Black-eyed gecko
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Black-eyed gecko | |
---|---|
Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Diplodactylidae |
Genus: | Hoplodactylus |
Species: | H. kahutarae |
Binomial name | |
Hoplodactylus kahutarae Whitaker, 1985 | |
The black-eyed gecko, Hoplodactylus kahutarae, is a species of alpine gecko endemic to New Zealand. The specific epithet, "kahutarae", is taken from "Kahutara saddle", the locale where the type specimen was found.[1] The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[2]
The black-eyed gecko is named for its unusually melanised irises. These could be an evolutionary response to a higher UV alpine environment above 1300m, but nocturnal habit and other newly discovered alpine geckos without this feature do not support this
See also
References
- ↑ New Zealand Frogs and Reptiles, Brian Gill and Tony Whitaker, David Bateman limited, 2001
- ↑ "Hoplodactylus kahutarae Whitaker, 1985; holotype". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.