NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Mayaguana Least Gecko
Sphaerodactylus mariguanae Cochran, 1934
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Sphaerodactylus mariguanae, also known as the southern Bahamas sphaero or Mayaguana least gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is endemic to The Bahamas, where it is found on Mayaguana and Booby Cay. A population, likely introduced, formerly also existed on the island of Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, but has since been extirpated. Sphaerodactylus mariguanae is a rather small gecko for its genus, reaching a snout–vent length of 41 mm (1.6 in). It has a greyish or yellowish tan to pale brown back, marked with a complex and variable set of dark brown to black spots and stripes. It is classified by the IUCN as being endangered due to its extremely small range, ongoing habitat degradation, and the threat posed by introduced mammals.
Wikipedia contributors, Sphaerodactylus mariguanae; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:33:13.491304+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sphaerodactylus mariguanae Cochran, 1934
- Name authority
- Cochran, 1934
- Common name
- Mayaguana Least Gecko
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Sphaerodactylidae
- Genus
- Sphaerodactylus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderGekkota
- familySphaerodactylidae
- genusSphaerodactylus
- speciesSphaerodactylus mariguanae Cochran, 1934
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Sphaerodactylus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Ocellated GeckoSphaerodactylus argus Gosse, 1850 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dwarf geckoSphaerodactylus ariasae Hedges & Thomas, 2001 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Guantanamo Coastal GeckoletSphaerodactylus armasi Schwartz & Garrido, 1974 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Beck's Least GeckoSphaerodactylus becki Schmidt, 1919 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Baracoan Eyespot GeckoletSphaerodactylus celicara Garrido & Schwartz, 1982 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Orange-spotted GeckoletSphaerodactylus clenchi Shreve, 1968 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cochran's Least GeckoSphaerodactylus cochranae Ruibal, 1946 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Upper Central American GeckoletSphaerodactylus continentalis Werner, 1896 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cope's Least GeckoSphaerodactylus copei Steindachner, 1867 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Central Bahamas GeckoletSphaerodactylus corticola Garman, 1888 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Bakoruco Least GeckoSphaerodactylus cryphius Thomas & Schwartz, 1977 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Darlington's Least GeckoSphaerodactylus darlingtoni Shreve, 1968 | SphaerodactylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Sphaerodactylus&species=mariguanae Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4YQ8K. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.