Slender Prehensile-Tailed Geckos (Rhacodactylus Sarasinorum?Roux, 1913)

瘦型卷尾守宮（薩拉辛守宮，盧克斯，1913年）

In?herpetological literature this species is called Roux’s giant gecko, but in the reptile hobby it is usually referred to as just “sarasinorum” or “saras”. It is the least Rhacodactylus-like of the genus, lacking fleshy fringes, folds, and webbing between the digits.

在爬蟲學文獻的記載中，該物種被稱為“盧克斯的巨人守宮（Roux's giant gecko）”， 但在爬寵愛好圈中通常被稱為“薩拉辛（sarasinorum）”或“薩拉（saras）”。作為最不像R屬守宮的物種，瘦型卷尾守宮的腳趾之間沒有肉質(zhì)邊緣、褶皺和蹼。

This once considered rare species was “rediscovered” in 1983 (Bohme and Henkel 1985). It has the most limited distribution of any Rhacodactylus?with the exception of the lesser rough-snouted gecko. Fortunately, like R. chahoua, it is now propagated in small numbers by dedicated hobbyists.

1983年，人們再度發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種一度被認定為稀有物種的守宮（Bohme & Henkel, 1985）。瘦型卷尾守宮的分布極為有限，僅次于粗鱗巨人守宮。幸運的是，薩拉辛守宮和魔物守宮一樣，目前正在爬寵愛好圈少量擴散。

Distribution: The slender prehensile-tailed gecko is found only in tropical forests and bordering scrublands of Southern Grande Terre.

分布：瘦型卷尾守宮僅發(fā)現(xiàn)于熱帶森林和格朗德特爾島南部灌木叢的邊緣。

Habits: R. sarasinorum is primarily a nocturnal and arboreal species. Frank Fast has sighted specimens high up in trees, at heights that would have required climbing equipment. Nothing is known of where these geckos seek shelter during the day. In captivity, some individuals will burrow in litter.

習性：薩拉辛守宮是一種樹棲夜行動物。弗蘭克·法斯特在樹的高處發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些薩拉辛守宮，它們所處的高度需要使用攀爬設(shè)備才能夠到。這些守宮白天會在哪里尋找躲避，我們并不知道。不過，有些人工飼養(yǎng)的薩拉辛守宮會在垃圾中刨挖躲避穴。

Size: this species can grow up to 5 inches SVL and 10.5 inches total length. In our colonies, large five-year-old adults weigh 60-65 grams. Hatchlings measure 3.2 to 4 inches total length.

體型：薩拉辛守宮的肛吻距可長至5英寸，總身長可達10.5英寸。在我們的飼養(yǎng)群中，體型較大的5歲成體的體重為60-65克。新孵幼體的總身長為3.2至4英寸。

Sexing: R. sarasinorum cannot be sexed until they are 3-3.5 inches SVL. At that time, males will show the first signs of a bulbous hemipenile bulge and enlarged cloacal spurs.

雌雄鑒別：薩拉辛守宮在肛吻距達到3-3.5英寸前無法鑒別雌雄，但那時候雄性會顯現(xiàn)出球狀半陰莖囊和大泄殖腔的初步跡象。

MORPHS

品系

Bauer?and?Sadlier (2001) mention that R. sarasinorum, based on genetic analysis, may include two genetically distinctive but morphologically similar species (also see Good, Bauer, and Sadlier 1997). Closer examination of these species may allow us to identify some external distinguishing characteristics.

In the hobbyist trade three broad pattern morphs can be arbitrarily grouped as follows:

鮑爾和塞德利爾（2001）提到，基于遺傳分析，薩拉辛守宮可能包括兩個基因獨特但形態(tài)相似的物種（古德，鮑爾，塞德利爾 1997）。深入研究這些物種可幫助我們鑒別它們的一些外部特征。在爬寵愛好圈內(nèi)，薩拉辛守宮的花紋品系可分為以下三大類：

Patternless

無紋品系

This?morph has a mostly uniform coloration ranging from a brown gold to a dark chocolate brown. A V-shaped pattern of a darker shade than the ground color is usually present starting at the level of the shoulders and running along the sides of the head to the sides of the eyes.

該品系的色彩為大體一致的咖啡金或深巧克力褐色。其V型花紋比底色更深，從肩部開始，沿著頭部兩側(cè)一直延申至眼睛兩側(cè)。

Mottled

斑影品系

This morph has a marbled pattern consisting of two shades of color, usually shades of brown but also of a mustard gold color with high contrast brown. This morph is variable and can display varying degrees of mottling. A dark V-shaped pattern running from shoulder to the sides of the eyes is usually present.

該品系擁有大理石花紋，由兩種色調(diào)不同的顏色組成，通常為褐色，還有芥末金和高對比度的褐色。該品系可發(fā)生變異，也可展示出深淺不一的斑影。肩膀至眼睛兩側(cè)通常會呈深色V型圖案。

White-spotted

白斑品系

Adults display white spots on the body and/or tail, which may or may not include a white V-shaped pattern running from the ‘shoulders’ to the sides of the head and ending at the sides of the eyes. The white head pattern is reminiscent of that of Gekko vittatus. White tail-blotches when present tend to be large, of the same width as the tail, and run the entire length of the tail. Babies of the white-spotted morphs are born with the white-spotted pattern. It is also possible for a specimen to only have white tail-spots, without additional white markings on the head or dorsal area.

