Desert cave gecko
Heteronotia spelea
As the name suggests (spelea = cave), this species inhabits caves and rock crevices, often found hunting at entrances at night.
Morphology
Species of Heteronotia tend to exhibit high morphological variation within species and low morphological variation between species, with many species are likely comprised of cryptic taxa. Indeed, for H. spelea a "melanic" form has recently been described as a new species (H. atra). Further research on H. spelea will likely find more new species.
Evolution
Heteronotia is a popular model system for integrating morphological and molecular data to test species concepts. They are often saxicolous (rock dwelling), and as such populations have been isolated in rocky habitats for long periods of time. This, combined with the difficulty describing species using traditional approaches, has made Heteronotia a popular genus for asking questions about recent speciation in Australia. Ongoing work will likely recover many new species in this genus, especially in the species H. binoei.
Method of reproduction
Sexual
Habitat
Terrestrial
Inhabits caves, including mine shafts, and rocky areas especially scree slopes.
Distribution
Pilbara and central Australia
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Saurina |
| Family: | Geckkonidae |
| Genus: | Heteronotia |
| Species: | spelea |
| Name Published Year: | 1963 |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name Authorship: | Kluge |
| Commercial Impact: | None |
| Conservation Assessment: | Least Concern |
Cite this page
Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/heteronotia-spelea
Accessed 30 Aug 2023
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