Австралияның хамелеон гекосы: Eurydactylodes туысы

Genus of lizards
the Australian species called chameleon gecko

Eurydactylodes is a small genus of geckos commonly referred to as chameleon geckos Within the Diplodactylidae, Eurydactylodes resides in the Carphodactylini tribe, The first of the Eurydactylodes species to be classified, E. vieillardi, was discovered in 1869. with a laterally compressed and narrow body shape, They also feature high, prominent spines as well as an increased amount of inscriptional ribs Enlarged endolymphatic sacs are located extracranially, and the tongue and mouth lining is yellow or orange. and are round in cross section. Regenerated tails appear similar to the gecko's previous tail. When threatened or approached, Eurydactylodes geckos may flatten their bodies against substrate, flee, hiss, growl or croak without a physical display or bite without warning. and are insectivores

This genus of geckos inhabits a variety of woodland environments including Maquis shrublands, sclerophyll forest, gallery forest and montane forest. These eggs are among the largest relative to female body size of any gecko. and elliptical in shape in comparison to other gekkonine subfamilies. The genus Eurydactylus was named by Henri Émile Sauvage to accommodate the new specimen described by Bavay. The systematic placement of the genus was previously unknown until the efforts of Garth Leon Underwood who allocated the genus into the Gekkoninae according available literature in 1954.

The resemblance of Eurydactylodes geckos to chameleons as well as its diurnal activity makes them a suitable pet for many. Thus, these geckos have been in the international pet trade since at least 2017 as well as a potential target for illegal collection and trafficking. Eurydactylodes specimens have appeared on the market in Europe for 1000 Euro in 2019, and prices have reached up to US$2300 for pairs.

All species under the Eurydactylodes genus are protected in Province Nord under Code de l'environnement de la Province Nord (Délibération No. 306 2008/APN, 24 October 2008) as well as in Province Sud under Code de l'environnement de la Province Sud (Délibération No. 25 2009/APS, 20 March 2009). The geckos are present in many reserves throughout southern New Caledonia, including Pic Ningua, Pic du Grand Kaori and Forêt Nord as well as Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue. No other conservation effort is enacted to preserve Eurydactylodes geckos in New Caledonia. It has been suggested that management of protected areas be undertaken urgently including surveys monitoring Eurydactylodes population size and trends, habitat loss and invasive fire ants.