With their eye-licking habit, 'talkative' nature and amazingly adhesive toe pads, geckos are a pretty cool group of lizards by anyone's standards. They're also an incredibly diverse one, with about 1,500 different species worldwide. And, you've gotta give it to them, they're pretty darn good looking – this list is proof enough.
Lined leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus lineatus).
A resident of Madagascar's rapidly vanishing forests, the leaf-tailed gecko is considered a relatively numerous species for now (the IUCN lists it as 'Least Concern'). But with the growing threat of deforestation and other human impacts (along with illegal collecting for the pet trade) that could soon change.
Namib sand gecko (Pachydactylus rangei).
Darting across the sand dunes of the Namib in search of termites and beetles, Pachydactylus rangei is perfectly adapted to its desert lifestyle, with webbed toes for easy burrowing and running on loose sand. Their almost translucent, pink-tinged skin offers the perfect camouflage (and the reptiles can also absorb precious moisture directly through it).
Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis.
Back on the island of Madagascar, the giant day gecko (which grows up to 30cm in length) is known for its bright colouration and distinctive red markings. A tree-loving species, the geckos are also frequent house guests (human dwellings make excellent magnets for tasty insects). These large lizards will also happily snack on larger prey, including crabs and scorpions.
Leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius).
It's naturally found in the deserts of Asia and throughout Pakistan, but those striking patterns have made Eublepharis macularius everyone's favourite pet gecko around the world. Happily, most leopard geckos sold today are captive bred and not harvested from the wild. The species also boasts a nifty little something many other geckos lack: movable eyelids (though it's lost out on the sticky feet).
Giant leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus).
Disturb a giant leaf-tailed gecko's peaceful slumbers and it'll raise up its head and throw its mouth wide open in displeasure (it goes a little something like this). The largest in its group, the species is named for its distinctive fringed skin (fimbriatus is Latin for fringed). Once again, habitat destruction on its island home of Madagascar is a major threat to the species.
Turquoise dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi).
The critically endangered turquoise dwarf gecko's story is a sad case of being just too pretty for your own good. Its incredible colouration has made it such a desirable pet-trade species that this is now considered one of the top threats to its survival. In the wild, it survives in an ever-shrinking forest habitat in Tanzania, where logging is a major hazard.
House gecko, Hemidactylus spp.
A common sort of house gecko it may be, but it's still a pretty beautiful one. The reptiles are widespread and amazingly adaptable, and known for their ability to coexist with humans.
Gargoyle gecko (Rhacodactylus auriculatus)
Named after the horn-like bumps on its head, the gargoyle gecko is at home on the Pacific island of New Caledonia and its surrounding islands. The geckos are considered pretty common (they're listed as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN), but habitat destruction (particularly from the mining industry) is considered a treat.
Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko).
Armed with a pretty potent bite, which they use to crack open cockroach shells, Tokay geckos definitely don't make ideal pets. Despite this, illegal trade is responsible for a decline in Tokay gecko numbers (especially in the Philippines where the trade runs almost unchecked). Alleged medicinal value adds to its woes, and foreign nationals are believed to pay thousands of dollars for large specimens.
Satanic leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus).
Indigenous to Madagascar, the Satanic leaf-tailed gecko is a camouflage master with an ominous name to boot. Aside from their incredible mimicry, these geckos have a few other tricks to help throw off predators, like flattening their bodies against a tree to diminish their shadow or flashing a bright red mouth to frighten off potential threats.
Natural World
Natural World
Art and Design
