Gehyra oceanica (Lesson, 1830)
Family: Gekkonidae Oceanic Gecko Status: Recent Arrival Description: This is the largest species of gecko found in the Mariana Islands. Adults may reach 100 mm SVL and are heavy bodied. Coloration can range from dark grey to brown, with pairs of widely spaced light spots on either side of the spine. On the base of the tail these spots often coalesce into short uneven edged bars. At night, most individuals are a light yellow/grey. Like other species in the genus Gehyra, the skin is delicate and most adults have several scars. The toe pads are large and round with undivided lamellae. Biology: The Oceanic Gecko occurs in most wooded habitats in the Mariana Islands. It tends to prefer large diameter trees with many retreats i.e Coconut trees with lots of dead pendant vegetation (Sabath 1981), Pandanus, and large rotted out Casuarina. It is also found on rock faces, caves, and old poorly lit concrete structures. 1–2 non adhesive eggs are laid. G. oceanica will eat smaller invertebrates and vertebrates including other geckos. Pregill and Steadman (2009) could not find any indication that G. oceanica occurred in the Mariana Islands before European contact. Distribution: Gehyra oceanica is found on most island groups in Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. It has been found on most of the Islands in the Marianas. It was once common on Guam but it has not been seen there since the early 1990’s. The reason for its disappearance is unknown but it is probably due to predation by the brown treesnake (Rodda and Fritts 1992). Pregill G, and D. Steadman. 2009. The Prehistory and Biogeography of Terrestrial Vertebrates on Guam, Mariana Islands. Diversity and Distributions. 15 983-996 Rodda, G. H. and T.H.Fritts. 1992.The Impact of the Introduction of the Colubrid Snake Boiga irregularis on Guam's Lizards. Journal of Herpetology 26 (2) pp 166-164 Sabath M. D. 1981. Gekkonid Lizards of Guam, Mariana Islands: Reproduction and Habitat Preference. Journal of Herpetology 15(1) 71-75. |