Nature Notes - Smooth Knob-tailed Gecko

Features

The Smooth Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus levis) has huge dark eyes, loose skin and a broad paddle shape tail. It is pale pinkinsh to dark purplish-brown in colour with light coloured bars and spots. The tail ends in a small knob.

Adaptations

A large head means a large jaw which can catch and eat fairly decent sized invertebrates. Invertebrates are full of water so this gecko can get most of it's water requirements from it's prey.

Habitat

Smooth Knob-tailed Geckos are found in desert woodlands and sand country.

Range

Throughout the Australian deserts.

Wild Status

Secure

Diet

Smooth Kno-tailed geckos forages for invertebrates in open ground from dusk. They also eat smaller species of gecko.

Predators

Owls and snakes prey on geckos.

Home

Unlike most geckos the Smooth Knob-tail is a ground dweller, they live in burrows.

Life Span

Up to 10 years

Size

8-10cm, males are slightly smaller than females

Extra Fun Facts

Geckos are the night shift lizards.

Compare with the Western Banded Gecko of the Sonoran Desert.