Hi Joe,
Good to see you are out there!
I will look through my books, but I think a standard photo would do
for such a severe mix up.
I can scan you a field guide or what ever else I find tomorrow.
Lyle
Lyle Puente
My Brothers Banned
http://www.MyBrothersBanned.com
http://www.myspace.com/MyBrothersBanned
On Oct 1, 2009, at 5:00 PM, Joseph Loucek wrote:
Hhhhhheeeelllllloooooooo!
Where is everybody? No chatter at all.
I am looking for a taxonomic (dichotomous or otherwise) key to
differentiate between Phelsuma m. grandis and P. standingi.
Here's why:
My graduate advisor is doing toepad research (and salamander
population studies - that's my thesis topic). He received a shipment
of Phelsuma back in the Spring. I just recently went over to see the
animals, and instantly recognized that the animal dealer sent him a
P.m. grandis and a P.m. ? (maybe kochi, probably grandis) when he
paid for standingi.
Before he contacts the vendor, he wants to make sure that there isn't
a chance of the two animals in question being standingi. There is no
doubt in my mind that they are not standingi, but I can only
intuitively tell him the differences, and that is based primarily on
appearance. He and I both recognize that there must be some key
morphological differences between grandis and standingi - I just
don't know them. All my books are buried in a box in my basement
during a VERY LONG TERM (too long, if you ask my wife) remodel.
So again, the question is, does anyone have a key that will allows us
to positively identify these two animals by morphology (scale counts,
toe pad differences, etc.)?
thanks
Joe
