Christinus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christinus |
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| Christinus marmoratus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Subfamily: | Uroplatinae |
| Genus: | Christinus (Wells and Wellington, 1984) |
The Christinus geckos are a group of small lizards found in southern Australia. They are part of the Gekkonidae family, which includes all geckos. These geckos are often called marbled geckos because of their unique patterns. Their skin has patterns that look like marble, with colors like reddish-brown, grey, silver, white, black, and even purple.
You can often find these geckos living in old, knotty trees. Sometimes, many of them gather together in towns and cities. The name Christinus was chosen to honor Christine Biggs, a friend of one of the scientists who first described them.
Discovering Christinus Geckos
Scientists Wells and Wellington first officially described the Christinus group in 1984. They named a well-known species, Diplodactylus marmoratus, as the main example for this new group.
Scientists believe there are two main types of Christinus geckos. One type lives on islands. The other type is found across a wide area of southern Australia. This widespread group, called C. marmoratus, might even have two or more smaller groups, known as subspecies.
Types of Christinus Geckos
Here are the different species and subspecies of Christinus geckos:
- C. alexanderi: This species is only found in the Nullarbor Plain in Australia.
- C. guentheri: You can find this gecko on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
- C. marmoratus: This is the most common type. It lives across southern Australia, in the northwest, and on some islands.
- C. m. macrodactylus
- C. m. marmoratus
Images for kids
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