Ptychozoon Explained

Ptychozoon was a genus of arboreal geckos, endemic to Southeast Asia, known commonly as flying geckos, gliding geckos, or parachute geckos.^[1] They all are now placed in the genus Gekko in the family Gekkonidae. The biogeographic history of the genus Ptychozoon was deeply nested within that of the genus Gekko, the center of diversity of which is within Southeast Asia. Since dispersing into Southeast Asian rainforests, Pytochozoon, like other forest-dwelling vertebrates, adapted to facilitate gliding.^[2] All species in the genus Ptychozoon are characterized by cryptic coloration and elaborate webs surrounding the neck, limbs, trunk, and tail.^[1] These membranes help to conceal the gecko against trees. When the gecko leaps into the air, the flaps are used to generate lift and allow the gecko to control its fall. It can glide up to 200abbr=offNaNabbr=off. Also it does a swoop at the end of its glide to land softly. A similar adaptation is found in geckos of the genus Cosymbotus. There were thirteen described species in the genus Ptychozoon.

Species

The following species were recognized as being valid.^[3]

• Ptychozoon bannaense – Banna parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon cicakterbang – Malaysia parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon horsfieldii – Horsfield's flying gecko, Horsfield's parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon intermedium – intermediate flying gecko, Philippine parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon kabkaebin – Lao parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon kaengkrachanense – Kaeng Krachan parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon kuhli – Kuhl's flying gecko, Kuhl's parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon lionotum – smooth-backed gliding gecko, smooth-backed flying gecko, Burmese flying gecko, Burmese parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon nicobarensis – Nicobar gliding gecko
• Ptychozoon popaense – Mt. Popa parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon rhacophorus – Sabah flying gecko
• Ptychozoon tokehos – Cambodian parachute gecko
• Ptychozoon trinotaterra

Nota bene

A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Ptychozoon.

Further reading

• Kuhl H, van Hasselt JC . Heinrich Kuhl . Johan Coenraad van Hasselt . 1822 . Uittreksels uit brieven ... aan de Heeren . Ptychozoon, new genus . Dutch . Temminck CJ, van Swinderen T, de Haan W . Coenraad Jacob Temminck . Wilhem de Haan . Alg. Konst- en Letter-Bode . 1 . 99–104 .
• Book: Malcolm Arthur Smith . Smith MA . 1935 . The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. . II.—Sauria . London: Secretary of State for India in Council. . Taylor and Francis . Genus Ptychozoon . 117 .
• Heinicke MP, Greenbaum E, Jackman TR, Bauer AM . Evolution of gliding in Southeast Asian geckos and other vertebrates is temporally congruent with dipterocarp forest development . Biology Letters . 8 . 6 . 994–7 . December 2012 . 22977067 . 3497132 . 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0648 .

External links

• Global Gecko Association

Notes and References

1. [Rudolf Malkmus|Malkmus R]
2. Heinicke MP, Greenbaum E, Jackman TR, Bauer AM . Evolution of gliding in Southeast Asian geckos and other vertebrates is temporally congruent with dipterocarp forest development . Biology Letters . 8 . 6 . 994–7 . December 2012 . 22977067 . 3497132 . 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0648 .
3. "Ptychozoon ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.