Eublepharis macularius

Family

• Gekkonidae

Lifespan

• Average captive lifespan: 20 - 22 years
• Average wild lifespan: 10 - 15 years

Size

• Average adult length : 8 - 10 inches

Range

• Afghanistan
• Iraq
• Iran
• Northwest India
• Pakistan 

Habitat

• Arid rocky areas
• Semi-dry deserts
• Arid grasslands

Diet

• Carnivore
• In the wild:scorpions, centipedes, spiders and beetles
• At the zoo:crickets and wax worms

Reproduction

• Oviparous (lays eggs)
• Clutch size averages 2 eggs; a healthy female can lay as many as six clutches a year
• Eggs usually hatch after 45-53 days
• Sexually mature at 10-14 months of age
• Eggs development is visible inside the female
• Young have a black-banded pattern which turns to spots around one month old
  

Description:

• Males are usually bulkier than females
• Background colors can vary: orange, tangerine, yellow, blue, aqua, purple, or patternless (no spots)
• They have movable eyelids (unusual for geckos)
• Unlike many other geckos they do not have adhesive toe pads
  
• Have small claws on feet

Conservation:

• Very popular amongst the pet trade, most are now captive born.

Interesting Facts:

• Gecko is a term derived from the call of a large Asian species of gecko
• In some places of the world they are referred to as "chit-chat" lizards because of their vocalizations
• Most of the captive born individuals have Pakistani ancestry
• This species eats its shed skin to prevent predators from knowing its location and to derive additional nutrients
  
• The thick tail is used to store fat for drought periods
  
• The Leopard Gecko is nocturnal and takes shelter under rocks or other cover during the day
• This species can hibernate in the winter and aestivate in the hottest months of the summer
• This species practices autotomy - it can drop its tail when threatened!  This is a common practice in lizards

Sources

1.    Burnie, David and Don E. Wilson. Smithsonian Institution Animal: the definitive visual guide to the world’s wildlife. New York, New York. DK Publishing, Inc. 2001.
2.    Woods, V. 2001. “Eublepharus macularius” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 04, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umish.edu/site/accounts/information/Eublepharis_Macularius.html