Saba Least Gecko

The Saba least gecko is a medium-sized least gecko, reaching a snout–vent length of 28 mm in females and 30 mm in males. The dorsum has a background color of light to dark brown. Some individuals are covered with patterns; in this case, they have dull orange heads, while unpatterned individuals are uniform brown. There are dark brown stripes stretching from the nostrils to the neck, where they bend just before the shoulder and merge into each other at the middle of the body. There is a black-bordered buff or dark brown line from the snout to the top of the head, dividing past the eyes and continuing to a point just behind the orbit, past which it circles back to the center to surround a dark brown, black, or white spot on top of the head. The lines continue to merge just before reaching the shoulder region. These stripes are highly variable and can split or merge further to form spots, speckles, stripes, or a vermiculated pattern. There are rows of pale spots on the body, usually becoming more prominent towards the tail, which is covered with white stripes. The throat is yellow-tinted white, yellow, or pale orange in color. The underside of the body is pale brown, light yellow, gray, or white. Geckos from Saba have brown irises, while those from other islands have black irises with a yellow ring around the iris. …

The Saba least gecko is endemic to the Lesser Antilles, where it is found across the islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts, and Nevis. It is most abundant on Sint Eustatius and to a lesser degree on Saba. It prefers moderately moist habitats such as gallery forest, palms, and Coccoloba vegetation. It also inhabits less hospitable xeric habitats and human settlements, albeit at considerably lower densities, rarely being absent from areas with even minimal vegetation. It prefers slightly higher elevations, being most common in the uplands on Sint Eustatius and in ravines on Saba, but is usually only found up to 500 m, although small populations may live at even higher elevations. It inhabits many different micro-habitats, being seen in rocks, logs, dead agave, leaf litter, and human debris. The species lays eggs to reproduce. Studies on interactions between and within Saba and island least geckos on Sint Eustatius have revealed several behaviors in the lizards. When male and female Saba least geckos are placed together, males generally begin courting the females by "staring at females, head bobbing, approaching while head bobbing, licking, waving their tails from side to side, and finally attempting to mount." The female geckos generally rebuff the males at some point in this process, with few attempts at mounting being successful. …