{{Short description|Genus of lizards}} {{Italic title}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = ''Sphaerodactylus'' | image = Sphaerodactylus macrolepis (cropped).jpg | image_caption = ''Sphaerodactylus macrolepis'' | taxon = Sphaerodactylus | authority = Wagler, 1830<ref>"''Sphaerodactylus'' ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.</ref> }}
'''''Sphaerodactylus''''' is a genus of geckos from the Americas<ref>Gamble T, Bauer AM, Colli GR, Greenbaum E, Jackman TR, Vitt LJ, Simons AM (2011). "Coming to America: Multiple Origins of New World Geckos". ''Journal of Evolutionary Biology'' '''24''': 231–244.</ref> that are distinguished from other Gekkota by their small size, by their round, rather than vertical, eye pupils, and by each digit terminating in a single, round adhesive pad or scale, from which their name (''Sphaero'' = round, ''dactylus'' = finger) is derived. All species in this genus are rather small, but two species, ''S. ariasae'' and ''S. parthenopion'', are tiny, and – with a snout-vent length of about {{convert|1.6|cm|in|abbr=on}} – the smallest reptiles in the world.<ref>Pennsylvania State University (2001). ''[http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/Hedges11-2001.htm World's Smallest Lizard Discovered in the Caribbean] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202050800/http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/Hedges11-2001.htm |date=2009-02-02 }}''. Accessed 26 January 2009.</ref>
==Fossil record== Fossil remains referred to ''Sphaerodactylus'' have been recovered from Dominican amber.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Poinar |first1=George O. |author1-link=species:George Orlo Poinar Jr.|last2=Poinar |first2=Roberta |author2-link=species:Roberta Poinar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MUJu9_zrPLQC |title=The Amber Forest: A Reconstruction of a Vanished World |date=1999 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-05728-6 |language=en}}</ref>
==Species== The following 108 species are recognized as being valid.<ref>{{EMBL genus|genus=Sphaerodactylus}} www.reptile-database.org.</ref>
*''Sphaerodactylus alphus'' {{small|McCranie & Hedges, 2013}} - Guanaja large-scaled geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus altavelensis'' {{small|Noble, 1933}} - Alto Velo least gecko, Alto Velo sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus argivus'' {{small|Garman, 1888}} - Cayman least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus argus'' {{small|Gosse, 1850}} - ocellated gecko, ocellated sphaero, stippled sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus ariasae'' {{small|Hedges & Thomas, 2001}} - Jaragua sphaero, Jaragua dwarf gecko *''Sphaerodactylus armasi'' {{small|Schwartz & Garrido, 1974}} - Guantanamo least gecko, Guantanamo coastal gecko *''Sphaerodactylus armstrongi'' {{small|Noble, 1933}} - Armstrong's least gecko, southern forest geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus asterulus'' {{small|Schwartz & Graham, 1980}} - Haitian least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus beattyi'' {{small|Grant, 1937}} - Saint Croix's sphaero, Beatty's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus becki'' {{small|Schmidt, 1919}} - Beck's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus bromeliarum'' {{small|G. Peters & Schwartz, 1977}} - El Yunque least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus caicosensis'' {{small|Cochran, 1934}} - Caicos banded sphaero, Caicos least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus callocricus'' {{small|Schwartz, 1976}} - rough-banded sphaero, callous least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus celicara'' {{small|Garrido & Schwartz, 1982}} - Baracoan eyespot sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus cinereus'' {{small|Wagler, 1830}} - gray gecko *''Sphaerodactylus clenchi'' {{small|Shreve, 1968}} - peninsula least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus cochranae'' {{small|Ruibal, 1946}} - Cochran's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus continentalis'' {{small|F. Werner, 1896}} - upper Central American geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus copei'' {{small|Steindachner, 1867}} - Cope's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus corticola'' {{small|Garman, 1888}} - central Bahamas sphaero, Rum Cay least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus cricoderus'' {{small|Thomas, Hedges & Garrido, 1992}} - Turquino collared sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus cryphius'' {{small|Thomas & Schwartz, 1977}} - Bakoruco least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus dacnicolor'' {{small|Barbour, 1910}} - Jamaican tailspot sphaero, eastern Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus darlingtoni'' {{small|Shreve, 1968}} - Darlington's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus difficilis'' {{small|Barbour, 1914}} - Hispaniolan eyespot sphaero, difficult least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus dimorphicus'' {{small|Fong & Díaz, 2004}} - Santiago de Cuba geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus docimus'' {{small|Schwartz & Garrido, 1985}} - Cabo Cruz banded sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus dunni'' {{small|Schmidt, 1936}} - Dunn's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus elasmorhynchus'' {{small|Thomas, 1966}} - Marche Leon least gecko, snout-shield sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus