Leopard gecko

[Ceratodromeus]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Lacertilia
Family: Eublepharidae
Genus: Eublepharis
Species: E. macularius 


 Description:
Leopard geckos are small ground dwelling lizards that sport a distinct yellow body generously spotted with black spots and various hues of light blue, purple, and orange. small to mid sized tubercles are found on the back and sides, but are absent on the belly. What sets them apart from most geckos is that they possess moveable eyelids, and are capable of closing their eyes. Sexual dimorphism is present in this species, with the males averaging larger sizes(6-7.5 inches; 36 grams) while females tend to be smaller(5-7 inches, 25 grams)They are predominately nocturnal animals, but have been documented being active during day light hours. In some parts of pakistan, these lizards are known to hibernate because temperatures can dip down to 45 degrees fahrenheight. Their tail serves as a fat storage for when they go prolonged periods without food.



Native range:
These geckos inhabit the arid deserts of Pakistan, to the northwestern regions of India. They typically thrive in the grasslands and rocky regions, though they are known to frequent the "sandier" areas of their range.



Diet:
In the wild, these lizards eat anything they can fit in their jaws. Invertebrates make up a major part of their diet( scorpions, small beetles, spiders) though they have been known to take mice. Their small, polyodontic teeth cannot crush, nor are they designed to dismember prey. They swallow their prey whole; there are few, if any, documented reports of E. macularius' teeth breaking human skin. In captivity, they are offered a varied range of prey. Mealworms, crickets, dubia roaches, "pinky" mice, and waxworms.

Predators & defensive mechanisms:
Such a small lizard surely has numerous animals that try to eat it; Snakes, large frogs, corvids, feral dogs & cats are all known to predate on E. macularius. However, this neat little lizard has a suprising way of getting out of such situations. It can detach its tail. The discarded appendage usually wiggles around, providing a distraction and a window for the lizard to escape.  In captivity, "untame",  stressed geckos are known to do this on occasion as well -- much to the suprise of their owners.
Sex identification and reproduction:
Males can be differentiated from females via pre anal pores and the telling hemipenal bulge(females lack such features), as seen below

females lay eggs in July/August, a typical clutch size is two eggs. Sex is Dependant on temperature, as Temperature‐dependent sex determination in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius explains;

"Ewert and Nelson ('91) noted that the determi- nation of the pattern of TSD often requires an examination of most of the range of viable incuba- tion temperatures for the species. Previousstudies (Bull, '87a,b; Wagner, '80) of the sex-determining pattern of E. macularius found a cool-female, warm- male type pattern(Pattern Ib of Ewert and Nel- son, '91) but utlized only part of the viable range of incubation temperatures. Our study of temper- atures warmer than those previously examined shows that the range of viable incubation temper- atures for E. macularius extends from 24 to 35°C. Females again predominate at warm incubation temperatures, indicative of Pattern I1 TSD rather than Pattern Ib TSD. Given that 34 and 35°C may be viewed as stress- ful, differential embryonic mortality might be sus- pected (contrary to Bull, '87b) as a cause of sex ratio skews in eggs of E. macularius incubated at very warm temperatures. However, the data from IU rule out differential mortality: embryos from all 52 eggs at 34°C survived to be diagnosed, and only 2 of 14 at 35°C were lost. Even if each of these 2 individu- als were assigned to the rarer sex, the effect on the observed sex ratios would be minimal. Developmental rate and total incubation time have been proposed as better predictors of offspring sex ratio than incubation temperature (Webb and Smith, '84; Webb et al., '87). Because the rate of development at 34 and 35°C was slowed and total incubation time was longer relative to slightly cooler incubation temperatures, it is possible that these parameters, not incubation temperature, are the ultimate determinants of sex. However, devel- opmental rates at 32 and 35°C were very similar, but they yielded 74.0% and 0% males, respectively. In addition, a series of experiments which manipulated developmental rate and total incubation time independent of incubation temper- ature in Trachemys scripta failed to confirm Webb and Smith's ('84) and Webb et al.'s ('87) hypothesis (Etchberger et al., 1992). Similar experiments with the eggs of E. macularius would likely yield sim- ilar results. Pattern I1 has already been established for another gecko (Gehho japonicus; Tokunaga, '85, '89). In fact, Pattern I1 is the only pattern of TSD common to the 3 major reptilian lineages that have TSD (Ewer and Nelson, '91) and may be the primitive state in reptiles (Deeming and Ferguson, '89). Eublepharis macularius breeds in the hot sea- son (Daniel, ,831, and soil temperatures during times of activity range from 30.2 to 35°C (Ander- son, '63). Thus, high-temperature females (34 and 35°C) may well be produced in the wild. At the least, occasional females should be produced at fairly high incubation temperatures (31-33"C), as no known constant temperature produces 100% males in this species. In addition, warm-tem- perature females are produced in the field in some other Pattern I1 reptiles (Crocodylus palustris, Lang et al., '89; C. porosus, Webb and Cooper-Preston, '89; C. johnstoni, Webb and Smith, '84)."

