Broad-Banded Sphaero | S. clenchi, Orange-Spotted Sphaero | S. cochranae, Haitises Striped Sphaero |
| S. copei, Haitian Big-Scaled Sphaero | S. corticola, Central Bahamas Sphaero | S. cricoderus, Turquino Collared Sphaero |
| S. cryphius, Desert Pygmy Sphaero | S. dacnicolor, Jamaican Tailspot Sphaero | S. darlingtoni, Northern Forest Sphaero |
| S. difficilis, Hispaniolan Eyespot Sphaero | S. docimus, Cabo Cruz Banded Sphaero | S. dunni, |
| S. elasmorhynchus, Snout Shield Sphaero | S. elegans, Ashy Sphaero | S. elegantulus, Antigua Bank Sphaero |
| S. epiurus, Hispaniolan Tailspot Sphaero | S. fantasticus, Southern Leeward Sphaero | S. gaigeae, Chevronated Sphaero |
| S. gilvitorques, Jamaican Collared Sphaero | S. glaucus, Dwarf Gecko | S. goniorhynchus, Jamaican Forest Sphaero |
| S. graptolaemus, Marked Throated Pygmy Gecko | S. heliconiae, | S. homolepis, Common Pygmy Gecko/ Brown Dwarf Gecko |
| S. inaguae, Inagua Sphaero | S. intermedius, North Coast Banded Sphaero | S. kirbyi, Bequia Sphaero |
| S. klauberi, Puerto Rican Upland Gecko | S. ladae, Spotted Algarve Sphaero | S. lazelli, Cap Haitien Sphaero |
| S. leucaster, Broken Stripe Sphaero | S. levinsi, Desecheo Gecko | S. lineolatus, |
| S. macrolepis, Common Puerto Rican Upland Gecko | S. mariguanae, Southern Bahamas Sphaero | S. microlepis, Saint Lucia Sphaero |
| S. micropithicus, Monito Gecko | S. millepunctatus, | S. molei, |
| S. monensis, Mona Gecko | S. nicholsi, Nichols' Crescent Sphaero | S. nigropunctatus, Cuban Three-Banded Sphaero |
| S. notatus, Reef Gecko/Brown Speckled Sphaero | S. nycteropus, Haitian Flat-Head Sphaero | S. ocoae, Ocoa Sphaero |
| S. oliveri, Escambay Spotted Sphaero | S. omoglaux, Haitian Border Sphaero | S. oxyrhinus, Jamaican Sharp-Nosed Sphaero |
| S. pacificus, Cocos Pygmy Gecko | S. parkeri, Parker's Banded Sphaero | S. parthenopion, Virgin Islands Dwarf Sphaero |
| S. perissodactylius, Martin Garcia Sphaero | S. pimienta, Pepper Sphaero | S. plummeri, Barahona Big-Scaled Sphaero |
| S. ramsdeni, Cuban Forest Sphaero | S. randi, Barahona Speckled Sphaero | S. rhabdotus, Two-Stripe Sphaero |
| S. richardi, Richard's Banded Sphaero | S. richardsonii, Richardson's Banded Sphaero | S. roosevelti, Roosevelt's Beige Sphaero |
| S. rosaurae, | S. rubeni, Gibara Banded | S. ruibali, Ruibal's Sphaero |
| S. sabanus, Northern Leeward Sphaero | S. samanensis, Haitises Banded Sphaero | S. savagei, Eastern Speckled Sphaero |
| S. scaber, Double Collared Sphaero | S. scapularis, | S. schuberti, Neiba Agave Sphaero |
| S. schwartzi, Guantamo Collared Sphaero | S. semasiops, Cockpit Eyespot Sphaero | S. shrevei, Northwest Blotched Sphaero |
| S. sommeri, Northwest Banded Sphaero | S. sputator, Leeward Banded Sphaero | S. storeyae, Isle of Pines Sphaero |
| S. streptophorus, Hispaniolan Small-Eared Sphaero | S. thompsoni, Barahona Limestone Sphaero | S. torrei, Cuban Broad-Banded Sphaero |
| S. townsendi, Townsend's Dwarf Sphaero | S. underwoodi, Turks Sphaero | S. vincenti, Central Lesser Antillean Sphaero |
| S. williamsi, Haitian Striped Sphaero | S. zygaenae, Tiburon Coastal Sphaero | S. "yvonne", Jaragua Sphaero |
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Alto Velo Sphaero | Hispaniola, Alta Velo, Dominican Republic, Haiti (Department de l'Ouest, Indepedencia Province), Ile a Cabrit | ?" | ? | |
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S. a. brevirostratus |
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S. a. enriguilloensis |
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S. a. lucioi |
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| Cayman Islands Sphaero | Bahamas, Cayman Brac, Antilles, Cayman-Islands (Little Cayman, Grand Cayman) | ?" | ? | |
| S. a. bartschi | ||||
| S. a. lewisi | ||||
