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Calodactylodes illingworthorum is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is known only from the island of Sri Lanka. Common names for C. illingworthorum include the golden gecko, Illingworths' gecko, Illingworths' golden gecko, and the Sri Lankan golden gecko.
| Calodactylodes illingworthorum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Calodactylodes |
| Species: | C. illingworthorum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Calodactylodes illingworthorum Deraniyagala, 1953
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Etymology edit
The specific name, illingworthorum, which is genitive plural, is in honor of Margaret and Percy Illingworth.[3]
Habitat and geographic range edit
A large, rock-dwelling gecko from the dry zone of Sri Lanka, C. illingworthorum is distributed in the monsoon forests of the eastern parts of the country, such as Namadagala, Monaragala, Nilgala, Gal Oya National Park, Buttala, and Ampara.[citation needed]
Description edit
The head of C. illingworthorum is wider than the body. The pupil of the eye is vertical. There are two pairs of enlarged, nearly rectangular lamellae under each finger and toe. The tail has 27 segments. The dorsum is a yellow-ochre color with dark brown spots. The throat is either bright yellow or orange. The chest and venter are pale gray or yellow. There are 4 pre-anal pores and 4 to 10 femoral pores.[citation needed]
Ecology and diet edit
C. illingworthorum inhabits rocky biotopes, such as granitic caves within savannah and monsoon forests.[1] A single cave may house up to 50 individuals. Its diet comprises large insects, such as dipterans, coleopterans, their larvae, glow-worms, and other arthropods. Its call uttered throughout the day, and more commonly at dusk, is a harsh, chuckling note. It leaves its rock habitat by dusk to the adjoining vegetation for foraging and returns in the morning.[citation needed]
Reproduction edit
C. illingworthorum is oviparous.[2] Eggs, measuring 14.9 by 8.2 millimetres (0.59 in × 0.32 in), are produced at communal nesting sites, glued to rock surfaces. Over 100 eggs are produced at a time. Each hatchling measures 27 mm (1.1 in) in total length (including the tail).[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ a b Samarawickrama P, Vidanapathirana D, Botejue M, Karunarathna S, Amarasinghe A, Samarasinghe D, Gabadage D, Madawala M, Wickramasinghe LJM (2021). "Calodactylodes illingworthorum ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T194829A2363909.en. Accessed on 26 April 2024.
- ^ a b Species Calodactylodes illingworthorum at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ 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. (Calodactylodes illingworthi, p. 129).
External links edit
External sources edit
Further reading edit
- Bauer AM, Das I (2000). "A review of the gekkonid genus Calodactylodes (Reptilia: Squamata) from India and Sri Lanka". Journal of South Asian Natural History, Colombo 5 (1): 25-35. (Calodactylodes illingworthorum, corrected name).
- Deraniyagala PEP (1953). "A new Calodactylodes gecko from Ceylon". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Ceylon 3 (1): 27-28. (Calodactylodes illingworthi, new species).