The European leaf-toed gecko (Euleptes europaea = Phyllodactylus europaeus) is a reptile endemic to the central Mediterranean area that has a typically relict and mainly insular population. It is a rather elusive, very mimetic species that lives preferably in small hollows. It is widespread on the Scola islet, which has already been the subject of rat eradication interventions; however, it seems to be absent on the main island of Pianosa nearby. Some studies have shown that rats, which various authors consider responsible for the decline of endemic lizards, may be the cause of this gecko’s population decline in the northern Mediterranean islands.
Italiano
English