''Pachydactylus geitje'', also known commonly as the ocellated gecko, the ocellated thick-toed gecko and the Cradock thick-toed gecko, is a tiny species of thick-toed gecko, a

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 ...

in the family Gekkonidae. The species is indigenous to the Western Cape of South Africa.

Description

''P. geitje'' is a very colourful, mottled little

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 ...

. Its smooth (almost silky) body is usually covered in dark-edged white spots.

Habitat

''P. geitje'' typically lives on the ground among debris and under rocks. Further inland it only lives higher in the mountains where rocky outcrops provide it with sufficient places to hide.

Reproduction

''Pachydactylus geitje'' lays a clutch of two tiny eggs in the summer.

References

* Boulenger GA (1885). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume I. Geckonidæ ....'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I-XXXII. (''Pachydactylus ocellatus'', pp. 205–206). * 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. . (''Pachydactylus geitje'', p. 254 + Plate 82). * Loveridge A (1947). "Revision of the African Lizards of the Family Gekkonidae". ''Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College'' 98 (1): 1–469. (''Pachydactylus geitje'', pp. 350–352). * Sparrman A (1778). "''Befkrifning och berättelfe om'' LACERTA GEITJE, ''en obekant och giftig ÖDLA ifrân Goda Hopps Udden'' ". ''Götheborgska Wetenskaps och Witterhets Samhallets Handlingar, Wetenskaps Afdelningen Forsta Stycket, Götheborg'' 1: 75–78. (''Lacerta geitje'', new species, p. 75). (in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

). {{Taxonbar, from=Q3062132 geitje Endemic reptiles of South Africa Natural history of Cape Town Lizards of Africa Reptiles of South Africa Reptiles described in 1778 Taxa named by Anders Sparrman

Description

Habitat

Reproduction

References

Further reading