Bibron's thick-fingered gecko
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Bibron's thick-fingered gecko ( Chondrodactylus bibronii ) |
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| Chondrodactylus bibronii | ||||||||||||
| ( Smith , 1846) |
Bibron's thick- fingered gecko ( Chondrodactylus bibronii , syn .: Pachydactylus bibronii ) belongs to the genus Chondrodactylus within the gecko family (Gekkonidae) . The species was scientifically described in 1846 by the Scottish naturalist Andrew Smith . The scientific name honors the French zoologist Gabriel Bibron .
features
Bibron's thick finger gecko reaches a body length of up to 18 cm. He has a strong, slightly stocky build with a rounded and somewhat thick tail and a broad head. The eyes are large, shiny gold with vertically slit pupils, the legs are long and the broad toes have well-developed adhesive pads. Light and dark tubercle scales can be seen on the back of the head and back . Males differ on the one hand from the females by a somewhat larger head, on the other hand by the light tubercle scales, which in males reach to the base of the tail, in females only to about the middle of the body. The basic color is between brown and gray, dark transverse bands can be seen over the entire back and tail.
Way of life
Bibron's thick-fingered gecko is a nocturnal and twilight-active, mostly climbing lizard, which stays in the branches of trees and bushes or between stones and rocks. The species often hides under bark or burrows under stones in the ground. Water licks up in the form of dripping and condensation water. After mating, a female lays two round, white, hard-shell eggs that are attached to a branch, for example. The young hatch after 8 to 9 weeks. Chondrodactylus bibronii hunts various insects , such as crickets , cockroaches , black beetles and their larvae, but also spiders . Life expectancy in captivity is up to 10 years.
distribution
Bibron's thick-fingered gecko is found in southern Africa in the Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and in southern Namibia , where semi-arid savannahs and steppes with trees are preferred . As a cultural follower , he also penetrates human settlements, where he often lingers on house walls.
Terrariums
Bibron's thick-fingered gecko should be cared for at temperatures between 22 and 28 ° C (locally up to 35 ° C; at night approx. 22 ° C) and a relative humidity of around 60% (increasing at night) in a high terrarium with sufficient climbing and hiding places.
literature
- Mirko Barts: Thick-fingered geckos. Pachydactylus turneri & Pachydactylus bibronii. Natur-und-Tier-Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-937285-19-9 .
- Aaron M. Bauer, Trip Lamb: Phylogenetic relationships of southern African geckos in the Pachydactylus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae). In: African Journal of Herpetology. Vol. 54, No. 2, 2005, pp. 105-129, doi : 10.1080 / 21564574.2005.9635525 .
- Bill Branch: Field guide to snakes and other reptiles of southern Africa. 3rd edition, fully revised and updated. Struik, Cape Town 1998, ISBN 1-86872-040-3 .
- John Coborn: Lizards. Keeping and breeding in the terrarium. bede-Verlag, Ruhmannsfelden 1999, ISBN 3-931792-93-5 .
