Saltuarius

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Gekkota
Infraordo: Pygopodomorpha

Familia: Carphodactylidae
Genus: Saltuarius
Species (7):
S. cornutus – S. eximius – S. kateae – S. moritzi – S. salebrosus – S. swaini – S. wyberba
Name

Saltuarius Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1994
validation of Saltuarius Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993 [unavailable name]

References

Couper, P.J.; Covacevich, J.A.; Moritz, C. 1993: A review of the leaf-tailed geckos endemic to eastern Australia: a new genus, four new species, and other new data. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 34(1): 95–124.
Couper, P.J.; Covacevich, J.A.; Moritz, C. 1994: Designation of the type species of Saltuarius, and other data on the genus. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 35(1): 26.
Couper, P.J.; Sadlier, R.A.; Shea, G.M.; Wilmer, J.W. 2008: A reassessment of Saltuarius swaini (Lacertilia: Diplodactylidae) in southeastern Queensland and New South Wales; two new taxa, phylogeny, biogeography and conservation. Records of the Australian Museum, 60: 87–118. DOI: 10.3853/j.0067-1975.60.2008.1492
Couper, P.J.; Schneider, C.J.; Covacevich, J.A. 1997: A new species of Saltuarius (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) from granite-based, open forests of eastern Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 42(1): 91–96.
Couper, P.J.; Schneider, C.J.; Hoskin, C.J.; Covacevich, J.A. 2000: Australian leaf-tailed geckos: phylogeny, a new genus, two new species and other new data. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 45(2): 253–265. PDF
Han, D.; Zhou, K.; Bauer, A.M. 2004: Phylogenetic relationships among gekkotan lizards inferred from C-mos nuclear DNA sequences and a new classification of the Gekkota. Biological journal of the Linnean Society, 83(3): 353–368. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00393.x
Hoskin, C.J.; Couper, P. 2013: A spectacular new leaf-tailed gecko (Carphodactylidae: Saltuarius) from the Melville Range, north-east Australia. Zootaxa 3717(4): 543–558. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.6 Reference page.

Saltuarius is a genus of larger Australian geckos, known collectively as leaf-tailed geckos. The genus was created in 1993 to accommodate some former members of the genus Phyllurus. These geckos appear very similar to the Uroplatus geckos native to Madagascar. However, this is a convergent evolution.

The genus name is derived from the Latin word saltuarius, meaning "keeper of the forest".[2]

Habitat and distribution

The species in the genus Saltuarius inhabit Australia's eastern coastal region, a vegetation composed of rainforests and dry Eucalyptus forests. Saltuarius cornutus and Saltuarius swaini are arboreal geckos, the remaining species live on rocky outcrops. They all need a high level of relative air humidity. The species from southern regions must hibernate for several months at temperatures varying between 8 °C (46 °F) and 15 °C (59 °F).
Reproduction

These species invariably lay soft-shelled eggs which are buried in humid substrates.
Species

The following seven species are recognized as being valid.[3]

Saltuarius cornutus (Ogilby, 1892) – northern leaf-tailed gecko
Saltuarius eximius Hoskin & Couper, 2013 – Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko
Saltuarius kateae Couper et al., 2008 – Kate's leaf-tailed gecko
Saltuarius moritzi Couper et al., 2008 – Moritz's leaf-tailed gecko
Saltuarius salebrosus (Covacevich, 1975) – rough-throated leaf-tailed gecko
Saltuarius swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985) – southern leaf-tailed gecko
Saltuarius wyberba Couper, Schneider & Covacevich, 1997 – granite leaf-tailed gecko

The former Saltuarius occultus Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993, the long-necked northern leaf-tailed gecko, is now Orraya occultus.

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Saltuarius.
References

Couper PJ, Covacevich JA, Moritz C. 1993. A review of the leaf-tailed geckos endemic to eastern Australia: a new genus, four new species, and other new data. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34 (1): 95-124. (Saltuarius, new genus, p. 97).
Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko, Australian Reptile Online Database, 2013.
"Saltuarius ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.