Zapata Big-scaled Sphaero

About the Zapata Big-scaled Sphaero

Sphaerodactylus richardi, also known commonly as Richard's banded sphaero or the Zapata big-scaled sphaero, is a small species of gecko, a lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cuba. The specific name, richardi, is in honor of American herpetologist Richard Thomas.

Sphaerodactylus richardi belongs to the scaber group. Other species in the group are S. oliveri, S. scaber, and S. storeyae. Sphaerodactylus richardi may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 31.1 mm (1.22 in). It has large non-overlapping dorsal scales, except for a zone of mid-dorsal granular scales which is three scales wide. Adults have a dorsal color pattern of 5-6 bold dark crossbands on the body.

The preferred habitats of S. richardi are forest, shrubland, and marine intertidal. Sphaerodactylus richardi is oviparous. Hedges SB, Garrido OH (1993). "A New Species of Gecko (Sphaerodactylus) from Central Cuba". Journal of Herpetology 27 (3): 300–306. (Sphaerodatylus richardi, new species). (in English, with an abstract in Spanish).

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