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title: "What the sources say about the Leopard Gecko | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "41 claims from the Leopard Gecko profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Leopard Gecko (*Eublepharis macularius*)

> 41 claims from the Leopard Gecko profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Leopard Gecko](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/leopard-gecko/)

## Papenfuss, Shafiei Bafti & Sharifi (2021). Eublepharis macularius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T164745A1072324.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t164745a1072324.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The IUCN Red List rated the species Least Concern in 2021. | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: Category read through GBIF's copy of the Red List (taxon 164745); the claim quotes the cached category text.) |

## McLean & Vickaryous (2011). A novel amniote model of epimorphic regeneration: the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. BMC Developmental Biology.

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-213x-11-50

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| That is autotomy. Most of the tail bones have fracture planes, unmineralized gaps that permit controlled breakage. | intravertebral fracture planes, unmineralized gaps that pass transversely through most of the caudal (tail) vertebrae to permit controlled breakage of the skeleton |
| The gecko can grow the tail back in a minimum of 25 days at about 24°C | The minimum timeframe to fully regenerate the tail (i.e., to achieve stage VII of a seven stage regeneration sequence) was 25 days at an ambient temperature of ~24°C |
| in the regrown tail the bony vertebrae are replaced by a hollow cartilaginous cone | the original axial skeleton consists of a series of bony vertebrae and persistent notochord, while in the regenerate tail these structures are replaced by a hollow cartilaginous cone |
| Grab a leopard gecko firmly by the tail and the tail can come off. | autotomy was induced in all experimental individuals by firmly grasping the tail between the thumb and index finger and applying pressure |

## Higham & Russell (2009). Flip, flop and fly: modulated motor control and highly variable movement patterns of autotomized gecko tails. Biology Letters.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0577

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A desert gecko with movable eyelids, no sticky toe pads, and a dropped tail that keeps moving for up to 30 minutes. | they exhibit extremely complex movement patterns for up to 30 min following autotomy |
| A detached tail that keeps moving, flips included, for up to 30 minutes | they exhibit extremely complex movement patterns for up to 30 min following autotomy, including acrobatic flips up to 3 cm in height |
| Researchers recording the detached tails of leopard geckos found complex movement for up to 30 minutes, including acrobatic flips up to 3 cm high. | they exhibit extremely complex movement patterns for up to 30 min following autotomy, including acrobatic flips up to 3 cm in height |
| That is autotomy. Most of the tail bones have fracture planes, unmineralized gaps that permit controlled breakage. | tail autotomy in lizards |
| A leopard gecko's dropped tail keeps moving for up to 30 minutes, acrobatic flips included | they exhibit extremely complex movement patterns for up to 30 min following autotomy, including acrobatic flips up to 3 cm in height |

