Reef Gecko

About the Reef Gecko

Sphaerodactylus notatus, also known as the Florida reef gecko or brown-speckled sphaero, is a small species of gecko native to Florida and the Caribbean. There are four subspecies: S. n. notatus (native to most of The Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida), S. n. amaurus (endemic to the Great Bahama Bank, on San Salvador Island and Cat Island), S. n. atactus (endemic to the Cayo Ballenatos, near Nuevitas in Cuba, and apparently introduced to the Morant and Pedro Cays in Jamaica and Great Inagua in the Bahamas), and S. n. peltastes (endemic to Little Bahama Bank). The taxonomic status of populations on Isla de la Juventud and the Canarreos Archipelago is uncertain.

It is found in Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas, and has been introduced to some offshore islands of Jamaica. Being found in Florida, it is widely considered to be one of the few geckos native to the United States. Many herpetologists have questioned whether it should truly be considered native; Stejneger and Barbour (1933) claimed that the species was accidentally introduced into Key West in 1878, when trade between Florida and Cuba was far more common; the same route is responsible for at least seven... Wikipedia →