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 when they hunt for insects and spiders. 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, usu. less than 70 cm, and so should never be mistaken for the much larger, poisonous Gila Monster -- Heloderma suspectum.