## Leopard Gecko. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/leopard-gecko

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| movable eyelids | Because of their moveable eyelids, leopard geckos (unlike some geckos) can close their eyes |
| no sticky toe pads | Leopard geckos cannot climb up smooth surfaces because they do not have toe pads like most geckos. |
| a regrown tail "may not look the same" | if part of the tail is lost, it can regenerate, but may not look the same |
| with rocky ground and clay-gravel soil under a layer of sand | The geckos' habitat is rocky, with clay-gravel soil below a layer of sand. |
| They are mostly limited to burrows and shade by day, and are more active at dawn and dusk. | They are mostly limited to burrows and shaded areas during the day, becoming more active at dawn and dusk |
| Winter temperatures can drop to 10°C, which drives them underground into semi-hibernation. | winter temperatures can cool down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), driving the geckos underground into semi-hibernation |
| Leopard geckos cannot climb smooth surfaces. | Leopard geckos cannot climb up smooth surfaces because they do not have toe pads like most geckos. |
| Unlike most geckos, they have no toe pads, and the toes end in a small claw. | The toes end in a small claw. |
| Their eyelids move, unlike some geckos. They can close their eyes, and a long tongue can give them a quick lick. | Because of their moveable eyelids, leopard geckos (unlike some geckos) can close their eyes—and their long tongue can give those eyes a quick lick as needed. |
| Females are 18 to 20 cm long and males 20 to 28 cm. | females are 7.1 to 7.9 inches (18 to 20 centimeters) long; males are 7.9 to 11 inches (20 to 28 centimeters) long |
| They weigh 50 to 80 grams, against 2 to 5 grams at hatching. | Weight: 1.8 to 2.8 ounces (50 to 80 grams) |
| They weigh 50 to 80 grams, against 2 to 5 grams at hatching. | Weight at hatch: .07 to .17 ounces (2 to 5 grams) |
| They have to be wary of foxes, snakes and other large reptiles, and use keen hearing and sight to avoid them. | Leopard geckos have to be wary of predators including foxes, snakes, and other large reptiles. They use their keen senses of hearing and sight to avoid threats; and their skin helps them camouflage themselves in their habitat. |
| They are among the most commonly kept pet lizards today. | these hardy little reptiles are one of the most commonly kept “pet” lizards today |
| Females lay clutches of two eggs and bury them. | Females produce one to five clutches of two eggs throughout the breeding season. Once the eggs have been laid, they are buried in soft or loose substrate. |
| At 26°C the eggs produce mostly females, at 29 to 31°C about equal numbers of each, and at 32°C mostly males. | At a temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius), mostly females will be produced; at a range of 85 to 87 degrees Fahrenheit (29 to 31 degrees Celsius) , an equal number of males and females will be produced; and at a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), mostly males will be produced. |
| The eggs hatch in 45 to 53 days. | The eggs hatch in 45 to 53 days. |
| Yes. The first two weeks of incubation set it: a cool 26°C hatches mostly females, a warm 32°C mostly males, and 29 to 31°C an even split. | At a temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius), mostly females will be produced; at a range of 85 to 87 degrees Fahrenheit (29 to 31 degrees Celsius) , an equal number of males and females will be produced; and at a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), mostly males will be produced. |
| No. Most geckos have toe pads, but leopard geckos lack them, so they cannot climb up smooth surfaces. | Leopard geckos cannot climb up smooth surfaces because they do not have toe pads like most geckos. |
| The temperature in the first two weeks of incubation decides the sex. | The temperature of the incubation period in the first two weeks determines the sex of the offspring. |
| Unlike most geckos, they have no toe pads, and the toes end in a small claw. | Leopard geckos cannot climb up smooth surfaces because they do not have toe pads like most geckos. |
| Yes. The first two weeks of incubation set it: a cool 26°C hatches mostly females, a warm 32°C mostly males, and 29 to 31°C an even split. | The temperature of the incubation period in the first two weeks determines the sex of the offspring. |
| weightKg: 0.065 | Weight: 1.8 to 2.8 ounces (50 to 80 grams) (note: task #1120: middle of the zoo's range) |

## Eublepharis macularius (Common Leopard Gecko). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Eublepharis_macularius/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Dry and semi-dry desert and arid grasslands, from Afghanistan and Iran to Pakistan and northwest India | Dry and semi-dry desert regions (Henkel 1995) and arid grasslands (Hunziker 1994). |
| Dry and semi-dry desert and arid grasslands, from Afghanistan and Iran to Pakistan and northwest India | Leopard geckoes can be found throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Northwest India (Henkel 1995) and Pakistan |
| Known to eat scorpions, centipedes, spiders and beetles in the wild | are known to eat scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and beetles in the wild |
| The habitat is dry and semi-dry desert and arid grassland | Dry and semi-dry desert regions (Henkel 1995) and arid grasslands (Hunziker 1994). |
| In the wild they are known to eat scorpions, centipedes, spiders and beetles. | are known to eat scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and beetles in the wild |

## Eublepharis macularius (Blyth, 1854). The Reptile Database.

https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Eublepharis&species=macularius

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Leopard geckos live in eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwest India, Nepal and eastern Iran. | E Afghanistan, Pakistan, NW India (Rajasthan, Ajmer, Madar foot hills, Punhab, Jammu), Nepal, E Iran (fide CARRIÓN et al. 2003). (note: #1229: ADW and SDZ list Iraq, but Iraqi records may belong to E. angramainyu; the Reptile Database's distribution leaves Iraq out) |

## Eublepharis macularius (leopard gecko). AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Eublepharis_macularius

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In captivity, a leopard gecko has lived 28.5 years, the record in the AnAge longevity database. | Record longevity in captivity is 28.5 years |
| The record lifespan in captivity is 28.5 years, according to the AnAge longevity database. | Record longevity in captivity is 28.5 years |