User:Averebs51/Paroedura masobe

Lead
(WHAT WAS IN ARTICLE) : Paroedura masobe is an endangered species of reptile. This species is endemic to Madagascar, where it is known from low elevation sites in the north of the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor.The extent of occurrence is currently 410 km2 (160 sq mi), however, due to the scarcity of suitable habitat between the known sites its true distributional extent within this area is likely to be below 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi). It occurs from 300 to 600 metres (980 to 1,970 ft). The animal likes the habitats in low elevation and humid forests.

What I want to add: Paroedura masobe, also called masobe gecko, is an endangred species of retile from the genus of geckos. They are the most abundant species of the Gecko family and are known for their white-spotted dark skin and big eyes. The average life span of the Paroedura masobe is approximately eight years. The average length of a the masobe gecko is 0.16 m (0.5 ft) and their diet consists of crickets.

Lizards in the genus of the Paroedura are the most deceptive in comparison to nocturnal geckos in the region of Madagascar. This rare species are mainly kept and bred in captivity by scientists who engage in herpetoculture. Gunther was the first to describe this genus on the discovery of the P. sanctijohannis. Later Dixon and Kroll discovered nine species of Paroedura. They identified features that diagnosed the group of Gunthers leaf-toed forms. These features included the coossification of the skin to the underlying skull, fused nasal bones, paired parietal bones, and the absence of the second epibranchial element of the hyoid apparatus. An additional six species were identified by Nussbaum and Raxworthy. Lastly, Glaw identified a fifteenth species. The paroedura masobe can be spotted by its descriptive black and white speckled skin and big dark eyes. These geckos are approximately 0.6 meters (6.3 inches) and can live up to eight years old.

Classification
The Gekkonidae family is a highly diverse lizard family. The family is often described in the squamation taxonomy category. The paroedura genus is made up of small to medium sixed geckos with a "lead-toed" morphology that includes ditgal adhesive pads that are divided on their digits. The paroedura masobe is one of the twenty-two species of the genus. Nine species were identified by Dixon and Kroll and fourteen species were identified by Nussbaum and Raxworthy. The Paroedura has recently experienced an increase in species diversity due to the discovery of the paroedura neglecta. The taxonomic classification of the Gekkondiae family which is described under the genus of Paroedura was recently modified to the exact date of June 12th, 2018. The family now currently contains 24 species spread across Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.

Genera

 * Paroedura androyensis (Grandidier, 1867)
 * Paroedura bastardi (Mocquard, 1900)
 * Paroedura fasciata (Glaw, J. Kohler & Vences, 2018)
 * Paroedura gracilis (Boulenger, 1896)
 * Paroedura guibeae (Dixon & Kroll, 1974)
 * Paroedura homalorhina (Angel, 1936)
 * Paroedura hordiesi (Glaw, Rosler, Ineich, Gehring, J. Kohler & Vences, 2014)
 * Paroedura ibityensis (Rosler & Kruger, 1998)
 * Paroedura karstophila (Nussbaun & Raxworthy, 2000)
 * Paroedura Kloki (Glaw, J. Kohler & Vences, 2018)
 * Paroedura lohatsara (Glaw, Vences & K. Schmidt, 2001)
 * Paroedura maingoka (Nussbaun & Raxworthy, 2000)
 * Paroedura masobe (Nussbaum & Raxworthy, 1994)
 * Paroedura neglecta (J. Kohler, Vences, Scherz & Glaw, 2019)
 * Paroedura oviceps (Boettger, 1881)
 * Paroedura picta (W. Peters, 1854)
 * Paroedura rennerae (Miralles, Bruy, Crottini, Rakotoarison, Roatsoavina, Sherz, R. Schmidt, J. KOhler, Glaw & Vences, 2021)
 * Paroedura sanctijohannis (Gunther, 1879)
 * Paroedura spelaea (Glaw, J. KOhler & Vences, 2018)
 * Paroedura stellata (Hawlitschek & Glaw, 2012)
 * Paroedura stumpffi (Boettger, 1879)
 * Paroedura tanjaka (Nussbaum & Raxworthy, 2000)
 * Paroedura vahiny (Nussbaum & Raxworthy, 2000)
 * Paroedura vazimba (Nussbaum & Raxworthy, 2000)

Habitat
The habitat for the paroedura masobe is classified as a low elevation humid primary forest. The area is active on vegetation and inhabits leaves that are located one to four meters above the ground. This species is endemic to Madagascar, where it is known from low elevation sites in the north of the Zahamena-Ankeniheny Corridor (Glaw and Vences 2007). It is currently found in only two places and has been found as recently as 2010 in Betampona (F. Andreone pers. comm. January 2011).

Distribution
The paroedura genus overall range is in the two locations of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Two species were found in the Comoro Islands and sixteen species were found spread across Madagascar. It is not common for the species to appear farther than the known distribution of these sites. The range of occurrence of the paroedura masobe is 410 km2. Due to the scarcity of a suitable habitat the distributional extent in this area is approximately below 100 km2. It occurs from 300 to 600 m asl. They are very rare to encounter due to the pressure and rough distribution of the forest habitat within the range of the gecko's. The species population is decreasing in result, it has a severely fragmented population.

Diet
The species diet consists mostly of crickets, but the female masobes diet includes land snails and isopods (wood lice). Roaches are often incorporated into the diet but they must be the size of a large cricket. The females benefit greatly from this diet because of the increase of calcium. Young masobes should be fed around four to five insects every day. While adult masobes should be fed four to six times per week. Females that are ready to breed should be fed isopods or land snails at least twice a month. During hunting, overly large animals or very small prey are often ignored.

Threats
This species is threatened by low elevation humid forest into farmland and the removal of timber. The extraction of honey and other biological resources also degrades the forest which results in the species' ability to persevere. The international pet trade may also become a major threat to the species, if not controlled.

Efforts
The current efforts to save the parodura masobe are very small. There is protection against the environment that the species inhabits which includes the conservation sites being identifies and 100 percent of the species population being protected by PAs. Currently, there is no research or monitoring for the species being conducted. There is no area based regional management plan or success in reintroduced/introduced benignly. The physical efforts to save this species are almost non-existent. For example, there are no awareness programs or international legislation efforts. Protection of the species habitat needs to be strictly enforced and trade needs to be monitored. The conversation of this species demands more research to be conducted with the population trends of the parodura masobe.

Reproduction
There are many patterns in the Gekkonidae family in relation to reproduction. There is evidence of these reproduction patterns by the presence of oviparous and viviparous species. Geckos have a set of reproductive oviducts which are derived from the embryonic paramesonephric ducts. Oviducts are a pair of organs that are made with morphologically distinct segments which can include small variations between each species. They play a very important role in reproduction. The oviducts in reptiles have four or five divisions that are made up of the infundibulum, isthmus, vagina, uterus, and uterine tube. In oviparous species such as the paroedura masobe, an important function is protection of the eggshells in the oviducts. Not only does oviducts provide eggshell protection, but they also contribute to reproduction variation within the gecko species. For example, some Gekkonidae familys use the oviducts to store sperm which dissociates the sperm from fertilization.