成體的身體和/或尾巴上有白色斑點，可能包括從“肩膀”到頭部兩側(cè)和眼睛兩側(cè)的白色V形花紋，也可能不包括。頭部的白色花紋能讓人聯(lián)想到白紋守宮（Gekko vittatus）。尾部的白斑往往較大，與尾巴的寬度相同，貫穿全尾。白斑品系的幼體出生時就帶有白斑，但有的個體可能只有尾部有白斑，頭部或背部沒有白斑。

It is worth noting that in Allen Repashy’s sizable colony, currently consisting of patternless and mottled individuals, no white-spotted animals have ever been produced. Babies of the ‘patternless’ and ‘mottled’ morphs are a uniform brown color. Babies of the ‘white-spotted’ morph hatch out with white spots. Preliminary observations suggest that the white-spotted trait may be recessive. However, in the heterozygous condition, juveniles may initially have white spots that gradually fade as they mature.

值得注意的是，艾倫瑞帕西的較大飼養(yǎng)群目前由無紋和斑影品系的個體組成，尚未培育出白斑品系。無紋和斑影品系的幼體均呈褐色。白斑品系的幼體自孵化之初便擁有白色斑點。初步觀察表明，白斑形狀可能為隱性。但在雜合條件下，幼體的白斑可能隨成熟而逐漸消失。

Husbandry: This species can be housed and maintained like R. ciliatus?and R. chahoua. Large branches that can serve as climbing areas are recommended as well as a natural soil-type substrate. Unlike most Rhacodactylus, R. sarasinorum will readily burrow in substrate when provided. Aggression has been observed to be very limited in communal situations, but it is always recommended to separate adult males of all Rhacodactylus. A breeding group of one male and up to three females is recommended. If more than three females are kept together, fighting will usually occur unless these animals are provided with large enclosures.

飼養(yǎng)：薩拉辛守宮的飼養(yǎng)方式與睫角守宮和魔物守宮類似。飼養(yǎng)箱內(nèi)推薦使用攀爬用大樹枝和自然的土壤墊材。與大多數(shù)R屬守宮不同，薩拉辛守宮會在墊材上鉆洞。據(jù)觀察，在群居環(huán)境中，薩拉辛守宮的攻擊是非常有限的。但我們一般建議，R屬守宮的雄性成體應(yīng)分開飼養(yǎng)。一個繁殖群最好由一只雄性和最多三只雌性組成。如果雌性超過三只，除非飼養(yǎng)箱足夠大，否則會相互攻擊。

R. sarasinorum?are the most nervous and flight prone of the “fabfour” smaller Rhacodactylus?(ciliatus, auriculatus, chahoua, and sarasinorum). With the exception of R. trachyrhynchus, they are both quicker, and less deliberate in their movements than other Rhacodactylus.

在體型較小的R屬守宮中，薩拉辛守宮是最容易緊張，也是最容易逃跑的物種。與粗吻巨人守宮不同的是，薩拉辛守宮比其他R屬守宮身手更敏捷，也不像其他R屬守宮那樣“三思而后行”。

Rhacodactylus sarasinorum rarely autotomize their tails. In fact, the only cases of tail loss observed by the authors have been the result of cage door accidents involving overzealous keepers, or attacks from mistakenly introducing them into a cage with R. auriculatus. If the tail is autotomized, this species readily regenerate a new one.

薩拉辛守宮鮮少自割尾巴。事實上，據(jù)本書作者們的觀察，僅有的斷尾案例是由飼養(yǎng)箱的門出故障造成的。造成該事故的原因包括飼養(yǎng)員過于熱心，誤將薩拉辛守宮放入蓋勾亞守宮的飼養(yǎng)箱。薩拉辛守宮自割后很容易長出再生尾。

In our collections, we often raise juveniles of ciliatus, chahoua, and sarasinorum?in the same enclosures with no problems at all. We have found that it is more important when raising these species, to sort individuals by size rather than species. On many occasions, when pressed for space, we have also found that with these three species, it is possible to house a single male of one species with a breeding group of another, as long as the animals are in the same general size range. For example, a cage with a breeding group of 1.3?R. ciliatus, could also house a similarly sized single male R. chahoua, with little or no observed aggression. This method allows one to keep extra males of these species without necessarily resorting to extra cages. Of course, it is important to have an enclosure large enough to accommodate the total number of specimens. It is not recommended to raise young gargoyle geckos with other Rhacodactylus because of their propensity for eating tails.