elegans'' {{small|Macleay, 1834}} - ashy gecko *''Sphaerodactylus elegantulus'' {{small|Barbour, 1917}} - Antigua least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus epiurus'' {{small|Thomas & Hedges, 1993}} - Hispaniolan tailspot sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus exsul'' {{small|Barbour, 1914}} - Swan Islands geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus fantasticus'' {{small|A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1836}} - fantastic least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus gaigeae'' {{small|Grant, 1932}} -chevronated sphaero, Gaige's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus gilvitorques'' {{small|Cope, 1862}} - Jamaican collared sphaero, Jamaican least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus glaucus'' {{small|Cope, 1866}} - collared dwarf gecko, least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus goniorhynchus'' {{small|Cope, 1895}} - Jamaican forest sphaero, Cakoarita least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis'' {{small|Stejneger, 1904}} - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner *''Sphaerodactylus graptolaemus'' {{small|Harris & Kluge, 1984}} - Costa Rica least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus guanajae'' {{small|McCranie & Hedges, 2012}} - Guanaja head-spotted geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus heliconiae'' {{small|Harris, 1982}} *''Sphaerodactylus homolepis'' {{small|Cope, 1886}} - Caribbean least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus inaguae'' {{small|Noble, 1932}}<ref>Noble GK, Klingel GC (1932). "The Reptiles of Great Inagua Island, British West Indies". ''American Museum Novitates'' (549): 1–25. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/4056] [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/4056//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/nov/N0549.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y]</ref> - Inagua sphaero, Inagua least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus inigoi'' {{small|Thomas & Schwartz, 1966}} - Isla Vieques dwarf gecko *''Sphaerodactylus intermedius'' {{small|Barbour & Ramsden, 1919}} - Mantanzas least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus kirbyi'' {{small|Lazell, 1994}} - Bequia dwarf gecko, Bequia sphaero, Grenadines sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus klauberi'' {{small|Grant, 1931}} - Klauber's dwarf gecko, Klauber's least gecko, Puerto Rican highland sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus ladae'' {{small|Thomas & Hedges, 1988}} - Martin Garcia least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus lazelli'' {{small|Shreve, 1968}} - Cap-Haitien least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus leonardovaldesi'' {{small|McCranie & Hedges, 2012}} *''Sphaerodactylus leucaster'' {{small|Schwartz, 1973}} - eastern least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus levinsi'' {{small|Heatwole, 1968}} - Desecheo gecko, Isla Desecheo least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus lineolatus'' {{small|Lichtenstein & von Martens, 1856}} - Panama least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus macrolepis'' {{small|Günther, 1859}} - big-scaled least gecko, big-scaled dwarf gecko, cotton ginner *''Sphaerodactylus mariguanae'' {{small|Cochran, 1934}} - southern Bahamas sphaero, Mayaguana least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus microlepis'' {{small|J.T. Reinhardt & Lütken, 1862}} - little-scaled least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus micropithecus'' {{small|Schwartz, 1977}} - Monito gecko *''Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus'' {{small|Hallowell, 1861}} - spotted least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus molei'' {{small|Boettger, 1894}} - Tobago least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus monensis'' {{small|Meerwarth, 1901}} - Mona least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus nicholsi'' {{small|Grant, 1931}} - Nichols least gecko, Nichol's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican crescent sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus'' {{small|Gray, 1845}} - black-spotted least gecko, three-banded sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus notatus'' {{small|Baird, 1859}} - reef gecko, brown-speckled sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus nycteropus'' {{small|Thomas & Schwartz, 1977}} - Morne Dubois least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus ocoae'' {{small|Schwartz, 1977}} - Peravia least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus oliveri'' {{small|Grant, 1944}} - Juventud least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus omoglaux'' {{small|Thomas, 1982}} - Fond Parisien least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus oxyrhinus'' {{small|Gosse, 1850}} - Jamaican sharpnosed sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus pacificus'' {{small|Stejneger, 1903}} - Pacific least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus parkeri'' {{small|(Grant, 1939)}} - Parker's least gecko, southern Jamaica banded sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus parthenopion'' {{small|Thomas, 1965}} - Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero, Virgin Gorda least gecko, Virgin Islands dwarf gecko *''Sphaerodactylus parvus'' {{small|King, 1962}} - Anguilla Bank geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus