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Student Wins Honors In Gecko Contest

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 21, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - While many sixth graders may have video games or Little League or other activities on their minds, it is not likely that many engage in coming up with a scientific name for a new species of gecko.

But for Daniel Carr, who lives on Twelve Oaks Boulevard in Town 'N Country, his talent as gecko-namer recently brought him honors.

Daniel was chosen as the sixth grade individual winner for Project Gecko, a nationwide contest asking students to name a recently discovered species of gecko on the island of New Caledonia.

Though the name ultimately declared national winner - and the one that will be attached to the gecko - was submitted by a fourth-grader in Oaklyn, N.J., an award presentation party was held for Daniel for being the sixth-grade winner in the contest. The party was held with friends and family at the Westshore Petco store, and included presentation of a plaque. He also received two Leopard geckos, two Zilla Desert Leopard Reptile Kits, two tickets to the North American Reptile Breeders Conference & Tradeshow, a set of reptile reference books and a subscription to Reptiles magazine. A representative of Zilla, the company sponsoring the contest, was also on hand. Zilla makes aquarium and terrarium equipment.

The contest was open to fourth, fifth and sixth graders nationwide. Contestants were asked to create a viable species name, using the accepted scientific naming system, for the species of gecko recently discovered by Aaron Bauer, a professor of biology at Villanova University. The winning name, by Gemma Farquhar, was Bavayia periclitata. Bavayia is the genus name. For the species name, Gemma picked periclitata, which means "endangered" in Latin.

The name Daniel entered in the contest is Bavayia abscondita. He explained that the Latin word abscondita means hidden or secret.

"I think the new gecko species Bavayia abscondita not only accurately describes this gecko's behavior (hiding under rocks during the day), but also gives a clue as to why it was only recently discovered," Daniel wrote in his contest entry.

Staff report

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