Western Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus
Photo taken by Marc Borom near Tucson, Pima Co., Arizona. Notice the fat tail - where fat storage will allow this animal to survive a long period without food - a vital trait for desert-adapted animals.
These lizards are strictly nocturnal - they hunt for insects and spiders at night. They do not have villi on their feet so they cannot climb like the Mediterranean Gecko -- Hemidactylus turcicus. During the day they take refuge beneath rocks or dead saguaro cacti. Dead saguaros attract many insects and so this habitat is also a good food source. This lizard is small, usually less than 70 cm, and so should never be mistaken for the much larger and poisonous Gila Monster -- Heloderma suspectum.
Eublepharidae -- Geckos
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More Information:
- Sonoran Desert Museum
- Reptiles of Arizona
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search
This juvenile Western Banded Gecko was found beneath a rock in the Plomosa Mountains of western Arizona, La Paz Co. 01 March 2009.