Northern Banded Knob-Tailed Gecko

ANIMAL:
Northern Banded Knob-Tailed Gecko Nephrurus cinctus

Type of Animal:
Gecko

Habitat:
Desert

Location(s):
Pilbara region of Western Australia

Appearance:
Broad dark bands, scaly animal, large eyes, reddish-orange clay color, rough textured scales/bands, carrot-shaped tail w/ small knob at end, male tail bulgier

Food/Diet:
Ants, cockroaches, spiders, crickets, scorpions, beetles, beetle larvae, locusts, caterpillars, smaller geckos, small skinks

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & herpetoculture

Lifestyle:
Solitary or breeding trios of a male & 2 females

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young: Hatchling
Group: Leap/Colony
 
Weight:
Male: 0.7 oz
Female: 0.85 oz

Gestation:
3-4 months 

Life Span:
10 years in wild, 15 years in captivity

Body Length:
Male: 3.45 in
Female: 3.68 in

Tail Length:
1.28-1.36 in, same for both sexes

Males highly territorial, sometimes fighting to the death.
 
These geckos like to dig, which is where sharp claws come in handy.
 
Active at night (nocturnal).
 
Each clutch only has 2 eggs but females lay up to 6-7 times a year. Females have been known to lay themselves to death.
 
Shed skin every 2-4 weeks.
 
Get name from knob at end of tail.
 
Often seal themselves in burrows during daytime.
 
Sexually mature at 1 year old.
 
These geckos are very secretive in the wild.
 
Non-receptive females will raise tail, waving knobbed end around, & thrust cloaca in male’s face. They’ll also vocalize.

Fun Fact(s):
Eat old shed skins for nutrients/habitat sanitation.
 
When threatened, they’ll wiggle body/swing tail/bark loudly. Due to this, sometimes called barking geckos.
 
They can drop tails if stressed/threatened, w/ tail eventually growing back.
 
In 1st episode of TV series Lois & Clark: New Adventures of Superman, Clark Kent applies for job at Daily Planet newspaper, producing article on Knob-Tailed Geckos as proof of writing skills.
 
Sometimes kept as pets, though they don’t like being handled for extended time periods. They’re not a widely available species.
 
When breeding, they can go into semi-trance like state.

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