Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis
| Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Cyrtodactylus |
| Species: | C. nigriocularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis Nguyen, N. S., Orlov, N. L., & Darevsky, I. S., 2006 | |
Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis or black eyed bent-toed gecko is a species of gecko endemic to Southern Vietnam.[1][2] More specifically it is found on the Ba Den Mountain (Black Virgin Mountain) which is located in the Tây Ninh Province.
Description
This species can be distinguished by its large black eyes, grey or dark brown colored body, depressed head with a wide and depressed snout; its moderately slender body, which is elongate, with developed ventrolateral folds; moderately long limbs and digits long; a tail that is longer than the snout-vent length, which carries large undivided subcaudals; 13–14 upper labials, 13–15 lower labials, 17–21 narrow subdigital lamellae on its fourth toe; about 119–145 scale rows around its midbody; and no femoral large scales present.[1]
Behavior and ecology
C. nigriocularis is a cave-dwelling species. It lives in caves near streams on granite formations.[3]
Diet
The diet of C. nigriocularis is made up of primarily different species of spiders, but it also includes certain snails and slugs, centipedes, grasshoppers, and cockroaches.[4]
Pet trade and captivity/Protection status
Whilst C. nigriocularis doesn't have a large presence in the pet trade it is still sometimes kept in captivity illegally. This is most commonly a problem with online listings for the species, almost all of which are wild caught. The Vietnamese government has currently not put C. nigriocularis under any protective laws so there is little anyone can do to stop the trade of them. This is mainly due to the fact that the species is very rare (less than 20 have been observed thus far)[3] Though some people are trying to help. For instance a project lead by Quyen Do hopes to "go a long way in both understanding the species and in helping to conserve it."
References
- 1 2 Nguyen, Ngoc Sang; Nikolai L. Orlov & Ilya S. Darevsky (2006). "Descriptions of two new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Gekkonidae) from southern Vietnam". Russian Journal of Herpetology. 13 (3): 215–226.
- ↑ Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 22 November 2015.
- 1 2 "An Echo For a Gecko – MBZ Conservation Fund Annual Reports". reports.speciesconservation.org. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ↑ Ngo, Hanh Thi; Le, Minh Duc; Hoang, Trang Thu; Nguyen, Ha Hoang; Nguyen, Huy Quoc; Do, Quyen Hanh; Nguyen, Hanh Minh Vu; Nguyen, Truong Quang; Ziegler, Thomas; Le, Minh; Van Pham, Anh (July 2025). "Diet of Critically Endangered Black-Eyed Bent-Toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis, Nguyen, Orlov & Darevsky, 2006 From Vietnam". Ecology and Evolution. 15 (7) e71645. Bibcode:2025EcoEv..1571645N. doi:10.1002/ece3.71645. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 12231223. PMID 40625321.