Serpent Island gecko

Serpent Island gecko
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria / Lacertilia
Infraorder: Gekkota
Family: Gekkonidae
Genus: Nactus
Species: N. serpensinsula
Binomial name
Nactus serpensinsula
(Loveridge, 1951)
Synonyms
  • Gymnodactylus serpensinsula Loveridge, 1951
  • Cyrtodatylus serpeninsula [sic] Underwood, 1954
  • Nactus serpensinsula
    Kluge, 1983[2]

The Serpent Island gecko (Nactus serpensinsula) is a species of lizard in the Gekkonidae family. The species is endemic to Mauritius.[1]

Subspecies and distribution

Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies, found on the two outlying islets:[2]

On Mauritius itself Nactus serpensinsula is only known from fossils.[2]

Etymology

The subspecific name, durrellorum, is in honor of English zookeeper Gerald Durrell and his second wife, American-born zookeeper Lee McGeorge Durrell.[3]

Taxonomy

When naming their new subspecies in 1994, Arnold and Jones used durrelli, which is genetive singular, as the subspecific name. In 2004 Michels and Bauer pointed out that because the subspecies is named in honor of two people, the subspecific name should be in the genetive plural. Accordingly, they changed durrelli to durrellorum.

References

  1. 1 2 Madagascar Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Group (1996). "Nactus serpensinsula". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Nactus serpensinsula at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 25 March 2015.
  3. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Nactus serpensinsula durrellorum, p. 78).

Further reading


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