| Stippled Sphaero/Ocellated Dwarf Gecko | USA (Florida, introduced) Antilles, San Andres Island (Colombia), Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas (Biminis and Nassau, introduced), Isla Grande de Maiz, Mexico (Yucatan, introduced), Nicaragua (Corn Island), Costa Rica, Panama | ?" | ? | |
| S. a. andresensis | ||||
| Spotted-Head Sphaero | SE Cuba (Cabo Mais, Baracoa, Provinces Oriente, Guantanamo) | ?" | ? | |
| Southern Forest Sphaero | Dominican Republic, Hispaniola (Paradis/Brahona Province), Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| S. a. hypsinephes | ||||
| Haitian Stippled Sphaero | Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| St Croix Sphaero | US Virgin Islands, St. Croix, Green Cay, Buck Island, Puerto Rican Bank | ?" | ? | |
| S. b. seamani | ||||
| Navassa Sphaero | Navassa Island | ?" | ? | |
| Cuban Bromeliad Sphaero | Cuba (W. part of El Yunque de Baracoe, above Tabojó, 15 km west of Baracoe, Oriente Province) | ?" | ? | |
| ? Sphaero | Bahamas (South Caica, Long Cay), South Caicos Island | ?" | ? | |
| Rough-Banded Sphaero | Dominican Republic | ?" | ? | |
| S. celicara | Baracoan Eyespot Sphaero | Cuba | ?" | |
| Haitian Broad-Banded Sphaero | Antilles, Haiti (Jeremi), Cuba, USA, Hispaniola | ?" | ? | |
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S. c. stejnegeri |
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| Orange-Spotted Sphaero | Dominican Republic | ?" | ? | |
| S. c. apocoptus | ||||
| Haitises Striped Sphaero | Dominican Republic | ?" | ? | |
| Haitian Big-Scaled Sphaero | Haiti | ?" | See EMBL database entry for further details. | |
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S. c. astreptus |
Haiti | ?" | ? | |
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S. c. cataplexis |
Haiti: New Providence I., Bahama Is, poss. Andros I (all introduced) | ?" | Apparently intergrades with S. c. pelates in some areas. | |
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S. c. deuterus |
Īle de la Gonāve | ?" | ? | |
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S. c. enochrus |
Haiti | ?" | Found up to 2,600 m high. | |
|
S. c. pelates |
Haiti | ?" | ? | |
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S. c. picturatus |
Haiti | ?" | Mainly found at lower altitudes. | |
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S. c. polyommatus |
Īle Grande Cayemite | ?" | ? | |
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S. c. websteri |
Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| Central Bahamas Sphaero | Rum Cay (Bahama Islands) | ?" | See EMBL database entry for further details. | |
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S. c. aporrox |
East Plana Cay | ?" | ? | |
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S. c. campter |
Crooked-Acklins Bank | ?" | Apparently intergrades with S. c. pelates in some areas. | |
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S. c. soter |
San Salvador I. and surrounding islands | ?" | ? | |
| Turquino Collared Sphaero | Cuba | ?" | ? | |
| Desert Pygmy Sphaero | Dominican Republic | ?" | ? | |
| Jamaican Tailspot Sphaero | ?" | Not recognised in the EMBL database. | ||
| Northern Forest Sphaero | Dominican Republic | ?" | ? | |
| S. d. bobilini | Sierra Martin Garcia (Dom. Rep.) | |||
| S. d. darlingtoni | W. Cordilla Septentrional (Dom. Rep.) | |||
| S. d. mekistus | Sierra de Nieba (Dom. Rep.) | |||
| S. d. noblei | NE Dom. Rep | |||
| Hispaniolan Eyespot Sphaero | ?" | ? | ||
| S. d. anthracomus | E coast of Barahona Peninsula (Dom. Rep.) | |||
| S. d. difficilis | NE Dom. Rep | May be found at high altitudes up to and beyond 2,000m. | ||
| S. d. diolenius | SC and E Dom. Rep | |||
| S. d. euopter | Īle de la Tortue | |||
| S. d. lycauges | N Haiti | |||
| S. d. peratus | Far NE Dom. Rep (not Samana Peninsula) | |||
| S. d. typhlopous | NW Dom. Rep. | Subspecies apparently intergrades with S. d. difficilus and possibly S. d. lycauges in some areas. | ||
