Amaral's Brazilian gecko

Amaral's Brazilian gecko (Hemidactylus brasilianus) is a species of nocturnal gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to the arid Jalapão region in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Minas Gerais.

Description

Hemidactylus brasilianus is a bluish-gray, oviparous, tree-dwelling species, which feeds on herbivorous insects and other invertebrates. It has immovable (fixed) eyelids. Being nocturnal, it has vertically oriented pupils. It has a life span of about 6–13 years, and is sexually mature at 6–9 months. It is about long (tail included), and about wide.

Behavior

Hemidactylus brasilianus cannot change its colour. When attacked by a bird, it runs in circles, confusing the predator. When attacked by a ground animal, it climbs a high tree, runs in tall grass, or tries to hide under leaves, rocks, and other things it can find.

References

Further reading

• Amaral, A. do (1935). "Um novo genero e duas novas especies de Geckonideos e uma nova raça de Amphisbaenideo, procedentes do Brasil Central ". Memórias do Instituto Butantan 9: 253–256. (Briba brasiliana, new species). (in Portuguese).
• ; Arnold, E.N. (2006). "Systematics, biogeography, and evolution of Hemidactylus geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) elucidated using mitochondrial DNA sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38 (2): 531–545
• (2000). "Kommentierte Liste der rezent, subrezent und fossil bekannten Geckotaxa (Reptilia: Gekkonomorpha)". Gekkota 2: 28–153. (Briba brasiliana, p. 61). (in German).
• ; Caldwell, J.P.; ; ; ; ; Balbino, S.F. (2002). Um guia fotográfico dos répteis e anfíbios da região do Jalapão no Cerrado brasileiro. Norman, Oklahoma: Special Publications in Herpetology. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. 17 pp. (in Portuguese).