Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis grandisquamis Stejneger, 1904

Daza, Juan D., Pinto, Brendan J., Thomas, Richard, Herrera-Martinez, Alexandra, Scantlebury, Daniel P., Padilla García, Luis F., Balaraman, Rajesh P., Perry, Gad & Gamble, Tony, 2019, The sprightly little sphaerodactyl: Systematics and biogeography of the Puerto Rican dwarf geckos Sphaerodactylus (Gekkota, Sphaerodactylidae), Zootaxa 4712 (2), pp. 151-201 : 167-168

Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis grandisquamis Stejneger, 1904

Figures 14–15

Holotype — USNM 27007

Type locality: “ Luquillo, Porto Rico.”

Synonyms: Sphaerodactylus g. phoberus Thomas & Schwartz, 1966

Diagnosis: SVL Min/Max (17.79/ 34.08 mm); midbody scales 36–46 (x̅ 41.2); scales on the snout are rounded (also in S. g. guarionex and S. g. stibarus ); head ventral scales with faint keels (contrary to the other species where the keels are more defined); seven toe lamellae on the fourth toe; males with faint head pattern (also in S. g. guarionex and S. g. stibarus ); males with faint throat pattern; females without throat pattern; males and females with a large hexagonal black scapular patch; ocelli enclosed on the scapular patch, and patch usually surrounded by a white margin (also in S. g. stibarus and S. g. ateles).

Color in life ( Fig. 14 ): Female: ground color brown to yellowish, head and tail fluctuates from orange to yellow, head pattern well defined, medial lines separated and parallel, ocelli color white. Males ground color brown to yellowish brown, head red-orange to yellowish. Iris color variable, greenish-yellow, black suffused with yellow, golden or grayish-yellow ( Thomas & Schwartz 1966).

Distribution: Low elevation coastal areas of northeastern Puerto Rico, Cayo Santiago and Cayo Batata, a transition to S. g. guarionex around San Juan and to S. g. mimetes in the Maunabo area.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Live specimens of Sphaerodactylus g. grandisquamis from Piñones, Puerto Rico (A, female and B, male).

FIGURE 15. Adult specimens of Sphaerodactylus g. grandisquamis from Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. A–B, Female (SHSUHerp000743), C–D male (SHSUHerp000739).