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The hemipenis is the intromittent organ of Squamata, [4] which is the second largest order of vertebrates with over 9,000 species distributed around the world. They differ from the intromittent organs of most other amniotes such as mammals, archosaurs and turtles that have a single genital tubercle, as squamates have the paired genitalia remaining separate. [5]
Most medium-sized to large geckos are docile, but may bite if distressed, which might pierce skin. The common house gecko is a tropical species, and thrives in warm, humid areas where it can crawl around on rotting wood in search of the insects it eats, as well as within urban landscapes in warm climates.
Currently there are about 40 extant families of Lacertilia.These vary considerably, e.g. in shades, colours, and sizes. For example, the largest representative among Geckos, the New Caledonian giant gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus), has a length of up to 36 cm (14 in), while the largest species in the family Varanidae, Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), has a length up to 3 metres (10 ft ...
Most geckos lay a small clutch of eggs. Some are live-bearing, and a few can reproduce asexually via parthenogenesis. Geckos also have a large diversity of sex-determining mechanisms, including temperature-dependent sex determination and both XX/XY and ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes with multiple transitions among them over evolutionary time. [58]
Carphodactylids are relatively large by gecko standards; most are nocturnal and all are oviparous, with a typical clutch size of two eggs. Unlike most Australian geckos, species diversity is concentrated in humid forests along the northeastern edge of Australia. Nevertheless, some genera are diverse in arid regions as well. [2] [4] [1] [3] [5]
Parthenogenesis is a mode of asexual reproduction in which offspring are produced by females without the genetic contribution of a male. Among all the sexual vertebrates, the only examples of true parthenogenesis, in which all-female populations reproduce without the involvement of males, are found in squamate reptiles (snakes and lizards). [1]
The big-scaled dwarf gecko is extremely small in size, measuring only 0.285g as its mean mass. [3] The lizard also maintains a snout vent length, which fluctuates from 1.7-2.7 cm with an average hitting around 2.4 cm. [9] The largest of the big-scaled dwarf geckos are found in Puerto Rico, and those found in the Virgin Islands are smaller. [10]
Mediterranean house geckos inhabit a wide range of habitats, in areas near human presence such as university campuses, cemeteries, coastal regions, and shrublands. In these urban or suburban areas, they are typically seen in the cracks of old brick buildings. They can also be found in other areas such as mountain cliffs and caves.