Family SPHAERODACTYLIDAE - "Ball-toed" Geckos

QUICK INDEX

C. brachystoma, Goias Gecko

C. elizae

C. meridionalis, Meridian Gecko

C. natalensis, Natal Pigmy Gecko

C. septentrionalis, Ilha Maracá Gecko

Scientific Name

Common Name

Distribution

Size

Notes

 Coleodactylus

C. brachystoma

Goias Gecko

Brazil

SVL approx 3 cm, TL approx 5.5 cm

Description: Species larger than the others. Short head, blunt snout. Large rostral, with upper margins converging on the midline; part of the upper margin is a deep, very long incisure that separates two swollen lobes of the rostral. Scales of the snout smooth, rounded, subimbricate, decreasing in size towards the rear, transforming into tiny juxtaposed granules on the neck. Undifferentiated supraorbital region, not swollen. Nostril between the rostral, 3 post-nasal, and one supranasal; the supralabial lobe, indented by the lower post-nasal, may reach the nostril. Supranasals separated on the midline by irregular scales. Four supralabial, decreasing layers, barely extending beyond the eye; seven to eight infralabial, first one enormous, decreasing layers, occupying all or almost all of the lower lip. Palpebral flap with a scaly, smooth, predominant anterior part; a very reduced posterior granular part, formed by a few prominent granules. Large, mushroom-shaped symphyseal, posteriorly margined by 3 irregularly polygonal, smooth scales, the median one much larger than the others. Gular scales decreasing towards the rear, smooth, imbricate, increasing again on the neck and transforming into the ventral scales. A longitudinal fold from the buccal commissure to below the ear, which is round and moderate. Dorsal scales of the trunk, limbs, and tail, smooth, cycloid, imbricate. Ventral scales very similar to the dorsal scales, less regular. Forty-five to fifty-three scales around the middle of the trunk; 41-46 ventral scales on the midline between the anterior transverse of the root of the arm and the anus. Posterior surface of the forelimb and thigh granular. Nail sheath as in Fig. 4. The coloring varies enormously, even in this series from the same locality.

At one extreme, the colouring of all dorsal parts, including the head, which is the most variable part, is almost black, uniform brown. The lips are irregularly marbled with light. The throat is light, with sparse spots. The rest of the ventral parts have a light background, with purplish spots on the scales, these spots being denser on the ventral surface of the limbs and tail. The flanks are intermediate between the back and the abdomen.

On the head, several types of patterns can be found, simultaneously or separately: a) a light band, bordered in black, that goes from the nostril, passing through the eye and above the ear to the flanks or even continuing on the tail; b) a light band, bordered in black, starting from each eye and converging with its symmetrical counterpart on the nape, delimiting a dark triangle with an anterior base;

c) inside this, sometimes there is another light triangle, with an anterior base, located between the eyes; d) a white triangle with its vertex at the front on the snout. On the tail, in addition to the lower band, a continuation of that on the flanks, another, laterodorsal, light-colored band, bordered in black, or simply black, can be seen. [SOURCE: Vanzolini (translated via Google Translate from the Brazilian Portugese]

C. elizae

NE Brazil

Forest species, in habiting bromeliads. Description: distinguished from other Coleodactylus species by the following character combinations: one nearly completely divided or two rostral scales, dorsal scales smooth and four scales forming the ungual sheath. Coloration: spots distributed over a pinkish background. [SOURCE: Gonçalves et al 2012]

C. meridionalis

Meridian Gecko

S Brazil

SVL 2 cm, TL approx 3.5 cm

Description: small species (head and body 20 mm, tail 17 mm); snout
pointed. Rostral very large, with a horizontal (upper) part not depressing, horseshoe-shaped, with the concavity facing backwards, with the posterior margin incised; the concavity of the rostral is occupied by irregular granules. Snout covered dorsally with relatively large, flat granules, becoming more prominent and smaller on the forehead and parieto-occipital region. Granules of the supraorbital region are the same as those of the forehead. Nostril between the rostral and 3 post-nasal nostrils, scarcely separated from the supralabial nostril. Eyelid dilated at the top in a triangular flap with a lateral apex, with the anterior part formed by 3-4 smooth quadrangular scales, the median ones larger; the rest of the eyelid flap is formed by granules, of which the marginal ones, mainly at the apex, are more prominent, but do not form aculei. Five supralabial scales, decreasing in size, the last of which slightly surpasses the eye; 3-4 infralabial scales, the latter enormous, the last at the level of the last supralabial scale; posterior part of the lips granular. Ear round, moderate. Symphyseal scale moderate, posteriorly truncated. Gular scales granular, the anterior ones the same size as the granules of the snout, decreasing rapidly in size towards the rear; the scale adjacent to the symphyseal scale on the midline is larger than the others. Dorsal neck scales granular, small, gradually transforming into the dorsal scales, which are subcycloid, flat, smooth, imbricated. Ventral scales uniform from the neck constriction, similar in shape and slightly larger in size than the dorsal scales of the trunk; 40-45 ventral scales on the midline, between the anterior transverse of the root of the arm and the anus; 41-47 scales around the middle of the trunk.

Anterior limb with dorsal and anterior scales similar to those of the trunk, slightly larger than them; ventral surface with scales slightly larger and more imbricated than the abdominal scales; on the posterior surface a narrow band of granules.

Posterior limb with dorsal and anterior scales similar to and slightly larger than the dorsal scales of the trunk, decreasing distally; ventral surface of the thigh and ventral and posterior surface of the leg with scales similar to those of the arm; posterior surface of the thigh granular.

Fingers and toes short, cylindrical, with slightly dilated tips, with smooth transverse lower lamellae. Claw obliquely retractable in an asymmetrical sheath (fig. 1). Tail short, thick and blunt, entirely covered with smooth, imbricated, phyllode scales, somewhat disordered in the basal portion, more regular and somewhat bristly in the terminal portion. General color of the dorsal parts reddish-brown. Head brown, darker than the back, with white spots on the rostral notch and on the upper and lower labial sutures;
a spot on the snout, white, pure or mottled with black, more or less trapezoidal, with the posterior margin joining the anterior end of the orbits. A light, more or less triangular spot in the interocular region. A clear post-ocular stripe, evident or more or less obsolete, ending in an irregular V-shaped spot (on each side) with its posterior apex, located at the level of the tympanum or slightly behind it. A series of 2-3 small, round white spots on each side of the neck, continuing the series of white spots on the lip. Dorsal trunk and tail uniform, reddish-brown, with irregular black spots on the scales. Throat and belly light, with irregular black vermiculations, denser on the posterior part of the abdomen and very dense on the ventral side of the hind limb and tail. [SOURCE: Vanzolini (translated via Google Translate from the Brazilian Portugese]

C. natalensis

Natal Pigmy Gecko

Brazil (Rio Grande do Norte)

SVL approx 2 cm (m), 2.5 cm (f)

Described by E M X Freire in 1999: see Reptile Database entry (details in Brazilian Portugese).

C. septentrionalis

Ilha Maracá Gecko

N Brazil, W Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela

?"

Diagnosis: dorsal scales smooth, Posterior margin of rostral transverse or forming an angle pointing backward. Ventral scales between the level of the front edge of the arm and that of the thigh, 29 to 32. Scales around midbody, 41 to 51. Coloration: a transverse light band on the nape; three to four white spots on each side of the back. [SOURCE: Vanzolini]