Gekkonidae

George R. Zug

Gekkonids are a successful group, whether measured by generic (80+) or species (850+) diversity, or by local abundance (e.g., commonly four or more species are sympatric and often the density of at least one species exceeds 100 individuals ha^–1). They occur circumtropically on all continents and most oceanic islands […]. They range in size from the tiny Sphaerodactylus (16 mm SVL) to the giant Rhacodactylus leachianus (25 cm SVL; and if extant, the 37-cm Hoplodactylus delcourti). They are terrestrial to arboreal and have a multitude of body shapes from broad-headed, robust-bodied and -limbed to slender, elongate, and nearly limbless. Most are nocturnal, although some commonly bask in late afternoon and others are strictly diurnal (e.g., Phelsuma/Indian Ocean islands, Naultinus/New Zealand). The arboreal taxa have dozen of foot and toe morphologies that permit them to climb vertical surfaces of various degrees of roughness. Their clinging/climbing abilities derive mainly from frictional adhesion via the claws and microvillous surfaces of their expanded digital lamellae. Within this broad diversity, most gekkonids have a fixed clutch of two eggs, although sphaerodactyls and a few other species have but one egg.

Zug, G. R. 1993. Herpetology, 2nd ed. Londres, Academic.