Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko

Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko

Salt marsh gecko

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
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Order
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Genus
SPECIES
Cryptactites peringueyi

Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko (Cryptactites peringueyi), also known commonly as the salt marsh gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.

Animal name origin

The specific name, peringueyi, is in honor of French entomologist Louis Péringuey.

Appearance

C. peringueyi is particularly tiny, not growing more than about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) in total length (including tail), making it the smallest lizard in the region, along with the striped dwarf leaf-toed gecko of the Western Cape. It has a red-brown body sometimes with thin, pale dark stripes.

Distribution

Geography

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Biogeographical realms

C. peringueyi is endemic to South Africa, being restricted to a few salt marshes in the Eastern Cape.

Mating Habits

Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko is nocturnal and lives in matted marsh vegetation where it lays two minute eggs in summer.

Population

Population number

C. peringueyi was believed to be extinct for a long time, but a tiny population was rediscovered in 1992 by the estuary of the Kromme river.

References

1. Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peringuey's_leaf-toed_gecko
2. Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41229/115654342

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