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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
leopard gecko, panther gecko |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Reptilia |
| ORDER: |
Squamata |
| FAMILY: |
Gekkonidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Eublepharis (well-made eyelid) macularius
(spotted) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Light
lavender lizard with dark purple spots; eyes are
prominent in all species; toe pads are not sticky,
instead they have claws |
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| SIZE: |
17.5-25 cm (7-10 in.) in total body length |
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| DIET: |
Insects,
including scorpions, but will also eat other lizards |
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| INCUBATION: |
52 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
2
eggs |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
18 months |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up
to 20 years |
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| RANGE: |
Southern
Asia, in India, Pakistan, southeast Afghanistan,
Iran, and Iraq |
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| HABITAT: |
Rocky
deserts and sparse grasslands; mountains up to altitudes
of 2,100 m above sea level |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
No
data |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Nearly
all geckos have a voice, ranging from a small squeak
to the deafening whistles of the African whistling
gecko. |
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| 2. |
Many geckos lack eyelids, but the leopard gecko's
are not only has translucent, but they are movable,
which allows them to blink and close their eyes
while sleeping. |
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| 3. |
Like many lizards, the leopard gecko has a tail,
which breaks off readily when grabbed by a predator.
This permits the gecko to get away if attacked.
Unfortunately, it leaves a valuable food resource
behind; the tail is used as a fat storage for lean
periods. |
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| 4. |
They
are strictly nocturnal, keeping out of the heat
of the day, emerging at night from holes and crevices
to hunt for food. |
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| 5. |
Leopard
geckos' sex is determined by incubation temperature.
At 90° F, virtually all the babies are male;
near 80° F, most of the babies will be female.
An incubation temperature of 85° F will produce
about an equal number of males and females. |
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Leopard geckos are very popular in the pet trade
and sometimes are unfortunately released to the
wild in non-indigenous areas. The geckos are very
effective in maintaining insect populations and
are prey for other species. |
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|
|
Barlett, R.D. and Patricial P. Bartlett. Iguanas.
Barron's, New York. 1995. |
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Flank, Lenny Jr. Herp Help. New York: Howell
Book House, 1998. |
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Halliday, Tim R., and Adler, Kraig. The Encyclopedia
of Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Equinox
Books, 1986.
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| http://www.whozoo.org/students/marmar/leopgeck.htm |
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