{{Short description|Species of lizard}} {{speciesbox | image = Tarentola gigas brancoensis 10797347.jpg | image_caption = ''T. gigas brancoensis'' in Cape Verde | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Vasconcelos, R. |date=2013 |title=''Tarentola gigas'' |volume=2013 |article-number=e.T13152177A13152180 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T13152177A13152180.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Tarentola | species = gigas | authority = (Bocage, 1875) | subdivision_ranks = Subspecies | subdivision = *''Tarentola gigas brancoensis'' {{small|Schleich, 1984}} *''Tarentola gigas gigas'' {{small|Bocage, 1875}} }} The '''giant wall gecko''' ('''''Tarentola gigas''''') is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae.

== Taxonomy == The species was named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.

There are two subspecies:<ref name="RDB" /> *''Tarentola gigas brancoensis'' {{small|Schleich, 1984}} *''Tarentola gigas gigas'' {{small|Bocage, 1875}}

==Description== The giant wall gecko reaches maximum 15.5&nbsp;cm snout–vent length and its dorsal skin has a grey color.<ref name="RDB" /> They are one of the largest geckos in the world.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Pinho |first1=Catarina Jesus |last2=Santos |first2=Bárbara |last3=Mata |first3=Vanessa A. |title=What Is the Giant Wall Gecko Having for Dinner? Conservation Genetics for Guiding Reserve Management in Cabo Verde |journal=Genes |date=2018 |volume=9 |issue=12 |page=599 |doi=10.3390/genes9120599 |pmid=30513942 |pmc=6315674 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Distribution and habitat == The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of São Nicolau and on the nearby islets of Branco and Raso.<ref name="RDB">{{NRDB species|genus=Tarentola |species=gigas|accessdate=1 April 2017}}</ref>

Before human settlement to Cape Verde, giant wall geckos also inhabited São Vicente and Santa Luzia.<ref name=":0" />

==Diet and Habits== Giant wall geckos are nocturnal.

Both subspecies of the Cape Verdean ''T. 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.<ref name=":0" />

==Conservation== The giant wall gecko is listed as threatened because of the reduction and its range, and the decrease in the species it preys on.<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{Wikispecies}} * Bocage 1875 : ''[https://archive.org/details/jornaldesciencia576acad 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, Physrics and Nature), Lisbon, vol. 5, p.&nbsp;108-112 *Carranza, S., Arnold, E. Nicholas; Mateo, J. A. and L. F. López-Jurado 2000 Long-distance colonization and radiation in gekkonid lizards, Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Proc. R. Soc. London B 267: 637-649 *Schleich, 1984 : ''Die Geckos der Gattung Tarentola der Kapverden (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae)'' [''Geckos of the Tarentola Species in Cape Verde'']. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, vol. 68, p.&nbsp;95-106. {{in lang|de}} *Schleich, H.H. 1987 ''Herpetofauna caboverdiana.'' Spixiana Suppl. (no. 12) p.&nbsp;75 *Schleich H H 1988 ''Ascalabotes gigas'' BOCAGE 1875 (currently Tarentola gigas); proposed conservation of the specific name, by suppression of the senior synonym Tarentola borneensis Gray 1845. Bull. Zool. Nomencl. 45 *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 {{Taxonbar|from=Q3014564}}

gigas Category:Geckos of Africa Category:Endemic vertebrates of Cape Verde Category:Fauna of São Nicolau, Cape Verde Category:Reptiles described in 1875 Category:Taxa named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage

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