Philippine lizards of the family Gekkonidae comprise 49 species (Taylor, 1915, 1922; Brown and Alcala, 1978) in 10 genera: Gehyra (1), Gekko (13), Hemidactylus (5), Hemiphyllodactylus (2), Lepidodactylus (6), Luperosaurus (8), Ptychozoon (1), Pseudogekko (4), and Cyrtodactylus (9), (Brown et al., 2007, 2010a, 2011; Welton et al., 2009, 2010a, 2010b; Zug, 2011). An amazing percentage of these species are endemic to the Philippines archipelago (roughly 85%; Brown et al., 2011). Several of the recently described gekkonids in the Philippines were discovered only recently as part of ongoing surveys around the archipelago. Recent phylogenetic studies focused on Philippine gekkonids (Siler et al., 2010; Welton et al., 2010a,b) have resulted in the observation of high levels of genetic diversity among populations of widespread species, an indication that the country's gecko diversity may still be greatly underestimated.
There are currently 33 recognized species in the genus Lepidodactylus, six known to occur in the Philippines (Lepidodactylus aureolineatus, Lepidodactylus balioburius, Lepidodactylus christiani, Lepidodactylus herrei, Lepidodactylus lugubris, Lepidodactylus planicaudus). One of these species (Lepidodactylus herrei) is polytypic, with two subspecies currently recognized to occur in the archipelago (L. h. herrei and L. h. medianus).
In preservative: Dorsal ground color creamy or light grayish-tan to light brown usually with a prominent pair of brown spots just anterior to forelimbs, and often scattered dark (brown to blackish) small spots, chevron-like markings or irregular lines of spots between the axilla and groin, or more-or-less uniform; occasionally vague broad, irregularly margined, dark and light transverse bands on dorsum: a wide brownish band from the snout through the eye an dear to forelimb, or narrower and largely limited to the ear-forelimb region; tail usually with dark narrow transverse lines or rows of spots; venter creamy white with a few dark flecks or heavily flecked with brown. (Text taken from Brown and Alcala, 1978)
Lepidodactylus lugubrisis distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) small to moderate-sized species of Lepidodactylus (SVL 29.9-45.0 mm); (2) supralabials 10-13; (3) infralabials 9-12; (4) chin shields generally in 4-6 rows of enlarged scales; (5) midbody scale rows roughly 130; (6) digit webbing between Toe III and Toe IV extends 1/6 (rarely 1/4); (7) digit dilation moderate; (8) terminal scansors divided except for first digit; (9) Toe IV scansors 12-18; (10) Toe I scansors 9-13; (11) all digits clawed except for first; (12) interorbital scale rows 32-40; and (13) populations usually parthenogenetic. Characters and character states from Brown and Alcala (1978).
This species is widely distributed across Southeast Asia, India, Ceylon, northern Australia, and numerous islands in the Pacific as well as Panama and Columbia. In the Philippines, this species has been recorded from the islands of Apo, Agutayan, Balicasag, Basilan, Bonoon, Borocay, Calagna-an, Carabao, Cataban, Cebu, Clara, Gigante South, Greater Govenen, Inampulugan, Jao, Lapinig Chico, Lapinig Grande, Little Govenen, Mactan, Nadulao, Negros, Pacijan, Pan de Azucar, Palawan, Panubolon, Polong Dako, Ponson, Poro, Sicogon, Sumilon, and Tintiman.
We have collected this species from mangrove trees, from bare rocks near shore and from leaf axils or trunks of coconut and Pandanus trees, more frequently near the coast, but occasionally up to elevations of about 300 meters. (Text taken from Brown and Alcala, 1978)
Mindanao and Visayan (Central) Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complexes (PAIC; Brown and Diesmos, 2002) as well as the Romblon Island Group.
Brown and Alcala (1978) report this species as a low elevation species, often found on trees in mangrove swamps as well as coconut trees in disturbed lowland habitat.
The snout-vent measurements for six hatchlings is 15.5 to 17.6 mm. Eggs have been found in mangrove trees and leaf axils of coconut and Pandanus trees. (Text taken from Brown and Alcala, 1978)
29.9-45.0 mm SVL (Brown and Alcala, 1978)
Tahiti; type stored in the Museum National, Paris; syntypes (MNHP 5323a,b
Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae.
Lepidodactylus lugubris measure 8.5-10 cm in length including tail (4-4.4 cm snout-to-vent).[1][2] L. lugubris is cryptically coloured, typically light to dark tan with dark spots down the length of its back and a brown strip from the ear to the tip of the nose.[1] This species is capable of changing color, and so the same individual may appear light or dark at different times during the day.
L. lugubris is primarily nocturnal, but is occasionally encountered exposed but near cover during the day.[3][4][1]
This species is nearly all female, and reproduces via parthenogenesis. While males occasionally occur, they are very rare and often sterile.[2] Females lay 1-2 eggs at a time, and glue them to surfaces in protected locations. Clutches are laid every 4-6 weeks.[2]
This species is widespread in coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Hawai'i, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Australia (Cocos Island), Western Samoa, Guam, the Society Islands, Pitcairn, and the Mascarene Islands.
It has been introduced widely in the Neotropics, including in Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador (including the Galapagos), Colombia and Chile, as well as to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
L. lugubris are omnivorous. In the wild, they eat a varied diet of insects, spiders, amphipods, pill bugs, fruit, nectar, pollen, and even their own eggs.[1][5] They will also feed on jam, sugar, sweetened drinks, and milk, if given the opportunity.[6]
L. lugubris are occasionally kept as pets due to their simple care requirements and social nature.[7][1] Because they are parthenogenic, these geckos reproduce well in captivity and thus most individuals kept as pets are captive-bred.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae.
