Skunk/White-Lined Gecko

ANIMAL:
Skunk/White-Lined Gecko       Gekko vittatus

Type of Animal:
Gecko

Habitat:
Tropical forests & nearby human dwellings

Location(s):
Indonesia, New Guinea, Palau, & Solomon Islands

Appearance:
Distinguishable white line along back, 3 main colors-dark brown, pale green, & tan, tail has several broad white bands, gold eyes, slender body

Food/Diet:
Crickets, roaches, locusts, worms, insect larvae, flies, moths, spiders, fruit

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & herpetoculture

Lifestyle:
Solitary

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Hatchling
Group-Solitary

Weight:
Male-0.5 oz
Female-0.4 oz

Gestation:
2-3 months 

Life Span:
3-5 years

Body Length:
Male-10 in
Female-9 in
Young-3 in

Tail Length:
3.16 in

Main predators are snakes, larger lizards, birds, & carnivorous/omnivorous mammals.

Males extremely territorial & will fight to the death.

They’re active at night (nocturnal).

They’re called skunk geckos due to white line running through length of back.

Toe pads help them move on vertical surfaces.

Collecting from wild could be potential threat in the future.

Females lay only 2 eggs per clutch.

Breeding lasts from mid-summer until mid to late fall.

Mating usually only lasts 2-4 minutes & consists of male biting female’s neck.

Fun Fact(s):
These geckos are very skittish & delicate.

These geckos are welcomed into homes since they eat lots of insects.

They’re very fast.

Can shed their tails when grasped as defense mechanism. Like many geckos, they can grow back their tail.

Males make series of 3-5 sharp noises, sounding like mix between duck’s quack & small dog’s bark.