Differentiating the Different Species / Locals of Banded Geckos From SW United States

[yonkerss]

Hi All,

I am starting to look into the various banded gecko, Coleonyx found in the Southwest US. Is there any good literature to show how to differentiate between the different species - C. brevis vs C. variegatus for example? Then after this differentiating the different subspecies of C. variegatus?

Any information would be great.

Thanks!

 

[acpart]

I'm assuming you've done some google searching? There is a Coleonyx Facebook group that may be helpful. In my opinion, there's so much intergrading of the various C.v. subspecies that I'm not sure it's really possible to tell anymore.

Aliza

 

[yonkerss]

I have joined that group and did the same post there as well.

I have done some google searching and I think if one was field collecting the C. brevis vs C. variegatus should be easy to tell based on location alone. The subspecies of the variegatus might be tricky.

Part of this came up due to seeing some listed locally (michigan) as "Western Banded Gecko" and nothing more was known about them. I enjoy the small local variations in the aquarium hobby with various fish I keep and why I have been looking at these more in depth lately.

 

[acpart]

I think the only real guarantee of knowing subspecies is if you can find out from where they were collected. Otherwise, I think there has been a lot of subspecies mixing given the relatively low number of Coleonyx available for purchase.

Aliza