Microgecko helenae explained

Microgecko helenae, also known commonly as the banded dwarf gecko, Helen's banded dwarf gecko, Helen's tiny gecko, the Khuristan dwarf gecko, and the Khuzestan dwarf gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Iran. There are two recognized subspecies.

Etymology

The specific name, helenae, is in honor of Helena Nikolsky.^[1]

Geographic range

M. helenae is found in western Iran.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of M. helenae are forest, shrubland, and grassland, at altitudes up to .

Description

Adults of M. helenae have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of .

Reproduction

M. helenae is oviparous.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

• Microgecko helenae fasciatus
• Microgecko helenae helenae

Nota bene

A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Microgecko.

Further reading

• "Nikolski AM" (1907) ("1905"). "Reptiles et Amphibies, recueillis par Mr. N. A. Zaroudny en Perse en 1903–1904 ". Annuaire du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg 10 (3-4): 260-301 + Plate I. (Microgecko helenae, new species, pp. 265–268). (article in Latin and Russian, article title in French in table of contents of journal).
• Rösler H (2000). "Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)". Gekkota 2: 28–153. (Tropiocolotes helenae, p. 117). (in German).
• Schmidtler JJ, Schmidtler JF (1972). "Zwerggeckos aus dem Zagros-Gebirge (Iran)". Salamandra 8 (2): 59–66. (Tropiocolotes helenae fasciatus, new subspecies, p. 62). (in German).
• Sindaco R, Jeremčenko VK (2008). The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic. 1. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Turtles, Crocodiles, Amphisbaenians and Lizards of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. (Monographs of the Societas Herpetologica Italica). Latina, Italy: Edizioni Belvedere. 580 pp. . (Microgecko helenae).

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]