Description: Sphaerodactylus notatus is a small lizard, about two inches long. Reef geckos are brown in color with black stripes that extend from the head and fade out at the neck. The body is mottled with small dark brown spots. They have a yellow tail, which is colored white at the tip in juveniles. Females may have two eyespots behind their neck.

Habitat: This species is characterized as xerophilic and sometimes mesophilic. It occurs among or under leaf litter or debris on the floor of hammocks, coppice, coconut groves, ornamental gardens, pine lands, vacant lots, or around buildings, and it is often abundant under flotsam on beaches just above the high tide line. It is uncommonly edificarian but often is associated with human debris and abandoned dwelling.

Range: It is found in Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas, and has been introduced to some offshore islands of Jamaica. Being found in Florida, it is widely considered to be one of the few geckos native to the United States. Many herpetologists have questioned whether it should truly be considered native; Stejneger and Barbour (1933) claimed that the species was accidentally introduced into Key West in 1878, when trade between Florida and Cuba was far more common; the same route is responsible for at least seven other herpetofaunal species established in Florida. There were past attempts to put this gecko on the threatened/endangered list, but due to the debate over its origins, it was denied. The reef gecko was detected in Florida circa 1850, around the times it became a U.S. territory, supporting the shipping-introduction theory. However, genetic evidence indicates that they originally colonized Key Largo, not Key West, likely by rafting, supporting a natural origin for the species in Florida.

The reef gecko can be found in both natural and man-made habitats. It is mainly found in damp forests, in shrubs, bushes, under logs, or in hollow timber. In Florida, its survival is closely linked to that of the seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera); the species was extirpated from some localities after devastating events such as Hurricane Irma, but recolonized these areas when the seagrape returned. Additionally, in Florida, the species is threatened by sea level rise, and it has disappeared from some known regions of habitation, including Everglades National Park, parts of Big Pine Key, and parts of Miami Beach. It has been petitioned that the Florida reef gecko be listed as an endangered species in the state of Florida, which would legally afford it beneficial protections.

Found in these States: FL

Diet: Eats small terrestrial insects (beetles, ants, lepidopteran larvae); annelid also recorded as food item.

Reproduction: Lays single eggs from at least March to December. Eggs hatch in about 2.5 months. Communal nester; up to 280 eggs have been found in one nest. Eggs are laid in rotting logs, at the bases of palm fronds, or under logs, boards, driftwood, coconut husks, or other debris.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining.

Subspecies: One in our region:
Florida Reef Gecko - (Sphaerodactylus notatus notatus)

Taxonomy: