Thecadactylus rapicauda

Turnip-tailed Gecko

Houttuyn, 1782

Class Reptilia
Order Squamata
Suborder Sauria
Family Gekkonidae

Description

Thecadactylus rapicauda can be distinguished from all other Panamanian geckos by a thick conical tail (turnip shaped), large size, and wide head. The limbs are robust and digits are strongly flattened and expanded. The toes are connected by a basal webbing with the distal two-thirds of the digits free. A double series of large subdigital scales (lamellae) extend the length of each digit and form friction pads. The split tip of each pad contains a retractile claw. Males have 1 to 3 postnatal spurs on each side. The large eyes have vertical eliptical pupils and no eyelids. There are 4 to 5 spine-like scales on the upper rear margin of the eye. The dorsum is covered in granular scales and the venter has small, flat, imbricate (overlapping) scales.
Capable of changing color, the ground color may be dorsally dark or light gray-brown to yellowish with dark brown markings in the form of cross-bands. The venter may be cream to white and may be mottled with brown pigment. The labial scales are white with black edges. The tongue is blue, while the interior of the mouth is orange. The regenerated tail has typical (turnip) shape: swollen and wider than the base of the tail. Adult snout vent length 90-126 mm.

Distribution

Yucatán Peninsula,Mexico, Northern Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Trinidad, The Antilles, Leeward Islands, Aruba, Colombia, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Northern Peru, and Ecuador from sea level to 650 meters.

Habitat & Ecology

Primarily nocturnal, this arboreal gecko occurs in primary and secondary wet, moist, and dry forests in trees up to 20 meters. It may be found in open areas with scattered trees, or on man-made structures adjacent to forests. It's diet consists of small invertebrates including grasshoppers, beetles and scorpions. T. rapicauda has a vocalization of high pitched "chick" repeated in rapid succession 15-25 times. In the daytime, this gecko may be found under dead palm fronds, bark crevices, or in vine tangles. It has been observed when sleeping, in a coiled position, possibly mimicking (and looking quite like) a small viper.

Reproduction

These geckos are oviparous. A clutch consisting of two eggs laid separately (possibly days apart) under tree bark or in tree trunks during the dry season.

Conservation

Status: Not Listed, but habitat destruction threatens reptiles worldwide.

Other Comments

The lamellae on the feet of this gecko allow it to climb even apparently smooth surfaces, like glass.

References

Auth, D.L. 1994 Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Panama, Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service. 98.
Campbell, J.A. 1998 Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Guatemala, the Yucatán, and Belize. U. Oklahoma Press. 380 pp.
Felix, M.L. 2002 Wildlife Species of the Guianas WWF Publisher 147 pp.
Frank, N., & E. Ramus 1996 A Complete Guide to Scientific and Common Names of Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. NG Publishing, 337 pp.
Savage, J.M. 2002 The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica University of Chicago Press. 934 pp.
Villa, J., Wilson, L.D., & J.D. Johnson 1988 Middle American Herpetology. Univ. of Missouri Press, 131 pp.

Other Available References from the EMBL REPTILE DATABASE

Avila (1995) Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia (Reptilia:Squamata). Zoölogische Verhandelingen. Leiden 299: 1-706
Daudin (1802) Histoire Naturelle, Rept., Vol. 4.
Dirksen etc. (1999) Graellsia 55: 199-215
Duellman (1978) Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist, Misc. Publ. (No. 65): 1-352
Duméril & Bibron (1836) Erpetologie Générale, Vol.3.
Fugler (1984) Ecol. Bolivia 5: 63-72.
Gorzula & Señaris (1999) Contrib. herpetof. Venezuelan Guayana. I.
Günther (1888) Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 2: 362-366
Hallowell (1854) Proc. Acad. Sci. Philad., 1854: 98-105
Hoogmoed (1973) Notes on the Herpetofauna of Surinam IV. The lizards and amphisbaenians of Suriname. Dr. W. Junk, The Hague, 419 pp.
Hoogmoed etc. (1991) Zoologische Mededelingen 65: 53-88
HOUTTUYN (1782) Venhandelingen Uitgegeven door het Zeeuwsch Genootschap der Wetenschappen te Vlissingen, ser. 1 , 9: 305-336.
Köhler (2000) Rept. Amph. Mittelamerikas, Bd 1.
Kornacker etc. (1998) Elaphe 6 (4): 61-69
Krintler (1986) Herpetofauna 8 (45): 26-30
MacLean (1982) Rept. Amph.Virgin Islands.
Rösler (1995) Geckos der Welt.
Schmidt etc. (1951) Fieldiana, Zool. 31: 439-465
Schneider (1797) Frankfurt (Oder), C. L. F. Aitzi (2): 30
Schwartz & Henderson (1985) Guide id. amph. rept. West Indies.
Schwartz & Henderson (1991) Amph. Rept. West Indies.
Smith etc. (1950) U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 199: 1-253
Thomas etc. (1996) Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 776: 181-200.
Vitt, L.J., 1997 Ecology of the nocternal lizard Thecadactylus rapicauda (Sauria:Gekkonidae) in the Amazon Region. Herpetologica 53(2):165-79.

Reference written by Mark Tway, Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation
Page last updated 19 January, 2003
Comments or Corrections: HerpsofPanama