| Cabo Cruz Banded Sphaero | Cabo Cruz, Cuba | ?" | Some authorities consider this to be S. epizemius: see EMBL database entry for details. | |
| ? Sphaero | Honduras, Cuba | ?" | ? | |
| Snout Shield Sphaero | Haiti (Naco River & Cofradia) | ?" | ? | |
| Ashy Gecko/Sphaero | [See below] | ?" | ? | |
| S. e. elegans | W/C Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, USA ( to Florida & Key West; introduced) | |||
| S. e. punctatissimus | Hispaniola; Īle Grande Cayemite; Īle de la Gonāve | Formerly considered a full species. | ||
| Antigua Bank Sphaero | Antilles, Antigua, Barbuda, Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| Hispaniolan Tailspot Sphaero | Dominican Republic (Loma El Penon), Antigua, Barbuda | ?" | ? | |
| Southern Leeward Sphaero | Lesser Antilles | ?" | ? | |
| S. f. anidrotus | Marie-Galante | |||
| S. f. fantasticus | Guadaloupe | |||
| S. f. fuga | Dominica | |||
| S. f. hippomanes | La Désirade | |||
| S. f. karukera | Guadeloupe | |||
| S. f. ligniservulus | Montserrat | |||
| S. f. orescius | Guadeloupe | Intergrades with S. f. fantasticus and S. f. karukera. | ||
| S. f. phyzacinus | Īles des Saintes, Ilet ą Cabrit, Terre-de-Bas, Terre-de-Haut | |||
| S. f. tartaropylorus | Guadeloupe | |||
| Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Isla Pineros | ? | |||
| Jamaican Collared Sphaero | Antilles, Jamaica | ?" | ? | |
| Dwarf Gecko | Mexico (Yucatan), Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Jamaica, poss. Costa Rica | ?" | ? | |
| Jamaican Forest Sphaero | Antilles, Jamaica (incl. Cabarita), Mexico (Tehuantepec/Oaxaca) | ?" | ? | |
| Marked Throated Pygmy Gecko | S Costa Rica, W Panama | ?" | ? | |
| ? Sphaero | N Colombia, Jamaica (Port Antonio) | ?" | ? | |
| Common Pygmy Gecko/ Brown Dwarf Gecko | S Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Magdalena, Panama, Colombia | ?" | This species has a complicated taxonomic history: see EMBL database entry for details and also a picture. | |
| Inagua Sphaero | Inagua (Bahamas), Watlings, Costa Rica, Nicaragua | ?" | ? | |
| North Coast Banded Sphaero | Cuba (Habana, Matanzas), Watlings, Great Inagua Island | ?" | ? | |
| Bequia Sphaero | Lesser Antilles: Bequia, Grenada Bank | ?" | ? | |
| Puerto Rican Upland Gecko | Puerto Rico, Cuba (Sierra de Hato Nuevo between Hato Nuevo and Sabanilla de La Palma, Province Matanzas) | ?" | ? | |
| Spotted Algarve Sphaero | Dominican Republic (Sierra Martin Garcia) | ?" | ? | |
| Cap-Haitien Sphaero | Haiti (El Yunque) | ?" | ? | |
| Broken Stripe Sphaero | Dominican Republic | ?" | ? | |
| S. levinsi | Desecheo Gecko | Puerto Rico | ?" | ? |
| S. lineolatus | Lined Pygmy Gecko | W Panama, Haiti (Cap-Haitien, Department du Nord) | ?" | ? |
| S. macrolepis | Common Puerto Rican Gecko | ?" | ? | |
| Southern Bahamas Sphaero | Antilles, Mariguana C., Booby, Bahamas, Isla Pineros, Puerto Rico, Turks Islands | ?" | ? | |
| Saint Lucia Sphaero | Antilles, St. Croix, Santa Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Costa Rica, Isla Monito, British Virgin Islands | ?" | ? | |
| Monito Gecko | Puerto Rico | ?" | ? | |
| Spotted (Pygmy) Gecko | Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico (Yucatan), Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala Maria Islands (the southernmost of two), Vieux Fort Quarter, St. Lucia | ?" | Dorsal scales are granular and keeled on this species. EMBL database entry has access to pictures. | |
| ? Gecko | Antilles, Guyana, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, Costa Rica, Nicaragua | ?" | See EMBL database entry for possible distribution in Colombia. | |
| S. monensis | Mona Gecko | Antilles, Isla Mona, Guyana, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, Caparo | ?" | ? |
| Nichol's Crescent Sphaero | Puerto Rico, Mona Island, Isla Cueva, Isla Guayacan |
?"
