Family EUBLEPHARIDAE - Eyelid Geckos

QUICK INDEX

Coleonyx brevis, Texas Banded Gecko

Coleonyx elegans, Yucatan Banded Gecko

Coleonyx fasciatus, Black Banded Gecko

Coleonyx mitratus, Central American Banded Gecko

Coleonyx reticulatus, Reticulated Gecko

Coleonyx switaki, Barefoot Gecko

Coleonyx variegatus, Western Banded Gecko

Scientific Name 

Common Name 

Distribution

Size 

Notes 

Coleonyx

C. brevis

Texas Banded Gecko

S. Texas (and New Mexico?), adj. area of Mexico

Max SVL approx 5.5 – 6 cm

In ecology and behaviour this lizard is similar to, and should be kept in conditions similar to, C. variegatus. Rogner recommends varying temperatures of 25-35 deg C from March to October, dropping to 20-25 deg C at night, with a "fasting period" in December and temperatures of 8-12 deg C for the winter, followed by a gradual raising of the temperature and spraying several times a week (presumably in the Jan-Feb period). Bartlett and Bartlett recommend similar temperatures for the summer (23-31 deg C), but do not mention a winter cooling period. It may be that photoperiod is equally as important as temperature. Both Rogner and the Bartletts recommend using sand or a similar substrate to a depth of about 4cm: the Bartletts also suggest a layer of dry leaves, while Rogner recommends keeping one corner of the tank always moist. Females lay two eggs per clutch. C. brevis and C. variegatus are very similar in appearance, but males can be told apart if examined: the "chevron" of preanal pores in C. variegatus is undivided, whereas in C. brevis it is broken up by other scales. Description: a small species, females on average being slightly longer than males. Snout is short compared to C. variegatus. Scalation details: 3-6 preanal pores, separated by up to 4 median scales; no enlarged dorsal tubercles; base of cloacal spur not constricted, distal end flat. Coloration: very similar to C. variegatus, but C. brevis usually has smaller and more numerous spots. [SOURCES: Bartletts, Dixon, Rogner] B I

C. elegans

Yucatan Banded Gecko

Mexico (Yucatán), Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador

6" (75- 108 mm SVL)

Sometimes available. Captive care as for C. mitratus, but deVosjoli warns that there is a high mortality rate at all stages for these geckos as they apparently do not tolerate dietary vitamin D3 well. The species is capable of producing a high-pitched nasal squeak. In the Yucatán it may be found in a variety of habitats, including caves, rotting logs and stumps and Mayan ruins. As well as being nocturnal it may sometimes venture out in the day. C. e. nemoralis is now considered a full species by the Reptile Database. Description: body and limbs rather elongate, latter slender; digits slender, short. Snout longer than the distance between the orbit and the ear-opening; latter large, oval, slightly oblique. Scalation details: snout covered with large, slightly keeled granules; the rest of the head with small granules intermixed with small round tubercles; rostral large, pentagonal, once and a half as broad as high; anterior nasal very large, forming a suture with its fellow; six or seven upper and seven or eight lower labials; mental large, trapezoid, a little broader than long; no chin-shields. Body covered above with small granules intermixed with numerous round, smooth or very slightly keeled tubercles. Abdominal scales strongly imbricate. Male with eight or nine preanal pores. Tail: cylindrical, tapering, covered with small, flat scales, slightly enlarged inferiorly, above with rows of enlarged tubercles. Brownish white above, variegated with chestnut-brown; a U-shaped band on the nape, and four cross bands on the body, light, bordered with brown ; head largely vermiculated with brown; tail with brown rings; lower surfaces whitish. Coloration: the juvenile pattern is a series of white transverse bands bordered by dark brown or black, with reddish interspaces and cream ventral surfaces. Some individuals may be striped instead of banded. The adult pattern is similar but the bands become more irregular and blotches appear on the sides. Regenerated tails are speckled rather than banded. Reproduction: males have 7-13 preanal pores (these being indistinct in the female), as well as cloacal spurs and a postanal swelling. On the Yucatán peninsula this is usually associated with the rainy season. Females may lay more than one clutch per year. [SOURCES: Boulenger, Lee] B I

