Sphaerodactylus ariasae is one of the smallest members of the Gekkonidae family and at an adult length of 16-18mm can curl up on a US dime. They are endemic to Hispaniola and can be found in leaf litter near limestone caves or cliffs.
S. ariasae shares the title of smallest of the amniote vertebrates, which are the reptiles, birds, and mammals, with S. parthenopion from the British Virgin Islands. These geckos are thought to be at the lower physiological limit for reptiles. Their large surface area to volume ratio makes them particularly susceptible to dehydration.
S. ariasae is named for Yvonne Arias, a champion for conservation in the Jaragua National Park, an important habitat for these geckos. They are threatened by deforestation, despite efforts to protect the park.
Sphaerodactylus ariasae, commonly called the Jaragua sphaero or the Jaragua dwarf gecko, is the smallest species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae.
Sphaerodactylus ariasae is the world's smallest known reptile. The second-smallest is S. parthenopion, native to the British Virgin Islands. The Jaragua sphaero measures 14-18 mm (0.55-0.71 in)[3] from the snout to the base of the tail and can fit on a US 25-cent coin. It has an average weight of just 0.13 g (0.00455 of an ounce). By contrast, the blue whale is 1,600 times longer and more than 1 billion times heavier.[4]
The geographic range of S. ariasae is believed to be limited to Jaragua National Park, in the southernmost tip of the Barahona Peninsula, in the extreme southwest of the Dominican Republic and nearby forested Beata Island on Hispaniola.[2]
The preferred natural habitat of S. ariasae is the leaf litter of the forest floor of dry forests with limestone substratum.[1]
S. ariasae was first described by Blair Hedges, a Pennsylvania State University evolutionary biologist, and Richard Thomas, a University of Puerto Rico biologist, in the December 2001 issue of the Caribbean Journal of Science.[6]
The Jaragua sphaero's binomial name was chosen in honor of herpetologist Yvonne Arias,[5] the leader of the Dominican conservation organization Grupo Jaragua, which was instrumental in securing the environmental protection of Jaragua National Park.[7][8]
Sphaerodactylus ariasae, commonly called the Jaragua sphaero or the Jaragua dwarf gecko, is the smallest species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae.
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