Goggia lineata

Goggia lineata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Infraorder: Gekkota
Family: Gekkonidae
Subfamily: Gekkoninae
Genus: Goggia
Species: G. lineata
Binomial name
Goggia lineata
(Gray, 1838)
Synonyms
  • Phyllodactylus lineatus Gray, 1838
  • Goggia lineata
    Bauer et al., 1997[1]

Goggia lineata, the striped dwarf leaf-toed gecko, is a minute and delicate species of dwarf leaf-toed gecko, that is indigenous to the western part of the Cape of South Africa. With a length of about 4 cm (1.6 in), this tiny nocturnal gecko is, along with Cryptactites peringueyi (Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko), the smallest lizard in southern Africa.

Geographic range

Its natural range extends from Cape Town (where it is sometimes still found in suburban gardens), eastwards through the Western Cape and then up along South Africa's west coast as far as Namibia.

Description

This is a pale grey lizard of about 4 cm (1.6 in) in length, usually with several dark stripes running down its back.

Behaviour and habitat

They can often be found sheltering under rubble or vegetation, alongside other species, being happy to share a refuge with other larger geckos such as Afrogecko porphyreus (the marbled leaf-toed gecko). They can still be found in suburban gardens in Cape Town.

Diet

Collectively they eat a great deal of small insects such as ants and termites, helping to serve as a form of natural pest-control.

Threats

Domestic cats - as introduced predators - will usually kill large numbers of these little lizards, often exterminating them from the immediate area.

Reproduction

This species of dwarf leaf-toed gecko lays 2 tiny eggs in a moist, warm spot in summer. [1][2]

References

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.