Yellow-headed gecko

This gecko was first scientifically described by André Marie Constant Duméril and Gabriel Bibron in 1836 using a few specimens sent to Paris by Auguste Plée from Martinique. They also were able to examine numerous specimens collected in Cuba by the anarchist polymath Ramón de la Sagra, who had arrived in Paris from that island the previous year with many objects of natural history. Gonatodes albogularis is the type species for the genus Gonatodes, because when Leopold Fitzinger defined the genus in 1843 he included three species in it: G. gravenhorstii, G. laevis and G. albogularis, because the first two names were nomina nuda, G. albogularis remains the only valid name for a type species by monotypy. Subspecies There are four subspecies as of 2020: first subsumed as a subspecies of this species by Beate Röll in 2009. • Gonatodes albogularis notatus (Reinhardt and Lütken, 1862) – The form from the islands in the north of the Caribbean. . Types There are two syntypes for the nominate form which are kept at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris. These were supposedly collected on Martinique, although the species does not appear to occur there. gula, meaning 'throat', and the Latin suffix -arius, which means 'pertaining to'; i.e. together giving 'white-throated', as this described their syntypes. This name was chosen by Duméril and Bibron for this taxon because the specimens they examined had the lower part of the head and the neck being "un blanc extrêmement pur", this colour also being found on the thighs, belly and underside of the tail, which contrasted sharply with "un noir profond" of the flanks and sides of the body -they describe the anterior of the creature as slate-coloured, and the breast whitish-grey. Clearly, dead animals discolour somewhat when preserved, or at least did so with the methods of two centuries ago! ==Common names==

It has traditionally been called the white-throated clawed gecko or white-throated gecko in English, which is a calque of its scientific name. The Mexican Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad officiated the vernacular name in Spanish of geco cabeza amarilla in 2001. A name in Colombia is güeco cabeciamarillo. Another Spanish name is limpiacasa. The Papiamento name for this gecko (and most other species) is pega-pega. ==Description==

This gecko can grow up to between . A maximal length of is also given. to orange-coloured heads and dark blue bodies, It has no eyelids. They reach this size around the age of 6 months. Similar to other geckos, G. albogularis does not accumulate fat in their abdomens. This suggests that reproductive abilities are not influenced by the amount of fat a lizard has. Reproductive abilities are driven by other factors. G. albogularis is typically found in dry habitats but have also been observed in moist habitats. Their main diet consists of insects and spiders. G. albogularis is also a very territorial lizard. They defend their territories by primarily waving their tails and other behaviors. Similar species , Costa Rica. In the Lesser Antilles it can be distinguished from G. antillensis by having a much rougher skin texture. The males have a darker-coloured body, and have a blue patch near the ear. The pupil is always round. ==Distribution==

• Gonatodes albogularis albogularis The nominate subspecies is known from the Lesser Antilles, northern Colombia (Valle del Cauca, Chocó, In the United States, G. albogularis is most prominent in Florida. With a tropical-like climate, non-native species are able to survive, and this lizard is no exception. It is most likely that the yellow-headed gecko migrated from the Key West into other parts of Florida. The first documented sighting was reported in 1934, but research suggests that they have been in Florida since 1929. • Gonatodes albogularis notatus This taxon was probably first collected in the city of Aquin, Haiti, although in 1988 Schartz and Henderson gave a long list of different type localities throughout Haiti for the single specimen. It is found on the islands of Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, Îlet à Cabrit (part of the Guadeloupe archipelago of France) and Hispaniola. It has been recorded at altitudes from sea level to . including the Ile de la Gonâve. • Unknown The species also occur in Mexico (Chiapas, Veracruz), Guatemala and Honduras, but it is unclear to which subspecies these populations belong. It has been stated to be found in Belize, but it has never actually been recorded in that country. The population on Cuba has also been said to represent the nominate subspecies which is generally from northern South America, as well as fuscus from southern Central America, although notatus is found on the surrounding Caribbean islands, and the species has also been said to be introduced to the nation. == Reproduction and parental care ==