perissodactylius'' {{small|Thomas & Hedges, 1988}} - Dominican least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus phyzacinus'' {{small|Thomas, 1964}} - Les Saintes geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus pimienta'' {{small|Thomas, Hedges & Garrido, 1998}} - pepper sphaero, Cuban pepper sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus plummeri'' {{small|Thomas & Hedges, 1992}} - Barahona big-scaled sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus poindexteri'' {{small|McCranie & Hedges, 2013}} - Utila small-scaled geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus ramsdeni'' {{small|Ruibal, 1959}} - Ramsden's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus randi'' {{small|Shreve, 1968}} - Pedernales least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus rhabdotus'' {{small|Schwartz, 1970}} - two-striped sphaero, Vallede Neiba least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus richardi'' {{small|Hedges & Garrido, 1993}} - Richard's banded sphaero, Zapata big-scaled sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus richardsonii'' {{small|Gray, 1845}} - Richardson's least gecko, northern Jamaica banded sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus roosevelti'' {{small|Grant, 1931}} - Roosevelt's beige sphaero, Roosevelt's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus rosaurae'' {{small|Parker, 1940}} - Bay Island least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus ruibali'' {{small|Grant, 1959}} - Ruibal's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus sabanus'' {{small|Cochran, 1938}} - Saba least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus samanensis'' {{small|Cochran, 1932}} - Samana least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus savagei'' {{small|Shreve, 1968}} - Altagracia speckled sphaero, Savage's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus scaber'' {{small|Barbour & Ramsden, 1919}} - double-collared sphaero, Camaguey least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus scapularis'' {{small|Boulenger, 1902}} - Boulenger's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus schuberti'' {{small|Thomas & Hedges, 1998}} - Neiba agave geckolet, Neiba agave sphaero, Schubert's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus schwartzi'' {{small|Thomas, Hedges & Garrido, 1992}} - Guantanamo collared sphaero, Monitongas collared geckolet, Schwartz's dwarf gecko *''Sphaerodactylus semasiops'' {{small|Thomas, 1975}} - Cockpit eyespot sphaero, Cockpit least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus shrevei'' {{small|Lazell, 1961}} - Shreve's least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus siboney'' {{small|Fong & Diaz, 2004}} - Siboney gray-headed geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus sommeri'' {{small|Graham, 1981}} - TerreNueve least gecko, Terre-Neuve least gecko, northwest Haitian banded geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus sputator'' {{small|(Sparrman, 1784)}} - island least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus storeyae'' {{small|Grant, 1944}} - Isle of Pines sphaero, Los Canarreos sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus streptophorus'' {{small|Thomas & Schwartz, 1977}} - Hispaniola least gecko, Hispaniolan small-eared sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus thompsoni'' {{small|Schwartz & Franz, 1976}} - Thompson's least gecko, Barahona limestone sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus torrei'' {{small|Barbour, 1914}} - Barbour's least gecko, Cuban broad-banded geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus townsendi'' {{small|Grant, 1931}} - Townsend's least gecko, Townsend's dwarf sphaero, Puerto Rican sandy geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus underwoodi'' {{small|Schwartz, 1968}} - Underwood's least gecko, Turks Islands geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus verdeluzicola'' {{small|Díaz-Lameiro, Villamil, Gamble, Pinto, Herrera-Martínez, Thomas, Bernstein, Titus-McQuillan, Nielsen, Agosto-Torres, Puente-Rolón, Bird-Picó, Oleksyk, Martínez-Cruzado & Daza, 2022}} - Puerto Rican karst gecko *''Sphaerodactylus vincenti'' {{small|Boulenger, 1891}} - Vincent's least gecko, Central Lesser Antillean sphaero, Windward geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus williamsi'' {{small|Thomas & Schwartz, 1983}} - Williams's least gecko, Haitian striped geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus zygaena'' {{small|Schwartz, 1977}} - Dame-Marie least gecko, Tiburon coastal geckolet
''Nota bene'': A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Sphaerodactylus''.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). ''A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles''. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (''Sphaerodactylus'', pp. 142–164). *Wagler J (1830). ''Natürliches System der AMPHIBIEN, mit vorangehender Classification der SÄUGTHIERE und VÖGEL. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie''. Munich, Stuttgart and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. vi + 354 pp. + one plate. (''Sphaerodactylus'', new genus, p. 143). (in German and Latin).
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1631828}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Sphaerodactylus Category:Lizard genera Category:Lizards of North America Category:Lizards of South America Category:Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler