Samana Least Gecko

About the Samana Least Gecko

The Samana least gecko (Sphaerodactylus samanensis) is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is endemic to the Dominican Republic. S. samanensis is characterized by a distinctive banded dorsal pattern. The body displays a series of dark transverse bands alternating with lighter interspaces along the dorsum and tail. The ground color is typically pale grayish-brown to tan, with darker brown to blackish crossbands that are well-defined and regular in spacing.

Sphaerodactylus samanensis is endemic to the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. The species was originally known only from the type locality in the Haitises region (Los Haitises National Park) in the northeastern part of the country. More recent surveys have expanded the known range to include additional localities in the same general region, though it remains restricted to a relatively small area of suitable limestone forest habitat.

The relationships of S. samanensis to other species in the genus are not fully resolved. Early molecular studies using protein electrophoresis placed it in a clade of species almost entirely from Hispaniola, including... Wikipedia →