Species profile—Phyllurus caudiannulatus (ringed thin-tailed gecko)

Classification

Animalia (animals) → Reptilia (reptiles) → Carphodactylidae (carphodactylid geckos) → Phyllurus caudiannulatus (ringed thin-tailed gecko)

Species details

Kingdom

Animalia (animals)

Class

Reptilia (reptiles)

Family

Carphodactylidae (carphodactylid geckos)

Scientific name

Phyllurus caudiannulatus Covacevich, 1975

Common name

ringed thin-tailed gecko

WildNet taxon ID

379

Alternate name(s)

Bulburin leaf-tailed gecko
ringed thin-tail gecko
banded leaf-tailed gecko

Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status

Endangered

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status

Endangered

Conservation significant

Yes

Confidential

Yes

Endemicity

Native

Pest status

Nil

Description

P. caudiannulatus is a moderately sized prickly gecko reaching a snout-vent length of 103mm. The body is grey-brown above with fine dark mottling and pale spots. The original tail has 5-6 pale rings, missing in regenerated tails. The underside is cream to light grey, sometimes finely dotted with brown. The tail is long and cylindrical, tapering to a point. The head and body, in contrast, are quite flat. Limbs are long and slender, and the entire body is covered with small conical bumps, which are largest on the side of the body and tail. The rostral scale is completely divided. (Couper, et. al. 1993; Cogger 1996; Wilson & Swan 2003).

Map

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Habitat

This species can be found in subtropical vine forest, adjacent wet sclerophyll forest and hoop pine plantation between 180-600m. The geology where P. caudiannulatus occurs is quartz-syenite and granite. Geckos shelter in buttress cavities of trees (especially Ficus spp.), under bark and rock piles. (Covacevich 1975; Wilson & Knowles 1988; Couper et al. 1993; Covacevich & McDonald 1993; Cogger 1996; Borsboom 2006; Hogan pers comm.).

Behaviour

This species is arboreal (tree dwelling) and nocturnal (active at night), sheltering in tree hollows or boulder scree during the day. It is known to be active on or near the ground and may be long-lived (some geckos survive 3-11 years). (Covacevich 1975; King & Horner 1993; Wilson & Swan 2003; Borsboom 2006).

Reproduction

This gecko species has a clutch of 2 eggs and is thought to lay them during October-November, sometimes communally in crevices. Eggs range in length from 17.4-21.6mm, in width from 9-13.5mm, and in weight from 1.1-1.86g. At temperatures of 23-27 degrees C, eggs take 60-85 days to hatch. Females have the ability to store sperm over winter. (Wilson & Knowles 1988; Greer 1989; Couper et al. 1993; Porter 1999).

Diet

Its diet is mainly arthropods, including beetles. (Wilson & Knowles 1988; Couper et al. 1993).

Threatening processes

Known : None confirmed.
Suspected : 1. Clearance of habitat including hoop pine harvesting and replanting (QPWS 2001; Borsboom 2006).
2. Predation by feral cats & foxes, as well as, impact from Cane Toads (QPWS 2001; Borsboom 2006).

Status notes

Rare - Nature Conservation Act 1992.

Management recommendations

Undertake further fauna surveys in the forest areas north of Gympie to fully determine the status of this and other poorly known species from this region.

Notes

Contributors: Barney Hines 19/08/1998; David McFarland 26/10/2007; Danielle Hansen 16/10/2008; Wayne Martin 17/11/2008; 11/07/2017.

References

Borsboom, A. (2006). Nomination to re-classify the rare Phyllurus caudiannulatus to vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Biodiversity Sciences, EPA, Brisbane.
Cogger, H.G. (1996). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Reed Books, Port Melbourne.
Couper, P.J., Covacevich, J.A. & Moritz, C. (1993). A review of the leaf-tailed geckos endemic to eastern Australia: a new genus, four new species, and other new data. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34, 95-124.
Couper, P.J., Hamley, B. & Hoskin, C.J. (2008). A new species of Phyllurus (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) from the Kilkivan district of south-eastern Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52(2), 139-147.
Couper, P.J., Schneider, C.J., Hoskin, C.J. & Covacevich, J.A. (2000). Australian leaf-tailed geckos: phylogeny, a new genus, two new species and other new data. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 45, 253-265.
Covacevich, J. (1975). A review of the genus Phyllurus (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 17, 293-303.
Covacevich, J.A. & McDonald. K.R. (1993). Distribution and conservation of frogs and reptiles of Queensland rainforests. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34, 189-199.
Greer, A.E. (1989). The Biology & Evolution of Australian Lizards. Surrey Beatty, Chipping Norton, NSW.
Hoskin, C.J. (2012). Oakview Leaf-tailed Gecko Phyllurus kabikabi. In: Curtis, Lee K., Dennis, Andrew J., McDonald, Keith R., Kyne, Peter M., and Debus, Stephen J.S., (eds.) Queensland's Threatened Animals. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, 212 pp.
King, M. & Horner, P. (1993). Family Gekkonidae. In: Fauna of Australia. Vol. 2A Amphibia and Reptilia (Eds Glasby, C.J., Ross, G.J.B. & Beesley, P.L.), pp. 221-233. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
McFarland, D.C. (2007). Taxon Profiles Version 2.0: Threatened And Priority Fauna Taxa In Queensland: Biology And Distribution. Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane.
Porter, R. (1999). Captive maintenance and breeding of Australian leaf-tailed geckos (Saltuarius and Phyllurus). Herpetofauna 29(2), 13-17.
QPWS (2001). Phyllurus caudiannulatus. Species Management Profile, Species Management Manual Vol. 2. Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service, Forest Management, Brisbane.
Wilson, S.K. & Knowles, D.G. (1988). Australia's Reptiles A Photographic Reference to the Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia. Collins, Sydney.
Wilson, S. & Swan, G. (2003). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

Profile author

David McFarland (11/07/2017)

Other resources

• Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT)
• Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums (OZCAM)
• Atlas of Living Australia

Data source

This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=379.

This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.