The ocelot gecko (''Paroedura picta'') is a crepuscular ground-dwelling

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 throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

found in

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

forests and is also a popular pet. It is sometimes known as the Madagascar ground gecko, Malagasy fat-tailed gecko, fat-headed gecko, panther gecko or pictus gecko

Characteristics

''P. picta'' naturally occurs as a brown

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

with black markings. Some individuals may also have a white dorsal stripe. In captivity, there are several color phases available including hypo, orange, anerythristic, and amelanistic (yellow). They usually reach a size of , with some well-cared-for males reaching . Overall, they are smaller than the average gecko. These creatures feature slender, elongated bodies and narrow, pointed heads, and come in a range of colors. The colors usually involve shades of brown, grey, and cream, with markings or spots that resemble ocelot spots. They also have large, rounded eyes with vertical pupils and sticky toe pads that allow them to climb and adhere to surfaces. The ocelot gecko is not a true climbing gecko, but does have the capability to climb a few surfaces. In captivity, it has been known to scale the sides of glass terrariums if startled. They are exclusively

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

. They are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

creatures. They spend their days hiding in crevices or under rocks. They are best observed during their preferred hunting time, between dusk and dawn.

In captivity

These geckos do well in captivity but do not like being handled and may bite if scared. They can live in captivity for between six and ten years.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q146547 Paroedura Reptiles of Madagascar Endemic fauna of Madagascar Reptiles described in 1854 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters