NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Little-scaled Least Gecko
Sphaerodactylus microlepis Reinhardt & Lütken, 1862
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
The little-scaled least gecko (Sphaerodactylus microlepis) is a gecko species mainly found on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, where it was once thought to be endemic. It has falsely been recorded on St. Croix, Martinique, Monito Island, the British Virgin Islands, and Costa Rica, but does not exist there.
Both sexes reach a length of 34 mm snout-to-vent. Its color pattern is variable, usually with six or seven dark bands between its limbs and a light brown or gray ground color; these markings may fade in some adults. Its tail is bright pink to pale orange with ladder-shaped markings. Its ventral surface is white or yellow, with dark stripes extending from its chin to its throat or chest. The top of its head is light brown or yellow, with dark stripes extending from behind its eyes and joining behind its neck.
Wikipedia contributors, Little-scaled least gecko; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T11:23:30.859482+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sphaerodactylus microlepis Reinhardt & Lütken, 1862
- Name authority
- Reinhardt & Lütken, 1862
- Common name
- Little-scaled 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 microlepis Reinhardt & Lütken, 1862
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 |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Sphaerodactylus melanospilos | synonym |
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=microlepis 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:4YQ8N. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.