Ring-tailed Gecko
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Cyrtodactylus louisiadensis or the Ring-tailed Gecko
The ring-tailed gecko is one of Australia's largest gecko species, growing up to 34 cm long, half of which is tail. They are attractively marked animals with broad purplish-brown bands on their pale bodies. Their habitat includes the rainforest and rocky areas of north-eastern Queensland, to the caves and rock fissures in the drier western parts of the Atherton Tableland. As with all gecko species, the ringtailed gecko is an egg layer, depositing 2 eggs at a time.
A remarkably agile gecko, it is very adept at leaping from boulder to boulder when being pursued, or when pursuing its prey. Ring-tailed geckos eat virtually any small invertebrates they can fit in their mouths, and will even prey on other small species of lizard. As with all geckoes, the ring-tailed gecko don't have eyelids. Instead, they have a transparent scale that covers their eye. They can use their long, flexible tongues to lick this scale clean. This scale, called a 'spectacle', is shed when the animal shed its skin.
Did you know...
- The ring-tailed gecko is one of Australia's largest gecko species, growing up to 34 cm long.
- They live in the rainforest and rocky areas of north-eastern Queensland, and the caves and rock fissures in the drier western parts of the Atherton Tableland.
- A remarkably agile gecko, it is very adept at leaping from boulder to boulder when being pursued, or when pursuing its prey, which can sometimes be small lizards.
- As with all geckoes, these lizards don't have eyelids. Instead, they have a transparent scale that covers their eye. They can use their long, flexible tongues to lick this scale clean.
Where in Australia Ring-tailed Geckos can be found:
