Perochirus ateles (Dumeril, 1856)
Family: Gekkonidae Micronesian Gecko Status: Indigenous Description: This is a medium sized to large gecko. Sabath (1981) found individuals up to 65 mm SVL on Guam. Pregill and Steadman (2009) found fossilized remains of individuals that reached 75 mm SVL on Guam and 85-95 mm SVL from Rota and Tinian. Hatchlings are approximately 20 mm SVL (McCoid 1994) The inner digit on the hands and feet is extremely reduced giving it the appearance of possessing only four toes. The un-regenerated tail is relatively long and flattened with a serrated fringe. The color ranges from grey/green to reddish brown. Its large size, flat serrated tail, and reduced inner toes will separate this gecko from all other species in the region. Biology: Little is known about the biology of this gecko. In Guam, Sabath (1981) found this species to be relatively common in beach strand and limestone forest (making up 11% and 18% of the geckonid fauna respectively) and that it was common in abandoned coconut plantations. He also noted that it was only found away from human habitations. In contrast, McCoid (1994) commonly found it on the buildings and lit porches of a resort on Cocos Island and suggested that it was tolerant of moderate amount of human disturbance. Sabath, (1981) reports that 2-3 eggs are laid. McCoid (1994) kept a female that laid two sub-spherical, adhesive shelled eggs. Distribution: This species is endemic to Micronesia occurring on the Caroline, Marshal and Mariana Islands as well as on Palau. In the Mariana Islands it is known to occur on Cocos, Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan. It has not been seen on Guam since 1978 (McCoid and Hensley 1994). It is exceedingly rare on the other islands with only three recent records from Tinian (Pregill and Steadman 2009), two from Rota and fewer than ten from Saipan (Wiles and Guerrero 1996).The cause of its rarity is unknown. According to Pregill and Steadman (2009) it was common in the region until relatively recently. Perochirus ateles was placed on the endangered species list of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands in 1991. McCoid M. J. 1994. Eggs, Hatchling size, and Oviposition Sites of Lizards on Guam Mariana Islands. Herpetological Review 25(3) 98-100. McCoid M.J., and R. A. Hensley. 1994. Distribution and Abundance of Perochirus ateles (Gekkonidae) in the Mariana Islands. Herpetological Review 25(3) 97-98. Pregill G, and D. Steadman. 2009. The Prehistory and Biogeography of Terrestrial Vertebrates on Guam, Mariana Islands. Diversity and Distributions. 15 983-996 Sabath M. D. 1981. Gekkonid Lizards of Guam, Mariana Islands: Reproduction and Habitat Preference. Journal of Herpetology 15(1) pp 71-75. Wiles G. J., and J.P. Guerrero. 1996. Relative Abundance of Lizards and Marine Toads on Saipan, Mariana Islands. Pacific Science 50(3) 274-284 |