我們經(jīng)常把睫角守宮、魔物守宮和薩拉辛守宮的幼體放在同一個飼養(yǎng)箱中混養(yǎng)，沒有任何問題。飼養(yǎng)這些物種時，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，依據(jù)體型分類比依據(jù)物種分類更重要。很多時候我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果飼養(yǎng)空間過于擁擠，只要這些守宮體型大體相同，可以把一個物種的一只雄性和另一個物種的繁殖群同箱飼養(yǎng)。例如，一只雌雄比為1:3的睫角守宮飼養(yǎng)箱內(nèi)還可以飼養(yǎng)一只體型相近的雄性魔物守宮，而很少甚至不會發(fā)生攻擊。這種飼養(yǎng)方法使人們不需要額外添加飼養(yǎng)箱，就能飼養(yǎng)更多的雄性薩拉辛守宮。當然，飼養(yǎng)箱應(yīng)足夠大，才能容納所有的守宮。由于年幼的蓋勾亞守宮有吃尾巴的習性，所以不建議將它們與其他R屬守宮混養(yǎng)。

Diet: We successfully maintain R. sarasinorum?on the same dietary regime as the other smaller Rhacodactylus.

飲食：薩拉辛守宮可采取與其他體型較小的R屬守宮相同的飲食方案。這方面，我們已有成功案例。

Breeding:?In this species, sexual maturity can be reached in as little as a year, but like R. chahoua?and R. auriculatus, it is recommended to keep males separate from mature females until the latter are 16-18 months of age. They can be bred either in pairs or in small harems of 1.2 or 1.3 male to females. Breeding animals at a young age, though it may be tempting for the hobbyist hoping to quickly recoup his or her investment, is not recommended and can lead to health problems or the death of young females. Fertile eggs are buried in moist substrate just as with R. ciliatus. The eggs are incubated like those of other Rhacodactylus?and the incubation time is typically 80-90 days at a temperature of 78-80℉.

繁殖：薩拉辛守宮最短只需一年就能達到性成熟，但就像魔物守宮和蓋勾亞守宮一樣，我們建議在成熟雌性達到16-18 個月大之前，雌雄最好分開飼養(yǎng)。雌雄可以組成繁殖對，也可以一只雄性與兩三只雌性配對。盡管飼養(yǎng)幼齡守宮對于那些希望迅速收回投資的愛好者來說很有吸引力，但我們并不推薦這樣做，因為這會引發(fā)健康問題，甚至導致年輕雌性死亡。和睫角守宮一樣，受精的守宮蛋會埋在潮濕的基質(zhì)中，孵化方式與其他R屬守宮相似，孵化溫度為78-80℉，孵化時間一般為80-90天。

The slender prehensile-tailed gecko is the most inconsistent breeder of the four smaller-sized Rhacodactylus. Although some individuals of this species have shown the ability to produce up to 6 clutches a year, others can go through several breeding seasons without producing a single egg. This hit-or-miss situation keeps the average egg production per season of a large colony at a level near that of chahoua, about three clutches a year.

在體型偏小的四種R屬守宮中，瘦型卷尾守宮的繁殖情況最不穩(wěn)定。盡管有些個體每年最多能產(chǎn)６窩蛋，但其他一些個體即使經(jīng)歷幾個繁殖季也不會產(chǎn)下一枚蛋。這種隨機性使一個大型繁殖群每個繁殖季的平均產(chǎn)蛋量維持在與魔物守宮相近的水平，每年約產(chǎn)３窩蛋。

This limited fecundity, combined with the relatively small number of specimens in captivity, contributes to making R. sarasinorum?a rarity in collections. The fact that it is not a “slam dunk” to reproduce in captivity will always keep demand and price out of the reach of all but the more hardcore hobbyists.

薩拉辛守宮繁殖力有限，而且人工飼養(yǎng)的個體數(shù)量相對較少，實屬小眾的飼養(yǎng)物種。人工繁殖絕非輕而易舉之事，基于這一事實，人工繁殖的需求和價格將永遠超出大眾的能力范圍，只有那些較鐵桿的爬寵愛好者才能消費得起。

Handling: As mentioned earlier, this species is the most flight-prone of the genus along with the lesser rough-snouted gecko. Some keepers have indicated that regular short periods of handling can help this species settle down and make it more enjoyable as a pet.

上手把玩：如前所述，薩拉辛守宮和粗鱗巨人守宮都是容易逃遁的物種。有些飼養(yǎng)員表示，短期有規(guī)律的上手把玩有助于安撫薩拉辛守宮的情緒，使它成為更令人愉快的寵物。

Disease: Like other Rhacodactylus, the slender prehensile-tailed gecko is susceptible to calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease. Mild calcium deficiency is manifested by kinking of the tail, which can result in a permanent deformity unless the tail is autotomized and regenerated.

疾病：和其他R屬守宮一樣，瘦型卷尾守宮也容易患上缺鈣癥和代謝性骨病。輕微缺鈣表現(xiàn)為尾巴彎曲，除非自割或長出再生尾，否則曲尾會導致永久畸形。

A small percentage of captive-produced animals develop bulging ‘glassy eyes’, apparently the result of fluid build up behind the cornea. Whether the causes are genetic or linked to disease is not known at this time.

一小部分人工繁殖的薩拉辛守宮會長出凸起的“玻璃眼”，這明顯是角膜后方積液的結(jié)果。目前尚不清楚病因是遺傳性還是與其他疾病相關(guān)。