''Stenodactylus petrii'', known as the dune gecko, Anderson's short-fingered gecko, or Egyptian sand gecko, is a small, mostly nocturnal
gecko
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from .
Geckos are unique among lizards ...
of the genus ''
Stenodactylus
''Stenodactylus'' is a genus of Middle-Eastern and North-African geckos, commonly known as short-fingered geckos.
Species
*Iranian short-fingered gecko, ''Stenodactylus affinis''
*Middle Eastern short-fingered gecko, ''Stenodactylus doriae''
* ...
''. It's not a frog-eyed gecko.
They are found across
northern Africa
North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
and in
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
in arid regions.
From head to base of tail, they are about long, a very small dwarf gecko. The tails are quite long compared to their size, . If a tail is dropped, it will grow back, only shorter and stubbier. Unlike other geckos, dune geckos cannot climb up smooth surfaces. Instead, they prefer to dig. During the day, they usually hide in burrows or in caves, though often these are out and about in the day. They sometimes appear slow, but they can be extremely fast.
Camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
in the sand helps them remain inconspicuous, especially when hunting. They eat mainly
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
s and
mealworm
Mealworms are the larval form of the yellow mealworm beetle, ''Tenebrio molitor'', a species of darkling beetle.
The yellow mealworm beetle prefers a warmer climate and higher humidity. Male mealworm beetles release a sex pheromone to attract ...
s. The dune gecko, if kept as a pet, should not be handled too often because it stresses them out and can cause severe health problems. Also they can be relatively social but are also known to live by themselves before mating.
References
:3. Domer, A., Subach, A., Haimov, R., Dorfman, A., Samocha, Y. and Scharf, I. (2023), Activity and habitat use of a dune gecko and its spatial and temporal correlation with other animals on dunes. J Zool. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13064
{{Taxonbar, from=Q781711
petrii
Reptiles described in 1896