African fat-tailed gecko
Encyclopedia
Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, commonly known as the African Fat-tailed Gecko, is a nocturnal, ground-dwelling gecko
.
The Fat-tailed gecko is from the subfamily Eublepharinae
. Members of this subfamily include the leopard gecko
of Iran
. This subfamily has clearly different characteristics from other geckos. They are terrestrial
, nocturnal, have moveable eyelids, have vertical pupils, and no adhesive lamellae
(sticky feet).
The Fat-tailed gecko is found in West Africa
, from Senegal
to Cameroon
. Their habitat
is dry and arid, although they will spend most of their time in a dark, humid hiding place. In captivity, it is important to provide these geckos with a source of humidity that mimics these conditions.
The Fat-tailed gecko will grow to be 6 to 10 inches. Females being 6 to 8 inches, and males being 8 to 10 inches. They will live 15 to 18 years. The normal colouring is brown and tan stripes, with a possible thin white stripe along the length of the back. The under belly is pale pink or off-white.
The Fat-tailed gecko is equipped with the natural defense of being able to lose their tails when attacked by a predator. The tail is also where they store their fat, an important energy reserve. If the tail is lost the new tail will look more similar to the head (fat and stubby), and may not match the coloration patterns of the body of the gecko. With its tail, an African fat tailed gecko can go days on end without food.
The Fat-tailed Gecko is medium-sized among geckos. It comes from the Sahara desert
. Unlike the Leopard Gecko these geckos tend to be more docile but do have a higher humidity requirement. Through selective breeding the reptile trade has been able to produce numerous color variations of the African fat-tailed gecko including tangerine, albino, patternless, white out, and aberrant fat-tails.
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
.
The Fat-tailed gecko is from the subfamily Eublepharinae
Eublepharinae
Eublepharinae is one of five subfamilies of the Gekkonidae, or geckos. Eublepharinae has 27 species in five genera. Also called eyelid geckos, the Eublepharines have more primitive features than other geckos. In particular, their feet lack the modifications that allow most other geckos to climb...
. Members of this subfamily include the leopard gecko
Leopard gecko
The leopard gecko is a nocturnal ground-dwelling lizard naturally found in the deserts of southern Central Asia, and throughout Pakistan, to the northwestern parts of India. Unlike most geckos, leopard geckos possess movable eyelids...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. This subfamily has clearly different characteristics from other geckos. They are terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
, nocturnal, have moveable eyelids, have vertical pupils, and no adhesive lamellae
Lamellae (zoology)
thumb|Lamellae on a gecko's foot.A lamella is a thin plate-like structure, often one amongst many lamellae very close to one another, with open space between...
(sticky feet).
The Fat-tailed gecko is found in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, from Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
to Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. Their habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is dry and arid, although they will spend most of their time in a dark, humid hiding place. In captivity, it is important to provide these geckos with a source of humidity that mimics these conditions.
The Fat-tailed gecko will grow to be 6 to 10 inches. Females being 6 to 8 inches, and males being 8 to 10 inches. They will live 15 to 18 years. The normal colouring is brown and tan stripes, with a possible thin white stripe along the length of the back. The under belly is pale pink or off-white.
The Fat-tailed gecko is equipped with the natural defense of being able to lose their tails when attacked by a predator. The tail is also where they store their fat, an important energy reserve. If the tail is lost the new tail will look more similar to the head (fat and stubby), and may not match the coloration patterns of the body of the gecko. With its tail, an African fat tailed gecko can go days on end without food.
The Fat-tailed Gecko is medium-sized among geckos. It comes from the Sahara desert
African fat-tailed geckos as pets
In the pet trade the African fat-tailed gecko has gained some popularity though is still not as popular of a pet lizard as the closely related Leopard GeckoLeopard gecko
The leopard gecko is a nocturnal ground-dwelling lizard naturally found in the deserts of southern Central Asia, and throughout Pakistan, to the northwestern parts of India. Unlike most geckos, leopard geckos possess movable eyelids...
. Unlike the Leopard Gecko these geckos tend to be more docile but do have a higher humidity requirement. Through selective breeding the reptile trade has been able to produce numerous color variations of the African fat-tailed gecko including tangerine, albino, patternless, white out, and aberrant fat-tails.