|
T? | |
| Cuban Three-Banded Sphaero | [See below] | ?" | See EMBL database entry for more precise details of distribution of the Cuban subspecies in particular. | |
| S. n. alayoi | Cuba | |||
| S. n. atessares | ? | |||
| S. n. decoratus | Rum Cay (Bahamas) | |||
| S. n. flavicauda | Great Bahama Bank, Cay Sal Bank (Bahama Is) | |||
| S. n. gibbus | Exuma Cays, Long I, Little San Salvador I., Green Cay (Bahamas) | |||
| S. n. granti | Cuba | |||
| S. n. lissodesmus | Cuba | |||
| S. n. ocujal | Cuba (SE coast) | |||
| S. n. porrasi | Bahama Is, Ragged Is. | |||
| S. n. strategus | Cuba (SE coast) | |||
| Reef Gecko/ Brown-Speckled Sphaero | [See below] | ?" | Perhaps the best known of this little-known genus as the species is also found in the USA. This latter subspecies is often known as the Florida Reef Gecko. Click here for an Allgecko.com care sheet. See also the EMBL database entry for more precise distribution details: it states among other things that the species has also been seen in Columbia. | |
| S. n. amaurus | Great Bahama Bank; CatI., Little San Salvador I. (Bahamas) | |||
| S. n. atactus | Cuba, Bahamas | |||
| S. n. exsul | Swan Is. | |||
| S. n. notatus | Florida, USA | |||
| S. n. peltastes | Little Bahama Bank (Bahamas) | |||
| Haitian Flathead Sphaero | Haiti (Morne Cubois Peninsula) | ?" | ? | |
| Ocoa Sphaero | Dominican Republic (Peravia province) | ?" | ? | |
| Escambay Spotted Sphaero | Antilles, Cuba, Bahamas, USA (Florida) | ?" | ? | |
| S. o. oliveri | Cuba | |||
| S. o. storeyae | Isla de la Juventud (Cuba) | |||
| Haitian Border Sphaero | Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| Jamaican Sharp-Nosed Sphaero | Jamaica, Cuba (inc. Ile of Pines) | ?" | ? | |
| S. o. dacnicolor | W Jamaica | |||
| S. o. oxyrhinus | NE Jamaica | |||
| Cocos Pygmy Gecko | Costa Rica, Cocos Island, Jamaica (Port Antonio, Portland Parish) | ?" | ? | |
| Parker's Banded Sphaero | Antilles, Jamaica, St. Elisabeths | ?" | ? | |
| S. parthenopion | Virgin Islands Dwarf Sphaero | British Virgin Islands (Gorda), Cocos Island, Puerto Rico | ||
| Martin Garcia Sphaero | Dominican Republic (S Sierra Martin Garcia) | ?" | ? | |
| Pepper Sphaero | Cuba (Sierra Maestra) | ?" | ? | |
| Barahona Big-Scaled Sphaero | Hispaniola | ?" | See EMBL database entry for comments. | |
| Cuban Forest Sphaero | Antilles, Cuba, Jamaica (Alligator Pond) | ?" | ? | |
| Barahona Speckled Sphaero | Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands | ?" | See EMBL database entry for details. | |
| S. r. methorius | Dominican Republic | |||
| S. r. randi | Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands (?) | |||
| S. r. strahmi | Dominican Republic | |||
| Two-Stripe Sphaero | Dominican Republic (Valle de Neiba), Cuba (Monte Libano/Oriente) | ?" | ? | |
| Richard's Banded Sphaero | Antilles, Jamaica, Cuba | ?" | ? | |
| Richardson's Banded Sphaero | Antilles, Jamaica | ?" | See the EMBL database entry for further details on the restricted knowledge of the two subspecies. | |
| S. r. gossei | Montego Bay, Jamaica | |||
| S. r. richardsonii | N coast of Jamaica | |||
| S. roosevelti | Roosevelt's Beige Sphaero | SW Puerto Rico, Isla Cueva, Vieques, Jamaica (Montego Bay), Isla Caja de Muertos | The EMBL database entry has links to several pictures. | |
| ? Sphaero | Islas de la Bahia (Honduras), Helene Island, Vieques, Puerto Rico (Parguera) | ?" | See EMBL database entry for details. | |
| Gibara Banded Sphaero | Cuba | ?" | Not recognised in EMBL database. | |
| Ruibal's Sphaero | Antilles, Cuba (Guantanamo Province), Bay, Helene Island | ?" | ? | |
