The giant wall gecko (Tarentola gigas) is a species of lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde. There are two recognized subspecies.
Taxonomy The giant wall gecko was originally described and named Ascalabotes gigas by Portuguese zoologist José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.
Subspecies Two subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid. Tarentola gigas brancoensis Tarentola gigas gigas
Description The giant wall gecko reaches a maximum snout-to-vent length of . Its dorsal skin has a grey color. It is one of the largest geckos in the world.
Geographic distribution Tarentola gigas is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of São Nicolau and on the nearby islets of Branco and Raso.
Before human settlement to Cape Verde, the giant wall gecko also occurred on São Vicente and Santa Luzia.
Behavior The giant wall gecko is nocturnal.
Diet Both subspecies of Tarentola gigas have a generalist diet, feeding on a variety of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates (such as Coleoptera, Diptera, and more) available within their trophic environment.
Conservation status The giant wall gecko is listed as threatened because of the reduction of its range, and the decrease in the species it preys on.
References
Further reading
Bocage, J.V.B. (1875). "2. Sur deux reptiles nouveaux de l'Archipel du Cap-Vert " [On Two New Reptiles of the Cape Verde Archipelago]. Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes [Journal of Science, Mathematics, Physics and Nature], Lisbon. 5: 108–112. Carranza, S.; Arnold, E. Nicholas; Mateo, J.A.; López-Jurado, L.F. (2000). "Long-distance colonization and radiation in gekkonid lizards, Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 267: 637–649. Schleich, H.H. (1984). "Die Geckos der Gattung Tarentola der Kapverden (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae) [Geckos of the Genus Tarentola of Cape Verde (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae)]". Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. 68: 95–106. Schleich, H.H. (1987). "Herpetofauna caboverdiana". Spixiana Suppl. (12): 75. Schleich, H.H. (1988). "Case 2621, Ascalabotes gigas Bocage, 1875 (currently Tarentola gigas; Reptilia, Squamata): proposed conservation of the specific name [by suppression of the senior synonym Tarentola borneensis Gray, 1845]". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 45 (1): 41–42. Jesus, J.; Brehm, A.; Harris, D.J. (2002). "Relationships of Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the Cape Verde Islands estimated from DNA sequence data". Amphibia-Reptilia. 23 (1): 47–54. Joger, U. (1993). "On two collections of reptiles and amphibians from the Cape Verde Islands, with descriptions of three new taxa". Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. 159: 437–444. Joger, U. (1984). "Die Radiation der Gattung Tarentola in Makaronesien ". Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. 71: 91–111. (in German).