Brilliant South American gecko explained

The brilliant South American gecko (Gonatodes ceciliae), also known commonly as the brilliant clawed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is native to northern South America.

Etymology

The specific name, ceciliae, is in honor of Cecilia Donoso-Barros, who is the daughter of Chilean herpetologist Roberto Donoso-Barros.^[1]

Geographic range

G. ceciliae is found in Trinidad and Venezuela.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of G. ceciliae is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 900m (3,000feet).

Description

Only males of G. ceciliae have brilliant coloration. Females are grayish brown, with darker blotches.

Behavior

G. ceciliae is diurnal.

Diet

G. ceciliae preys upon small arthropods and small snails.^[2]

Reproduction

G. ceciliae is oviparous.

Further reading

• Donoso-Barros R (1966). "Dos nuevos Gonatodes de Venezuela". Publicaciones Ocasionales, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santiago de Chile 11: 1–32. (Gonatodes ceciliae, new species). (in Spanish).
• Rivas GA, Molina CR, Ugueto GN, Barros TR, Barrio-Amorós CL, Kok PJR (2012). "Reptiles of Venezuela: an updated and commented checklist". Zootaxa 3211: 1–64. (Gonatodes ceciliae, p. 12 + Figure 3F on p. 32). (in English, with an abstract in Spanish).
• Rösler H (2000). "Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)". Gekkota 2: 28–153. (Gonatodes ceciliae, p. 84). (in German).

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
2. Web site: Gonatodes ceciliae (Variegated Gecko). PDF. Sta.uwi.edu. 9 April 2022.