Phyllodactylus xanti is a species of lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. It is endemic to northwestern Mexico. It is also known as the leaf-toed gecko (among many other species) or Raza Island leaf-toed gecko when referring to the subspecies from the Raza Island; at present, there are altogether four recognized subspecies, while several more have been recognized previously.
The specific epithet, xanti, commemorate John Xantus, a nineteenth century naturalist active in the United States of America.
The subspecific names, sloani and zweifeli, are in honor of American herpetologists Allan John Sloan and Richard G. Zweifel, respectively.
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
P
starts withP. xanti has vertical pupils, immovable eyelids, and leaf-like toe pads. It has a brownish, grey, or pinkish dorsum, with a light venter. The granular dorsal scales are interspersed with tubercles.
It often squeaks when handled, and it has a very fragile tail which is readily lost.
This gecko is between 2.5 and 6.2 cm (1.5 and 2.5 inches) in snout-to-vent length (SVL).
P. xanti is found in the Baja California Peninsula and associated islands in Mexico. Records from southern California (USA) refer to Phyllodactylus nocticolus, first described as Phyllodactylus xanti nocticolus, now considered a distinct species.
The preferred natural habitats of P. xanti are desert and shrubland.
P. xanti is oviparous.
