Hump-headed gecko
| Hump-headed gecko | ||||||||||||
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Mute-headed gecko ( Rhacodactylus auriculatus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Rhacodactylus auriculatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Bavay , 1869) |
The hump-headed gecko ( Rhacodactylus auriculatus ) belongs to the family of double- fingered geckos and is only found in the southern part of Grande Terre, the main island of New Caledonia . The species was first described by Bavay in 1869 as Platydactylus auriculatus . The gecko habitat is threatened by deforestation, but they are not covered by the Washington Convention on Endangered Species .
features
The gecko reaches a length of 20 centimeters and is slightly more stocky than other species of the genus Rhacodactylus . The German name of R. auriculatus is derived from the 2 bumps on the head and above the eyes. Mump-head geckos have well-developed adhesive lamellae on their toes and can therefore also be used on smooth surfaces, such as B. climb glass. They have a prehensile tail that remains functional even as regenerated after a loss. The male differs from the female by a widened anal region. Mump-headed geckos can be brown-gray or beige and have wavy horizontal stripes. Other animals have a net markings or a reddish or brown longitudinal stripe from the head to the tip of the tail.
Way of life
Mute-headed geckos are shrub and tree dwellers. Often they hang upside down at heights of 3 to 4 meters. They also seek out the ground, especially at night.
They reproduce from January to May and then lay two eggs four to five times in the moist substrate. The young hatch after 50 to 60 days and are then 5 centimeters long.
In the terrarium this gecko eats live food such as crickets, crickets and wax maggots. Fruit pulp is also very popular.
literature
- Manfred Rogner : Lizards. Volume 1: geckos, pinnipeds, agamas, chameleons and iguanas. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8001-7248-8 .
Web links
- Rhacodactylus auriculatus in The Reptile Database
- Rhacodactylus auriculatus in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN 2013.2. Posted by: Whitaker, AH, Sadlier, RA & Bauer AM, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2014.