biology

Lepidodactylus lugubris

Lepidodactylus lugubris is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lepidodactylus lugubris rather than just read about it. In short: Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae. Distribution This species is widespread in coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Australia (Co…

Key takeaways

Lepidodactylus lugubris belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lepidodactylus lugubris to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lepidodactylus lugubris from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae.

Distribution This species is widespread in coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Australia (Cocos Island), Western Samoa, Guam, the Society Islands, Pitcairn, and the Mascarene Islands. It has been introduced widely in the Neotropics, including in Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Florida, The Bahamas, Guadeloupe, Ecuador (including the Galapagos), Colombia and Chile, as well as to Hawai'i and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

Description Lepidodactylus lugubris measure 8.5–10 cm in length including tail (4–4.4 cm snout-to-vent). L. lugubris is cryptically coloured, typically light to dark tan with dark spots down the length of its back and a brown strip from the ear to the tip of the nose. This species is capable of changing color, and so the same individual may appear light or dark at different times during the day.

Behavior and ecology L. lugubris is primarily nocturnal, but is occasionally encountered exposed but near cover during the day. This species is all female, and reproduces via parthenogenesis. While males occasionally occur, they are very rare and often sterile. Females lay 1–2 eggs at a time, and glue them to surfaces in protected locations. Clutches are laid every 4–6 weeks. The obligate parthenogenetic mechanism involves premeiotic endoreplication of the chromosomes.

Diet L. lugubris are omnivorous. In the wild, they eat a varied diet of insects, spiders, amphipods, pill bugs, fruit, nectar, pollen, and even their own eggs. They will also feed on jam, sugar, sweetened drinks, and milk, if given the opportunity.

Captivity L. lugubris are occasionally kept as pets due to their simple care requirements and social nature. Because they are parthenogenic, these geckos reproduce well in captivity and thus most individuals kept as pets are captive-bred.

References

Boissinot, Stéphane; Ineich, Ivan; Thaler, Louis; Guillaume, Claude-P (1997). "Hybrid Origin and Clonal Diversity in the Parthenogenetic Gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris in French Polynesia". Journal of Herpetology. 31 (2): 295–298. doi:10.2307/1565401. JSTOR 1565401. Chazeau, Jean; Bauer, Aaron M (1991). "Lepidodactylus lugubris [distribution in New Caledonia]". Herpetological Review. 22 (3): 103. Cuéllar, Orlando; Kluge, Arnold G (1972). "Natural parthenogenesis in the gekkonid lizard Lepidodactylus lugubris". Journal of Genetics. 61 (1): 14–26. doi:10.1007/BF02984098. S2CID 41290668. Cuellar, Orlando (1984). "Histocompatibility in Hawaiian and Polynesian populations of the parthenogenetic gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris". Evolution. 38 (1): 176–185. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1984.tb00270.x. PMID 28556082. S2CID 6809269. Hanley, Kathryn A; Bolger, Douglas T; Case, Ted (1994). "Comparative ecology of sexual and asexual gecko species (Lepidodactylus) in French Polynesia". Evolutionary Ecology. 8 (4): 435–454. Bibcode:1994EvEco...8..438H. doi:10.1007/BF01238194. S2CID 21626724. Henderson, R. W., VILLA, J., & DIXON, J. R. 1976 Lepidodactylus lugubris (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). A recent addition to the herpetofauna of Nicaragua. Herpetol. Rev. 7:173. Jarecki, L. & Lazell, J.D. 1987 Zur Grösse und Dichte einer Population von Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bibron 1836) in Aiea, Hawaii (Sauria: Gekkonidae). Salamandra 23 (2/3): 176–178 Kikukawa, Akira 1999 Geographic distribution. Lepidodactylus lugubris Herpetological Review 30 (1): 52 Mau, K.-G. 1978 Nachweis natürlicher Parthenogenese bei Lepidodactylus lugubris durch Gefangenschaftsnachzucht (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae). Salamandra 14 (2): 90–97 Pasteur, G.; Agnese, J.-F.; Blanc, C. P.; Pastuer, N. 1987 Polyclony and low relative heterozygosity in a widespread unisexual vertebrate, Lepidodactylus lugubris (Sauria) Genetica 75: 71–79 Röll, B. 2002 Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bibron). Sauria (Suppl.) 24 (3): 545–550 Rösler, Herbert 1992 Beobachtungen an drei Männchen des parthenogenetischen Geckos Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bibron 1836). Sauria 14 (3): 25–26 Sengoku, Showichi 1998 Geographic Distribution. Lepidodactylus lugubris Herpetological Review 29 (2): 110 Turner, Grant; Green, Darren 1996 Notes on the mourning gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris in the Daintree region Herpetofauna (Sydney) 26 (1): 5–7 Villa, Jaime D. 1993 Lepidodactylus lugubris (mourning gecko). Nicaragua: Zelaya Herpetological Review 24 (3): 109 Yamashiro, Saiko; Ota, Hidetoshi 1998 Discovery of a male phenotype of the Parthenogenetic gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris, on Ishigakijima Island of the Yaeyama Group, Ryūkyū Archipelago Japanese Journal of Herpetology 17 (4): 152–155 Guerreiro, Manuel.; Graterol, Gabriel.; 2012 PRIMER REGISTRO DE LEPIDODACTYLUS LUGUBRIS DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1836 (REPTILIA: GEKKONIDAE) PARA VENEZUELA herpetotropicos; 6(12):15-16.

External links Lepidodactylus lugubris at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database Lepidodactylus Lugubris vocalization on YouTube

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lepidodactylus lugubris

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lepidodactylus lugubris claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lepidodactylus lugubris before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lepidodactylus lugubris ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lepidodactylus lugubris

In research: Lepidodactylus lugubris appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lepidodactylus lugubris in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lepidodactylus lugubris is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fauna of the Cook Islands, Geckos of Australia, IUCN Red List least concern species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lepidodactylus lugubris outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lepidodactylus lugubris in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lepidodactylus lugubris means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lepidodactylus lugubris out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lepidodactylus lugubris in simple terms?

Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae. Distribution This species is widespread in coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vie…

Why does Lepidodactylus lugubris matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lepidodactylus lugubris?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lepidodactylus lugubris.