Palmatogecko(Rangei)

By: Reanna Arnold and Shalea Harder-Mah

Kingdom: Animalia

(Multicellular, eukaryotic and heterotrophic organism )

Phylum: Chordata

(With vertebrates/spine or back bone)

Class: Sauropsida

(Reptiles, cold blooded/ectothermic

and is a tetrapod)

Order: Squamata

(Scaled, lizards or snakes, have quadrate bones)

Family: Gekkonidae

(Lizards that live in a warm climate, have no eyelids and is 1.6cm to

60cm long)

NicheThere is little biodiversity in the desert because of its hot temperature therefore the Palmatogecko is unique and holds an important role in the ecosystem. It is nocturnally active and helps control the population of ants and termites. They are commonly eaten by spiders and help balance the food chain as a secondary consumer.

Reproduction

•During breeding season the female lays about two eggs that are the size of a bean.

•The eggs take eight weeks to hatch.

Biome: Desert-Less than 50 cm of precipitation annually-Usually have specialized vegetation-Usually have specialized vertebrate and invertebrate animals-Weather can be inconsistent with flash fires and floods but temperatures are fairly high-Soil are abundant in nutrients but lack water for the production of many plants

There are four types of deserts-Hot and dry-Semiarid-Coastal-Cold

Namib DesertSmall coastal desert that stretches over

81,000 km² in Namibia, South Africa

Annual precipitation ranges from

2mm-200mm

Temperature is 20°C-34°C sometimes

exceeding 45°C in daytime, summer

It is referred to as the oldest desert

It is fairly foggy and some coastal regions experience up to 180 days of this thick layer

AdaptationsWebbed Feet- This helps them walk across sand and rocks

easier and also helps dig. Their toes also have adhesive lamellae.

Long tongue (no eyelids)- Palmatogeckos do not posses eyelids so they use their tongues to wipe their eyes in order to keep them moist and clean

Tail- When pursued they may loose their tail and flee to safety, then grow a new one

Shedding (Skin)- Its skin is flexible, sometimes when they shed they will eat their dead skin

Sound- Produces various cliques, squeaks and croaks to frighten predators

DistributionThis gecko is only found in the

Namib DesertIt is not threatned, extirpated or

endangered but simply can only live in this region because of it’s specific perefrence to the climate and enviroment

Lives mostly near sand dunes where it can burrow to rest and hide

Palmatogeckos are nocturnally active and are only present during the night when they can hunt

Vegetation in Namib DesertWelwitschia- is a plant found only in the

Namib Desert which lives for over 1000 years and is considered a living fossil

Perennial grasses- Vegetation is scarce in this desert but there are a few grasses that grow such as Bushman’s Grass, Monsonia ignorata and Trianthema hereroensis

Bushman’s GrassMonsonia ignorata Trianthema hereroensis

Welwitschia

Limiting FactorsAbiotic Biotic

Temperature- it must live in 31.1 ° -35° average

Hours of sunlight and Darkness (it is active at night)Substrate- Prefers rocks,

gravel and sandy environmentsUses sand dunes to hide and

sleep inGeography- because of its

preferred environment it is only found in the Namib Desert

Gets water from condescending fog

Predators such as the White Lady Spider

Vegetation in its habitatCompetition for foodAvailability of foodCompetition for shelter in

sandGets some water from the

food it eats

PopulationThere is no estimate of their current population but they are strictly found in the Namib desert. They are also one of 111 species of geckos in Southern Africa and are the only species of geckos there to have fully webbed feet in that area.

Palmatogecko means

Web-footed Sand Gecko

CommunityPrey•Dune ants•Termites•Beetles and its larvae•Crickets•Small spiders

Predators•White Lady Spiders•Hunting Spiders •Sidewinding Adder (snake)

Interesting FactThese lizards have flattened, shovel-nosed snouts, which enable them to make remarkable "dives" into the sand even while running at full speed. They then wriggle along under the surface, sometimes for over a meter and breathe easily under it.

Bibliographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namib_Desert#Animals_and_Plants

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm

http://namibnotes.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/namib-geckos/

http://books.google.ca/books?id=W75aoZLDG9YC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=palmatogecko+white+spider&source=bl&ots=jlL0oxWCeF&sig=BivZYzPZ8bufBqbZVBrIfz

DswuQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DkUFT52bMuKuiQKWycjiCg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=palmatogecko%20white%20spider&f=false

http://nsdl.org/resource/2200/20061002153053875T