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Lizards of Zihuatanejo

SUBORDER​ SAURIA

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Reptiles (Class Reptilia)

-​Snakes and Lizards (Order Squamata)

-Lizards (Suborder​ Sauria)

-​Geckos (Infraorder Gekkota)

-Phyllodactylid Geckos (Family Phyllodactylidae)

-​Leaf-toed Geckos (Genus Phyllodactylus)

-Yellowbelly Gecko (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus)


Mexico and parts of Central America, known for its adaptability and subtle coloration. As a member of the leaf-toed geckos, it possesses slightly expanded toe pads that help it cling to rough vertical surfaces, allowing it to move efficiently across cliffs, tree trunks, and walls. Active at night, it emerges from daytime hiding spots such as crevices, loose bark, or buildings to hunt small invertebrates including ants, beetles, moths, and spiders

Yellow-bellied Gecko

Phyllodactylus tuberculosus

Description

  • Phyllodactylus tuberculosus is a small leaf-toed gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae. It has a broad head, large eyes, a slender body, and distinctive enlarged tubercles on the back and tail. Its colour is typically grey, tan, or brown, with darker blotches or bands that provide camouflage against rocks, bark, and other surfaces.

Range

  • Phyllodactylus tuberculosus occurs from the southwestern United States through western Mexico and southward into parts of Central America. In Mexico it is widespread along the Pacific slope, including Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo region.

Habitat

  • It inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn woodland, scrub, rocky areas, cliffs, forest edges, and disturbed habitats. It is primarily nocturnal and shelters during the day in rock crevices, under loose bark, and in other protected cavities, emerging at night to forage on exposed surfaces.

Diet

  • Phyllodactylus tuberculosus is primarily insectivorous, feeding on moths, beetles, flies, crickets, spiders, and other small arthropods. It is an opportunistic nocturnal hunter and takes prey encountered on rocks, tree trunks, walls, and other surfaces.

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