Gonatodes daudini

Gonatodes daudini, also known commonly as the Grenadines clawed gecko or the Union Island gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[1][4]

Gonatodes daudini
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Sphaerodactylidae
Genus: Gonatodes
Species:
G. daudini
Binomial name
Gonatodes daudini

Conservation status

The Union Island gecko is threatened by demand from the international pet trade. Due to its distinct markings, it is one of the most trafficked reptiles in the Eastern Caribbean.[5] Although it is granted domestic protection from export, reportedly wild-caught animals have been reported as offered for sale in several European countries. The species listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).[6] Trained local residents have patrolled the tropical dry forest the gecko inhabits since 2017 in an attempt to deter poachers.[5]

Etymology

The specific name, daudini, is in honor of naturalist Jacques Daudin (1926–2011) who lived on Union Island.[7][8]

Habitat

The preferred habitat of G. daudini is remnant dry forest.[4]

Behavior

G. daudini is diurnal and terrestrial.[4]

Reproduction

G. daudini is oviparous.[4]

References
  1. Powell R, Henderson RW (2011). "Gonatodes daudini (errata version published in 2017)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T194258A115333400. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T194258A8889057.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2019.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. Powell, Robert; Henderson, Robert William (2005). "A new species of Gonatodes (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the west Indies". Caribbean Journal of Science. 41 (4): 709–715. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  4. Gonatodes daudini at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  5. "Army of islanders to protect gecko the size of a paperclip". BBC News. 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  6. Fine Maron, Dina (30 April 2019). "This shy Caribbean lizard is now a coveted pet—and critically endangered. How did this happen?". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  7. "News". www.eccea.com. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  8. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Gonatodes daudini, p. 66).

Further reading
  • Daudin, Jacques; de Silva, Mark (2007). "An annotated checklist of the amphibians and terrestrial reptiles of the Grenadines with notes on their local natural history and conservation". Applied Herpetology 4 (2): 163–175.
  • Powell, Robert; Henderson, Robert W. (2005). "A new species of Gonatodes (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the West Indies". Caribbean Journal of Science 41 (4): 709–715. (Gonatodes daudini, new species).
  • Shepherd, Chris R.; Janssen, Jordi; Noseworthy, Josh (2019). "A case for listing the Union Island Gecko Gonatodes daudini in the Appendices of CITES". Global Ecology and Conservation 17: e00549.



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