Correlophus sarasinorum

Correlophus sarasinorum
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Diplodactylidae
Genus:	Correlophus
Species:	C. sarasinorum
Binomial name
	Correlophus sarasinorum; (Roux, 1913)
Synonyms
	Rhacodactylus sarasinorum ; Roux, 1913; Correlophus sarasinorum ; — Bauer et al., 2012;

Correlophus sarasinorum,^[3] also called commonly Roux's giant gecko, Sarasins' giant gecko, Sarasin's [sic] giant gecko (incorrectly), and the suras gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is native to the southern portions of the outlying New Caledonian island of Grande Terre.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology[edit]

The specific name, sarasinorum (masculine, genitive, plural), is in honor of Swiss zoologists Karl Friedrich Sarasin and Paul Benedict Sarasin, who were cousins.^[4]

Conservation status[edit]

C. sarasinorum is currently being evaluated by CITES for protective status and is considered vulnerable to extinction in many herpetological circles. It has been found only in six locales in its native habitat.^{[citation needed]}

Description[edit]

Since there is a considerable variation in snout-to-vent length (SVL) of C. sarasinorum, which ranges from 3.5 to 5.5 inches (9 to 14 centimeters), it has been suggested that more than one subspecies exists; there is no universal consensus on this point. The basic color of the suras gecko is brown to gray. Two color patterns exist. A white spotted version is the recessive trait, and a white "V" pattern is the dominant trait. The gecko's appearance has often been described as similar to a large Correlophus ciliatus, with larger eyes.^{[citation needed]}

Habitat[edit]

The preferred natural habitats of C. sarasinorum are forest and shrubland, at altitudes of 20–600 m (66–1,969 ft).^[1]

Behavior[edit]

C. sarasinorum is nocturnal, and less arboreal than the other Rhacodactylus (sensu lato) geckos. It is often found hiding under the leaf litter or under loose bark. This species has an animal instinct of sleeping on top of plants or in small trees face up preventing the common FTS (Floppy Tail Syndrome) caused by the gecko sleeping upside down.^{[citation needed]}

Diet[edit]

C. sarasinorum is an omnivore and is also considered to be frugivorous. In the wild it eats insects and fruit.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction[edit]

The female C. sarasinorum lays two eggs which are buried in a soft, damp substrate. The eggs hatch 60–90 days after being laid.^{[citation needed]}

In captivity[edit]

The species C. sarasinorum is sometimes seen in captivity.

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b Sadlier RA, Whitaker AH [in French] (2018) [amended version of 2011 assessment]. "Correlophus sarasinorum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T176213A7198085. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T176213A7198085.en. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
^ Species Correlophus sarasinorum at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
^ Bauer AM, Jackman TR, Sadlier RA, Whitaker AH (2012). "Revision of the giant geckos of New Caledonia (Reptilia: Diplodactylidae: Rhacodactylus)". Zootaxa 3404: 1–52. (Correlophus sarasinorum, new combination).
^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Rhacodactylus sarasinorum, p. 233).