Peninsular Leaf-Toed Gecko

Range

Ranges through most of the Baja Peninsula, and a small strip of south central California.

Habitats

This gecko prefers rocky areas within desert scrub and chaparral habitats. It often hides in rock crevices and between slabs of deteriorating rock. It especially likes large boulder piles in canyons or near springs and streams.

Identification

This gecko averages 4-6.3 cm from snout to vent. It has a narrow tail that is round in cross-section. Its head is also somewhat narrow with an elongated, pointed snout. It has large, golden-flecked eyes with vertical, slit-like pupils. It lacks movable eyelids. Its scales are soft and granular, with some small bumps down the sides of its back. It is pinkish-white with a mottled, dark grey pattern on its dorsal surfaces, resembling the surface of granite. Its ventrum is white and unmarked, and mildly translucent. The tips of its toes are bi-lobed with specialized plantar scales for gripping almost any surface.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians