Pachydactylus rangei

Namib Gecko ( Pachydactylus rangei )

The Namib Gecko ( Pachydactylus rangei ), also called Schwimmfußgecko comes exclusively in the Namib desert of the coast of the southern Atlantic Ocean to about 130 km inland before. He lives up to 300 meter high sand dunes.

Features

They are small animals that reach only 12 to 14 cm total length. The tail is 6 cm long. Head and trunk are flat, clearly separated the head from the torso. The skin has fine scales, appears velvety and translucent. Some internal organs are visible. Namib geckos have a light reddish brown back. Belly and flanks below the lateral fold are white to yellowish. The legs are thin and seem fragile. The spaces between the toes are equipped with a " webbed ", which extends to the toes. It allows the geckos to run through loose sand without sinking. In the male the tail is thickened.

Way of life

The animals are strictly nocturnal. They spend the day in burrows themselves, which are unbranched and 80 to 100 cm deep. Their preferred prey are arthropods of all kinds, from termites over black beetles to crickets and spiders. They lick on dewdrops and absorb moisture possibly also on the skin.

The mating season lasts from February to end of April. The eggs are buried by the female in the sand. The young geckos hatch after 54-70 days and are then about 4 cm long. You molt immediately and begin after 4 days to eat.