Gonatodes albogularis prefers to lay their eggs in communal sites to maximize the hatching success and extra protection from predators. Gonatodes albogularis can have multiple offspring in a year and does not have a preferential breeding season. Site selection for egg laying Females primarily nest in tree trunks laying single eggs. However, it has been observed for tree bases to be communal egg-laying spots in Costa Rica and Panama. These locations are also where most of these lizards can be found along with tree branches, under rocks, debris, and in soil litter. Soil litter provides the best conditions for communal egg-laying. These conditions often lead to higher reproductive success of females along with greater success of hatchlings. A high density of eggs in one area can provide moisture control, so the eggs will not dry out as quickly. This is especially valuable during the dry season when eggs are more susceptible to desiccation. Soil litter can also act as protection. The eggs are less visible when they are hidden in the litter, so they are less prone to predators. Brood size G. albogularis females only carry one egg at a time with the ability of having more than one offspring in a year. Although reproduction can happen anytime during the year, it happens significantly less from December–May which is during the dry season. They put all of their reproductive efforts towards ensuring that one offspring survives. [8] The egg will hatch in 2–4 months after it has been laid. == Physiology ==

Yellow-headed gecko are able to differentiate between coloration and brightness with direct consequences to mating partner selections. Vision It is believed that the yellow-headed gecko is able to tell the difference in brightness and hues of conspecifics. The lens of the lizard is yellow. With the yellow lens, short wavelengths (less than 450 nm) are blocked, so there will not be as much damage to the eye. The lens also acts in limiting color distortion. Colors on these lizards can be highly reflective which influences their desirability for mating along with other behaviors. Longer wavelengths of light are consistent with duller colors. Females prefer males with brighter colors, so the ability to detect different brightness has direct effects on mate selection. Although this can be useful for choosing a mate, it can only be used when the lizards are in close proximity to another. == Mating ==

Yellow-headed geckos exhibit aggressive behaviors to defend territory and as anti-predator mechanisms. They also display different coloration to maximize mating success. Male intraspecific interactions Males have many aggressive behaviors that help them defend their territories from not only other males but also predators. Some of these behaviors include throat depressions, push-ups, tail displays, whole body waving, and bites. Males with high success in defending their territories exhibited more of these aggressive behaviors, and the behaviors lasted much, much longer. This gecko initially starts with more subtle movements by only moving one part of their body like throat depressions. If he feels more threatened, he will exhibit stronger, more aggressive behaviors such as push-ups or whole-body waving. These aggressive behaviors usually crest mid-day with high variability any other time of day. One hypothesis suggests that aggressive behaviors peak mid-day, because their predators are not as active. G. albogularis has a chance to increase their fitness by defending their habitat and searching for mates. In one experiment, the colors of the male lizards were masked using a light. When the colors were masked, females seemed to prefer blue males. This suggests that females prefer blue males, but the yellow males are much more dominant, so they are able to mate with females at a higher rate than their counterparts. == Predators ==

One predator of the yellow-headed gecko is the Brown Vinesnake, or Oxybelis aeneus. There have only been reports of the snake killing the lizard, and the act of consumption has not been observed. The Brown Vinesnake ambushes its prey with its enlarged rear fangs and moderate venom. Some of their other predators are larger lizards, birds, and mammals. Escape behavior To decrease the risk of predation, the yellow-headed gecko will lose its tail if a predator latches onto it. The escape behavior theory says that the lizard will lose its tail only when the risk of predation outweighs the cost of fleeing. Although this action provides defense from the initial attack, losing the tail does decrease the chance of survival if there is a subsequent attack. After an individual loses its tail, they will exhibit more escape behavior. They will not allow predators to get as close to them, because they do not have that extra layer of protection. As the tail grows back, the escape behavior tends to decrease, because the lizard is not as susceptible to predation, because they have more protection. The lizards will also stay closer to their shelter once they lose their tail to limit flight initiation distance. Flight initiation distance describes "the distance between a prey and an approaching predator when the prey starts to flee." In both male and female yellow-headed geckos, flight initiation distance and distance to nearest refuge were positively correlated. As flight initiation time increased so did distance to the nearest refuge. ==Ecology==

Yellow-headed geckos feed on insects. Only one egg is laid at a time. Habitat The species seems to prefer tropical dry forest, forest edges and anthropogenic habitats. In Haiti it is primarily found along the coast as an "edificarian" -this means it prefers human buildings as habitat. They can sometimes be found indoors. As a result, they are likely to enter areas with human activity and interact with humans. ==Relationship to humans==

Up until the 1950s the pega-pega was much feared in the Antilles, where the superstition formerly existed that once it climbed on you it would latch itself so tightly it would be almost impossible to remove, with the best remedies being burning it off with a lit cigarette, a hot clothes iron or by pouring boiling water over it. Some also claimed it was poisonous. This superstition had largely faded among the younger generation by the turn of the century. ==See also==