THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Squamata (part-other lizards)    Eublepharidae  

Texas Banded Gecko
Coleonyx brevis Stejneger, 1893
COH-lee-oh-nicks — BREV-iss

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 There are no current SSAR comments for this taxon.

(,   Museum Voucher) (,   Observation) (,   Literature Record), (,   Citizen Science), (  Fossil)
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Occurrences:; 3,162 Total; 2,454 Museum; 708 Other
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Province/State Distribution:
United States: New Mexico Texas

Taxonomic Etymology:
Named for its short stature.
Coleonyx — From Greek koleos (κολεός), “sheath,” and onyx (ὄνυξ), “claw.” The name means “sheathed claw,” likely referring to the gecko’s retractile or sheathed claw structure.
brevis — From Latin brevis, meaning “short” or “small.” Refers to the gecko’s small size and short limbs compared to relatives.

First instance(s) of published English names:
Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis: Strecker, John K., Jr. 1922. An annotated catalogue of the amphibians and reptiles of Bexar County, Texas. Bulletin Scientific Society of San Antonio (4):1-31); Texas Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus brevis: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1893 Stejneger, Leonhard H. Annotated list of the reptiles and batrachians collected by the Death Valley Expedition in 1891, with descriptions of new species. North American Fauna 7:159–228
1933 Smith, Hobart M. On the relationships of the lizards Coleonyx brevis and Coleonyx variegatus. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 36:301-314
1962 Kluge, Arnold G. Comparative osteology of the Eublepharid lizard genus Coleonyx Gray. Journal of Morphology 110:299-332
1970 Dixon, James R. Coleonyx brevis.. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (88):1-2
1970 Dixon, James R. Coleonyx.. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (95):1-2
1975 Kluge, Arnold G. Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary trends in the Eublepharine lizard genus Coleonyx. Copeia 1975(1):24-35
1983 Grismer, L. Lee. A reevaluation of the North American gekkonid genus Anarbylus Murphy and its cladistic relationships to Coleonyx Gray. Herpetologica 39(4):394-399

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Monday 27 July 2026 16:52 CT