The western banded gecko (''Coleonyx variegatus'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of Squamata, 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 Amphisbae ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

Eublepharidae The Eublepharidae are a family of geckos (Gekkota) consisting of 43 described species in six genera. They occur in Asia, Africa and North America. Eublepharid geckos lack adhesive toepads and, unlike other geckos, have movable eyelids, thus commo ...

. The species is native to the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, ...

and adjacent northwestern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. Five

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognized.

Geographic range

In the United States, ''C. variegatus'' is found in Arizona, southern California, southwestern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

, and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. In California, it is found in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts In Mexico, it is found in northwestern

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

and

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...

Subspecies

Five subspecies of ''C. variegatus'' are recognized as being valid, including the

nominotypical subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...

. *''Coleonyx variegatus abbotti'' – San Diego banded gecko *''Coleonyx variegatus bogerti'' – Tucson banded gecko *''Coleonyx variegatus sonoriensis'' – Sonoran banded gecko *''Coleonyx variegatus utahensis'' – Utah banded gecko *''Coleonyx variegatus variegatus'' – desert banded gecko ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomencla ...

other than ''Coleonyx''.

Description

The western banded gecko is a

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

, ranging in total length (including tail) from . The body of the western banded gecko (excluding the tail) rarely grows past 3 inches in length. Hatchlings measure . The body is sandy-colored with dark crossbands broken into patches. The tiny scales give its skin a silky texture. Unlike typical geckos, it has prominent eyes with movable lids. The male reptiles of this species have noticeable spurs on both sides of the body located at the base of the tail.

Habitat

The western banded gecko is found in a wide range of

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s, including

creosote bush ''Larrea tridentata'', called creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and ''gobernadora'' (Spanish for "governess") in Mexico, due to its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. In S ...

and sagebrush desert, pinyon-juniper woodland, and catclaw-cedar-grama grass associations in the eastern part of its range and

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean ...

areas in the west. Its elevational range extends from below sea level to about

asl American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...

. The species commonly lives in open and arid deserts and grasslands. The substrate in which the species lives ranges from rocky and sheltered areas to sandy

dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

and arroyos.

Behavior

The western banded gecko is secretive and

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 ...

, with individuals remaining hidden during the day and emerging after sunset to forage for food. The western banded gecko feeds on a diversity of

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

. When threatened by predators or other dangers, these geckos may exude a squeak or chirp. San Diego State University research of 2022 has revealed further insight into the feeding behaviors of the species. The lizards use very fast and precise movements, shaking their heads from side to side, in order to immobilize scorpions caught in their mouths. Researchers believe that this may be done in order to prevent the scorpions from injecting them with their venom. ''C. variegatus'' preys on small insects and spiders, and is one of the few reptiles that control scorpion populations by eating baby scorpions. Individuals prefer warm nights around 80°F, and they can often be seen near human habitations looking to make an easy meal of the insects attracted to landscape or porch lighting. ''C. variegatus'' is preyed upon by many species including coyotes, foxes, snakes, larger lizards, and even large invertebrates such as

tarantulas Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

and solpugids. If captured, ''C. variegatus'' may squeak and may discard its tail in an attempt to distract the predator and escape. To deter predation, it can also curl its tails over its body to mimic a

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

Reproduction

The Western banded geckos breed during the months April and May. During the months of May through September, the female western banded geckos will lay one to three clutches of eggs. Each clutch of eggs contains two eggs. The eggs will then hatch in approximately 45 days.

Etymologies

The

subspecific name In zoological nomenclature, a subspecific name is the third part of a trinomen. In zoology there is only one rank below that of species, namely "subspecies". In botanical nomenclature, there are several levels of subspecific names, such as ''vari ...

, ''abbotti'', is in honor of American ornithologist

Clinton Gilbert Abbott Clinton Gilbert Abbott (1881 – 1946) was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and Director of the San Diego Natural History Museum from 1922 to 1946. Abbott supervised the construction of the Museum's current building in Balboa Park, expan ...

. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Coleonyx variegatus abbotti'', p. 1; ''C. v. bogerti'', p. 30). The subspecific name, ''bogerti'', is in honor of American herpetologist

Charles Mitchill Bogert Charles Mitchill Bogert (June 4, 1908 – April 10, 1992) was an American herpetologist, and curator of herpetology and researcher for the American Museum of Natural History. Early life and education Born in Mesa, Colorado, Bogert was a technicia ...