Geckos and Pygopods: Gekkonidae - Physical Characteristics, Geographic Range, Habitat, Behavior And Reproduction, Geckos, Pygopods, And People - DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS
Nearly all geckos eat insects and spiders. A few larger species eat small snakes, small lizards, and baby birds. In some habitats, geckos also eat plant pollen and ripe fruit. Smaller pygopods are insect eaters, and larger ones eat snakes and lizards.
The conservation status of most species is unknown. Because of illegal pet trade collection, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists one brightly colored group of geckos as Endangered and internationally protected.
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Geckos range in size from 0.67 inch (17 millimeters) to 14 inches (35.6 centimeters) in length. The smallest gecko weighs about 0.07 ounce (1.98 grams). The largest gecko, which lives in rainforests, can weigh up to 1.5 pounds (680 grams). While most geckos are brown, gray, or black, a few are yellow, red, blue, orange, or green. They may be plain, or they may have stripes or spots. Colors on the …
Pygopods are found in Australia and New Guinea. Geckos are found in the tropics and subtropics, the warmer areas of the world. These areas include India, Nepal, Burma, the Malaysian peninsula, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Central America, and South America. Geckos and skinks are often the only land reptiles on remote islands in the ocean. A few gecko species have b…
Geckos live in a variety of habitats. Their preferred living areas include coniferous forests, with pine and other evergreen trees, and deciduous forests, where trees, such as maples, lose their leaves each year. They also live in rainforests, tropical forests that get at least 100 inches of rain per year; this type of forest has many very tall evergreen trees that form a thick umbrella of leaves …
Most geckos are nocturnal. During the day they typically hide under tree bark or in tree hollows. In the early evening they come out to feed and to look for mates. The diurnal species are most active in the late morning and middle of the afternoon. In tropical areas, which are warm throughout the year, geckos stay active all the time. In other areas, geckos enter burrows or rock cracks and remain …
Pygopods seldom have anything to do with people. Some gecko species live near human homes. They are valuable in insect control, eating mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches. In some areas of the world, deforestation, or the cutting down of trees, destroys their habitat. The killing of geckos by rats, cats, and other predators has led to declines in the numbers of geckos in some areas. In parts of Asi…
Physical characteristics: The western banded gecko, also known as the banded gecko, is 4.5–6 inches long (11–15 centimeters) from its head to the end of its tail. The skin on its back is made up of small, grainy scales. The skin is delicate, soft, and loose. The gecko's back and tail are cream colored, with wide black or brown stripes that run from side to side. The tail is lo…
Physical characteristics: The house gecko is grayish, pinkish, or pale brown with darker flecks. The color may vary, depending on the surrounding temperature. It also may vary depending on the surface on which the gecko is resting; this gecko can blend with its background, such as a tree branch or a leafy area. The body is flattened. This gecko grows to 2.6 inches (66 millimeters) in length, from …
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