C. e. elegans

Elegant Banded Gecko

S Mexico, Belize, N Guatemala, El Salvador

C. e. nemoralis

Colima Banded Gecko

SW Mexico (Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán)

C. fasciatus

Black Banded Gecko

Mexico

TL approx 11.5 cm, SVL approx 5.5 cm

Description: Closely allied to C. variegatus, from which it differs in the larger and more elongate head, the length of the snout exceeding the distance between the orbit and the ear-opening. Six labials to below the centre of the eye. Coloration: brown above, with five or six black-edged, whitish, transverse bands, the anterior on the nape horseshoe-shaped, extending to the eye; tail with alternate, broader dark, and narrower light annuli; lower surfaces whitish. [SOURCE: Boulenger]

C. mitratus

Central American Banded Gecko

C. America (Guatemala to Costa Rica)

6"

Occasionally imported and bred. Quite hardy once established, but does not like handling. Optimum temperature range is 74-82 deg. with a moistened area (sand or green moss) and misting once in the evening (see deVosjoli). C. mitratus can be distinguished externally (usually) from the very similar C. elegans by the markings on its tail, which are broken: those of C. elegans form entire tail rings. The nuchal bridle (the band running from eye to eye around the back of the neck) of C. elegans is also narrower than that of C. mitratus [Bartlett and Bartlett]. Description: habit rather slender, as in C. elegans. Snout as long as the distance between the orbit and the ear-opening; latter rather large, oval, vertical. Scalation details: head covered with granules intermixed with round subconical tubercles; rostral pentagonal, not quite twice as broad as high; a pair of large internasals forming a suture behind the rostral; seven upper and as many lower labials; mental large, squarish, as broad as high; no chin-shields. Body covered above with small granules intermixed with round, mostly trihedral, tubercles, which are not larger than the interspaces between them. Abdominal scales strongly imbricate. Seven preanal pores. Tail: cylindrical, tapering gradually, covered with flat, squarish scales arranged regularly, those on the lower surface larger, above with rows of enlarged tubercles. Coloration: brownish white above, marbled with chocolate-brown, which colour forms irregular transverse bands on the tail; a rather indistinct horseshoe-shaped mark from eye to eye, over the nape; lower surfaces whitish. [SOURCE: Boulenger] B I

C. reticulatus

Reticulated Gecko

USA (Texas), Mexico (Coahuila)

7"

Rare: only discovered in 1956. In colour and skin texture similar to the Leopard Gecko. Sometimes also known as the Big Bend Gecko, because of its range in the US. These geckos do not fare well in captivity and it seems more research is needed to ascertain their requirements. Description: a large Coleonyx with 13 irregular rows of tubercles on dorsum; 24 and 31 lamellae on fourth finger and fourth toe, respectively; tips of claws exposed by the sheath-scales; dorsum with profusion of small dark spots and reticulations; snout-vent length about 80 mm. [SOURCE: Davis & Dixon 1958] B I

C. switaki

Barefoot Banded Gecko

USA (extreme SW California) and Mexico (Baja California, Isla San Marcos)

6½"

Rare: only discovered in the seventies. It is protected in the US and rarely imported from Mexico. Captives nevertheless are quite hardy and fare reasonably well. Named after Karl H Switak, best known for his herpetological photography. Murphy's original paper described the species as a new genus (Anarbylus) based on differences between this gecko and other eublepharines, but this does not appear to have gained acceptance. The common name (and the originally proposed genus name) come from the lack of transverse lamellae on the ventral surface of the digits. Description: C. switaki differs from other Coleonyx in these characters: deep rostra1 depression; reduced transverse subdigital lamellae; 48-70 scales around the non-regenerated tail; tip of ventral portion of tail tuberculate; diploid complement of 24 chromosomes consisting of a graded series of 22 metacentric and 2 acrocentric chromosomes with each 2 pairs conspicuously larger than those following when ranked by size; bright yellow breeding colour in males; dorsal pattern a series of transverse spots arranged in bands, sometimes modified; 6-1 1 bands between nape of neck and caudal constriction; nuchal loop absent; derived adult color pattern present in juveniles; S-shaped isthmus of the thyroid gland. [SOURCE: Grismer] B I