| Northern Leeward Sphaero | Antilles, Saba, Statia, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Eustache, Cuba (Guantanamo), St. Eustatius, St. Christopher | ?" | ? | |
| Haitises Banded Sphaero | Dominican Republic, Saba, Statia, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Eustache | ?" | ? | |
| Eastern Speckled Sphaero | Dominican Republic (Province El Seibo, Prov. La Altagracia), Isla Soana | ?" | ? | |
| S. s. juanilloensis | Dominican Republic | |||
| S. s. savagei | E Dominican Republic, Isla Soana | |||
| Double-Collared Sphaero | Antilles, Cuba (Villa Clara, Camaguey Province), Dominican Republic (Province La Romana) | ?" | ? | |
| Double-Collared Sphaero | AntNW Ecuador (St. Javier), SW Colombia (Gorgona Island) | ?" | ? | |
| Neiba Agave Sphaero | Dominican Republic (southern slopes of the Sierra de Neiba) | ?" | ? | |
| Guantamo Collared Sphaero | E Cuba | ?" | See comment in EMBL database entry about relation to S. ramsdeni and S. cricoderus. | |
| Cockpit Eyespot Sphaero | Jamaica | ?" | ? | |
| Northwest Blotched Sphaero | Antilles, Haiti, Jamaica (Trelawny Parish) | ?" | ? | |
| Northwest Banded Sphaero | Haiti (St.Nicolas) | ?" | ? | |
| Leeward Banded Sphaero | Antilles, Statia, Dog, St. Martin, St. Barts, St. Kitts, Nevis, Haiti (Departm. de l'Artibonite), Sombrero Island, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Ile Fourchue, St. Eustatius, St. Christopher | ?" | ? | |
| Isle of Pines Sphaero | Cuba | ?" | ? | |
| Hispaniolan Small-Eared Sphaero | Dominican Republic, Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| S. s. sphenophanes | Dominican Republic | |||
| S. s. streptophorus | S Haiti | |||
| Barahona Limestone Sphaero | Dominican Republic (Pedernales), SE Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| Cuban Broad-Banded Sphaero | Cuba, Mexico (Mazatlan), Antilles, Bahamas | ?" | See EMBL database entry for further details on the distribution of the two subspecies. | |
| S. t. spielmani | Cuba | |||
| S. t. torrei | Cuba | |||
| S. townsendi | Townsend's Dwarf Sphaero | Puerto Rico, Vieques, Caja de M., Cuba, Stocky Island, Bahamas | ||
| Turks Sphaero | Turks Islands, Grand Turk Island | ?" | ? | |
| Central Lesser Antillean Sphaero | Antilles: Martinique, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent | ?" | Some of the subspecies on Martinique intergrade: see EMBL database entry for details and pictures. | |
| S. v. adamas | Rocher de Diamant off the southern tip of Martinique | |||
| S. v. diamesus | St. Lucia | |||
| S. v. festus | Martinique | |||
| S. v. josephinae | Martinique (SW peninsula) | |||
| S. v. monilifer | Dominica | |||
| S. v. pheristus | Martinique (NE interior) | |||
| S. v. psammius | Martinique (extreme SW) | |||
| S. v. ronaldi | E coast of Martinique | |||
| S. v. vincenti | St. Vincent | |||
| Haitian Striped Sphaero | Haiti (vicinity of Ca Soleil) | ?" | ? | |
| Tiburon Coastal Sphaero | Haiti | ?" | ? | |
| Jaragua Sphaero | ?" | No further details available: so far the only source for this gecko has been the CaribHerp database. | ||
The care and maintenance of Sphaerodactylus geckos is covered somewhat briefly but usefully in the following books:
Geckos: A Pet Owners Guide, Bartlett and Bartlett, Barrons, 1995 (note that the Bartletts' book in the same series, A-Z of Lizard Care, does not appear to mention these geckos).
Keeping and Breeding Lizards, Chris Mattison, Blandford, 1996.
Echsen [Lizards] Vol I, Manfred Rogner, Ullmer 1992.
Lizards in Captivity, Richard Wynne, TFH, 1981.
Robert Powell Ph.D has a good site on the reptiles of Navassa Island, including pictures of the endemic geckos.
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