Iguana b&w text


St. Vincent Dwarf Gecko (Sphaerodactylus vincenti)

IGUANA
International Reptile Conservation Foundation www.IRCF.org

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 2       JUNE 2007

CCOONNSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN,,  NNAATTUURRAALL HHIISSTTOORRYY,,  AANNDD HHUUSSBBAANNDDRRYY OOFF RREEPPTTIILLEESS

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The survival of Sand Dune Lizards (Liolaemus multimaculatus) in
Argentina is threatened by alterations to the habitats for which they
are uniquely adapted (see article on p. 66).

Although any use of Green Anacondas (Eunectes murinus) is prohibited
by Venezuelan law, illegal harvests are common (see article on p. 74).

Boelen’s Python (Morelia boeleni) was described only 50 years ago, tes-
tament to its remote distribution nestled deep in the mountains of
Papua Indonesia (see article on p. 86).

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Dark Leaf Litter Frogs (Leptobrachium smithii) from Bangladesh have
very distinctive red eyes (see travelogue on p. 108).

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The Golden Toad (Bufo periglenes) of Central America was discovered
in 1966. From April to July 1987, over 1,500 adult toads were seen.
Only ten or eleven toads were seen in 1988, and none have been seen
since 15 May 1989 (see Commentary on p. 122).

Butler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri) was listed as a Threatened
Species in Wisconsin in 1997. An effort to remove these snakes from
the Wisconsin list of threatened wildlife has been thwarted for the
moment (see article on p. 94).

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About the Cover
Diminutive geckos (< 1 g) in the genus Sphaerodactylus are widely distributed and represented by over 80 species in the
West Indies. Sphaerodactylus vincenti is a relatively large sphaerodactyl, reaching a maximum snout-vent length of 40 mm.
The S. vincenti complex includes nine currently recognized subspecies, which occur on the St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique,
and St. Vincent island banks. These lizards can be found in leaf litter, under rocks and rotten logs, and in bromeliads. On
St. Vincent, S. v. vincenti reaches high densities (to 5,625 lizards/ha) in moist, shaded leaf-litter. Such microhabitats pro-
vide refuges, access to prey, and protection against desiccation, to which these tiny lizards are exceedingly vulnerable. Geckos
living in moist environments at higher elevations are larger and less resistant to water loss than geckos occupying drier habi-
tats at lower elevations. Sphaerodactylus vincenti appears to be a dietary generalist that feeds on a variety of small arthropods
primarily by day. See also the Natural History Research Report on p. 132.

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