Lepidodactylus lugubris
Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae.
Description
Lepidodactylus lugubris measure 8.5–10 cm in length including tail. L. lugubris is cryptically coloured, typically light to dark tan with dark spots down the length of its back and a brown strip from the ear to the tip of the nose. This species is capable of changing color, and so the same individual may appear light or dark at different times during the day.Behavior and ecology
L. lugubris is primarily nocturnal, but is occasionally encountered exposed but near cover during the day.This species is all female, and reproduces via parthenogenesis. While males occasionally occur, they are very rare and often sterile. Females lay 1–2 eggs at a time, and glue them to surfaces in protected locations. Clutches are laid every 4–6 weeks.
The obligate parthenogenetic mechanism involves premeiotic endoreplication of the chromosomes.
Distribution
This species is widespread in coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Australia, Western Samoa, Guam, the Society Islands, Pitcairn, and the Mascarene Islands.It has been introduced widely in the Neotropics, including in Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Florida, The Bahamas, Guadeloupe, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile, as well as to Hawai'i and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.