Cochran's croaking gecko

Cochran's croaking gecko
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Sphaerodactylidae
Genus:	Aristelliger
Species:	A. cochranae
Binomial name
Aristelliger cochranae Grant, 1931[2]

Cochran's croaking gecko (Aristelliger cochranae), also commonly known as Cochran's Caribbean gecko^[3] and the Navassa gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species was described in 1931 by Chapman Grant and named after notable American herpetologist and artist Doris Mable Cochran.^[3] The species received one of its common names from the loud croaking call of the male during the mating period.

Description

A. cochranae has a snout to vent length (SVL) up to 63 mm (2.5 in) in males and 53 mm (2.1 in) in females.^[4] It has relatively short and massive legs.^{[citation needed]} The colour of its body varies from beige brown to chestnut red and the back exhibits light spots. A dark chestnut crossband extends from the snout to the head, the nape, and the eyes. The largest part of the tail is dark grey to black.^{[citation needed]} The hatchlings have clear white crossbands on the tail.^{[citation needed]}

Occurrence and biology

Cochran's croaking gecko is endemic to Navassa Island,^[1][4] an island between Haiti and Jamaica. It is relatively common despite its small habitat of 5.2 km² (2 sq mi).^{[citation needed]} It is nocturnal and arboreal, which means that it lives and preys entirely on the branches or under the bark of ficus trees or fan palms (Thrinax morrisii ).^{[citation needed]} Its diet consists of insects.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. Powell, R.; Landestoy, M.; Inchaustegui, S. (2016). "Aristelliger cochranae (errata version published in 2017)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T203167A115347625. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T203167A2761346.en. Downloaded on 13 February 2019.
2. Grant C (1931). "A new species of Aristelliger from Navassa". Journal of the Department of Agriculture of Porto [sic] Rico 4: 399-400. (Aristelliger cochranae, new species).
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Aristelliger cochranae, pp. 55-56).
4. Species Aristelliger cochranae at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading

• Schwartz, Albert; Henderson, Robert W. (1991). Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. 714 pp. ISBN 0-8130-1049-7.
• Schwartz, Albert; Thomas, Richard (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Aristelliger cochranae, p. 108).

External links

• Herpetology of Navassa Island, West Indies
• Relationship of Diet and Prey Availability in Aristelliger cochranae, a Gecko from Navassa Island, West Indies Archived 2006-11-09 at the Wayback Machine