C. s. switaki

C. s. gypsicolus

Isla San Marcos, Gulf of California, Mexico

C. variegatus

Western Banded Gecko

SW USA

TL approx 10.5 cm, SVL approx 5 cm

Quite common in the wild, with 6-8 subspecies known. In appearance somewhat like juvenile leopard geckos. Rogner recommends temperatures of 28-32 deg C with a basking spot of 35 deg C for most of the year, with a decrease in both photoperiod and temperature (to 18-22 deg C by day and 15 deg C at night) from September onwards through winter. Substrate is similar to that used for C. brevis, with one corner made of earth or similar and kept moist to be used as an egg-laying site. Click here for an excellent full-size photograph. A. R. Royo also has a nice summary and picture, while San Diego Natural History Museum has a good page on C. variegatus. Description: habit of Coleonyx elegans. Snout as long as the distance between the orbit and the ear-opening; latter small, oval, very oblique, almost horizontal. Head and body covered with uniform granules, which are largest on the snout; rostral pentagonal, broader than high; anterior nasal largest, separated from its fellow by a granule behind the rostral ; eight upper and as many lower labials to below the centre of the eye; mental large, subtrapezoid, slightly broader than long, longer than the adjacent labials. Abdominal scales strongly imbricate. Tail cylindrical, tapering, covered with uniform, small, imbricate scales, which are slightly enlarged interiorly. Pale brown above, with round darker spots and six light wavy cross bands on the neck and back; the two anterior bands on the nape horseshoe-shaped, reaching to below the eye and to below the ear respectively; tail with alternate dark and light annuli of equal width; lips with brown and white spots; lower surfaces white, throat spotted with brown. [SOURCE: Boulenger] B I

C. v. abbotti

San Diego Banded Gecko

USA (SW California), Baja

Pre-anal pores: 7 or less. Coloration: transverse dark body bars in adults equal to or narrower than light interspaces, and unicolour in adults, or alternately may be replaced by uniform spotting; light nuchal loop is narrow and clear.

C. v. bogerti

Tucson Banded Gecko

USA (SE Arizona, SW New Mexico)

Not currently recognised as a valid subspecies in the Reptile Database entry. Pre-anal pores: 8 or more. Coloration: transverse dark body bars in adults equal to or narrower than light interspaces, their edges darker; head conspicuously spotted or mottled.

C. v. peninsularis

San Lucan Banded Gecko

See the L M Klauber page of the San Diego Natural History Museum.

C. v. slevini

Santa Inez Island Banded Gecko

Isla Santa Inez (Gulf of California, Mexico)

See comment in Reptile Database entry.

C. v. sonoriensis

Sonoran Banded Gecko

Mexico (Sonora)

C. v. utahensis

Utah Banded Gecko

USA (S Nevada, NW Arizona, SW Utah)

Not currently recognised as a valid subspecies in the Reptile Database entry. Pre-anal pores: 7 or less. Coloration: transverse dark body bars in adults considerably wider than light interspaces, their front and rear borders often irregular and merging with spots in the interspaces.

C. v. variegatus

Desert Banded Gecko

USA (S Nevada, W Arizona, SE California)

Pre-anal pores: 7 or less. Coloration: transverse dark body bars in adults equal to or narrower than light interspaces, and with lighter centres, or alternatively may be replaced by spotting; light nuchal loop is irregular or missing; top of head is spotted.