Belize Biodiversity Information System

Taxonomy

Species ID	030070
Name	Turnip tail
Other Common Names	Escorpion
Category	03 Reptiles
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Reptilia
Subclass
Suborder	Sauria
Family	Gekkonidae
Genus	Thecadactylus
Species	rapicauda
Subspecies
References	4, 1
Scientific Synonyms	Gekko rapicauda, Houttuyn, 1782

Distribution

DISTRICT	References
Orange Walk	7
Stann Creek	7
Toledo	7
Corozal	1
Belize	7
Cayo	1
Toledo	1

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
Columbia River Forest Reserve	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data		7
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data		7
Government land	Sign, tracks/scat	Uncommon	December	8
Government land	Sighting	Unknown, insuffient data	January	5
Xunantunich Archaeological Reserve				3
Government land				1
Shipstern Nature Reserve				1
Mussel Creek Drainage (Proposed)				1
Bladen Nature Reserve				1
Columbia River Forest Reserve				1

ELEVATION Association	References
601-800 m	7
1-200 m	7, 6
1-200 m	5

QUAD Distribution	References
17 45' to 18 00'; 88 30' to 88 45'	7
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 15' to 88 30'	7
16 00' to 16 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	7
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 30' to 88 45'	7
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'	6
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'	5
18 15' to 18 30'; 88 15' to 88 30'	1
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 30' to 88 45'	1
17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'	1
18 15' to 18 30'; 88 00' to 88 15'	1
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 45' to 89 00'	1
16 15' to 16 30'; 89 00' to 89 15'	7, 1
16 15' to 16 30'; 88 45' to 89 00'	7, 1
15 50' to 16 00'; 88 50' to 89 15'	7

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Subtropical Lower Montane moist	7
Subtropical moist	7
Tropical wet-transition to Subtropical	7
Subtropical wet	7, 6
Subtropical wet	5

Comments on Distribution

6* Las Sierritas
5* Las Sierritas, Toledo District.
2* Crique Sarco

Habitat Associations

Forest Type Associations	Seral Stage	Canopy Closure	References
Broadleaf Forest with few Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over limestone, central-western variant.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Marsh and Swamp Communities	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Broadleaf hill forests over limestone in rolling or flat terrain.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Ramon-Chiquebul forest.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over limestone, central eastern variant.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Transitional Low Broadleaf Forest and Shrubland	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Agriculture, no native vegetation.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Broadleaf Forest Moderately Rich in Lime-loving Species; Quamwood-Bastard Mahogany Forest.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	7
Lowland broadleaf rain forest over poor or sandy soils.	all stages		6
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages		6

Land Use/Land Cover Associations	References
Mixed Forest Land	6

Comments on Habitat Associations

6*Las Sierritas

Food Habits

Trophic

CARNIVORE

References on Trophic Level

4

Comments on General Food Habits

4* These carnivorous lizards feed on a wide variety of invertebrates, especially insects. Gaige (1938:297) reported snails, grasshoppers, and caterpillars in the stomachs of specimens from caves in western Yucat n. Stomach contents of lizards from Surinam included grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles, termites, homopterans, caterpillars, and spiders (Hoogmoed, 1973:63). Duellman (1978:198) found that roaches formed 70 percent by volume of the stomach contents of lizards from the upper Amazon Basin of Ecuador; one specimen had consumed a scorpion.

References/Lifestage	Reference Numbers
General	4

Life History

Life History Narrative

Turnip tails are primarily nocturnal and arboreal. By day they hide within the recesses of tree buttresses, beneath loose bark, and in the crevices of the stonework of Maya ruins. Maslin (1963a:7) reported that specimens were found in the thatch of dwellings in the vicinity of Chich‚n Itz , Yucat n. Individuals in Surinam were occasionally observed basking on tree trunks during the day (Hoogmoed, 1973:61), and Swanson (1945:212) found a specimen clinging to the wall of a building in Panama. These carnivorous lizards feed on a wide variety of invertebrates, especially insects. Gaige (1938:297) reported snails, grasshoppers, and caterpillars in the stomachs of specimens from caves in western Yucat n. Stomach contents of lizards from Surinam included grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles, termites, homopterans, caterpillars, and spiders (Hoogmoed, 1973:63). Duellman (1978:198) found that roaches formed 70 percent by volume of the stomach contents of lizards from the upper Amazon Basin of Ecuador; one specimen had consumed a scorpion. Like many geckos, T. rapicauda is catlike and graceful in its movements. The soft skin is extremely delicate and easily damaged. Beebe (1944:157) described the vocalization of this species as "a high, rapidly reiterated chick-chick-chick or chack-chack-chack, fifteen or twenty times repeated, much like the note of some insect." M. L. Johnson (1946:108) described the vocalization emitted by a specimen from Trinidad as a batlike squeak. Very likely, the vocalizations help establish and maintain territories, although Beebe conjectured that the call might be used to attract the lizard's insect prey. Thecadactylus rapicauda is oviparous. A single egg is produced per clutch. Beebe (1944:158) reported that a captive from British Guiana laid an egg in August, and Meyer (1966:174) reported that a female from northern Honduras contained a single egg on 1 July. Females with oviductal eggs have been found in May, June, and August in Amazonian Ecuador (Duellman, 1978:198).

Life History References

4

References

1  Meerman, J., 1994. Summary of Herpetofauna Distributions in Belize.
   Report to National Protected Areas Management Project.

2  Neill, W.T. and R. Allen. 1961. Further studies on the herpetology of
   British Honduras.  Herpetologica 17(1):37-52.

3  Neill, W.T. and R. Allen. 1962. Reptiles of the Cambridge expedition to
   British Honduras 1959-1960.  Herpetologica 18(2):79-90.

4  Lee, Julian C. 1996.  The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucatan
   Peninsula.  Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca, New York.

5  Miller, B.W. and C.M. Miller. 1998. Las Sierritas, Toledo District,
   Belize. Rapid Environmental Appraisal Report for Mott MacDonald, Ltd.
   6-10 January 1998.

6  Meerman, J.C. 1997. Faunal Study of Las Sierritas, Toledo District,
   Belize.

7  Stafford, P. J., and J. R. Meyer.  2000. A guide to the reptiles
   of Belize.  Academic Press, London. pp 103-105. All data georeferenced
   and Imported on 09/17/00.