One of the 6 geckos on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Eublepharidae
Fat-tail Gecko
Hemitheconyx caudicinctus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The African fat-tailed gecko is a ground-dwelling gecko of West Africa, brown with pale bands and a bulbous tail in which it stores fat. Like the Asian leopard gecko, it has movable eyelids and lacks adhesive lamellae. It is one of the most popular reptiles in the terrarium trade and, in the wild, traditional beliefs are attached to it in several cultures of the region.
Weight
39 g on average
Size
18 cm – 25 cm
Lifespan
20 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- GeneralIt stores fat in its tail and, like the leopard gecko, has movable eyelids.
- Its tail is a larder: it stores enough fat to survive weeks without eating, and if it loses it to a predator it grows back a shorter one of a different shape, losing all its reserves with it.
- Like the leopard gecko, it has movable eyelids and can blink, something most geckos cannot do because their eye is covered by a transparent scale.
- It is a heavily traded terrarium species, and a good share of the individuals circulating in Europe and North America still come from animals caught in the wild in Togo, Ghana and Benin.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Dry savannah and scrub with termite mounds
- Sexual maturity
- 12 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 55 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 2 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemitheconyx_caudicinctus
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 13 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Fat-tail Gecko — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Ball Python
Python regius
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Black-necked Spitting Cobra
Naja nigricollis
Rhombic Egg Eater
Dasypeltis scabra
Northern Giant Pouched Rat
Cricetomys gambianus
Savanna Monitor
Varanus exanthematicus
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