''Goggia lineata'', also known as the striped dwarf leaf-toed gecko or striped pygmy gecko, is a minute and delicate

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of dwarf leaf-toed gecko that is indigenous to the western part of the Cape of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. With a length of about , this tiny nocturnal gecko is, along with ''Cryptactites peringueyi'' (

Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko Peringuey's leaf-toed gecko (''Cryptactites peringueyi''), also known commonly as the salt marsh gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to South Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''peringueyi'', is in ...

), the smallest lizard in

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...

Geographic range

Its natural range extends from

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

(where it is sometimes still found in suburban gardens) eastwards through the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

and then up along South Africa's west coast as far as

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

Description

It is a pale grey lizard of about in length, usually with several dark stripes running down its back.

Behaviour and habitat

They can often be found sheltering under rubble or vegetation, alongside other species, being happy to share a refuge with other larger geckos such as ''Afrogecko porphyreus'' (the marbled leaf-toed gecko).

Diet

Collectively they eat a great deal of small

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s such as ants and

termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...

s, helping to serve as a form of natural pest-control.

Threats

Domestic cats - as introduced predators - will usually kill large numbers of these little lizards, often exterminating them from the immediate area.

Reproduction

This species of dwarf leaf-toed gecko lays two tiny eggs in a moist, warm spot in summer.

References

* Boulenger GA. 1885. ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume I. Geckonidæ, Eublepharidæ, Uroplatidæ, Pygopodidæ, Agamidæ.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I-XXXII. (''Phyllodactylus lineatus'', pp. 92–93). * Branch, Bill. 2004. ''Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition. Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (''Goggia lineata'', pp. 241–242 + Plate87). * Gray JE. 1838. "A new species of lizard and land shells from South Africa". pp. 268–269. ''In:'' Alexander JE. 1838. ''An Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa, through the hitherto Undescribed Countries of the Great Namaquas, Boschmans, and Hill Daramas, Performed under the Auspices of Her Majesty's Government, and the Royal Geographical Society. Volume II, Appendix I''. London: Henry Colburn. (''Phyllodactylus lineatus'', new species). {{Taxonbar, from=Q3008517 Goggia Reptiles of South Africa Reptiles described in 1838 Taxa named by John Edward Gray