Captivity:
 these lizards have long been a staple in the reptilian pet trade. Their hardiness and calm disposition makes them excellent pets. Because of this, they have been selectively bred to sport "paint jobs" -- different color patterns. Some of these 'morphs' can reach as $1000 US dollars. Such selective breeding hasn't shown any signs of making these stunning reptiles any more susceptible to disease then their "normal" counterparts.

[Ceratodromeus]

As this profile could use alot of beefing up, i recently found a paper on the natural history of the species -- because as common as it is in the pet trade alot of so little studied on particular aspects of wild specimens.



Natural history and biology of hobbyist choice leopard gecko Eublepharis macularius

"Natural history notes:

Natural habitat of the fat tail gecko is stony countryside with scrubby vegetation, in the northern and western foot hills. The gecko specifically inhabits holes and crevices in gravel mixed stony terrain in the Salt Range, Punjab, Pakistan. Where it extends into the adjacent mudflats where it hunts insects and caterpillars in sparse grass and bushes, in mesic to xeric sub mountain conditions. It avoids deserts, and prefers humid places. Being gregarious, they colonize crevices and holes in stone walls (Fig. 1, 2), demarcating boundaries of fields and houses, in stony country side in Potohar Plateau, in the Salt Range.. Several lizards may live in loose colonies in holes in ground, under stones, and crevices among rocks. A leopard gecko may climb several feet to reach its permanent selected resting place, which it shares with several individuals of different ages. Almost all geckos at the site come out as soon as sun sets, and are scattered to forage individually around, returning to the site one by one just before dawn. However, in forested places of their habitat, they become semi-arboreal and hide under loose tree bark

In urban areas leopard gecko readily colonizes and invades man-made structures in its habitat, like holes and crevices in dikes, road railway bridges, house walls. On of the favourite urban habitat are the spaces around under ground water pipes, where leeks provide moisture in the soil to keep humidity, while gaps in fillings around pipes provide resting and hideout places. Summer temperature in the Potohar Plateau ranges from 22-24

°C in March to 40-45

° C in June-July, Humidity varies from 30-40 %. Until monsoon rains start, temperature drops to 28-33

°C and humidity increases 70-80 % which drive the leopard geckos out in large numbers during hot humid nights. During March-June, humidity in the resting spaces remain 40-56 % which is ideal for the gecko, while outside it is 23-32 %. These climatological changes affect activity pattern of the gecko: dry, cool, and windy weather inhabits its activities and the gecko mostly stays at home. While hot, humid nights in rainy season, drive it out at sunset. In north leopard gecko hibernates from September to March, while in warmer southern Pakistan, hibernation may be delayed to November, or the gecko may never hibernate.

Food:

Leopard gecko is primarily insectivorous so that its diet list includes several insect groups: beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, scorpions, centipedes etc. As it grows old it becomes opportunist predator preying on sympatric geckos

blind snakes and thread snakes, new born mice, bird nestlings and caterpillars. The prey is slowly stalked or ambushed, and is captured by a final sudden lunge. The pray is held in the jaws until immobile and is engulfed. Mostly the juvenile leopards fall prey to the adults. An inanimate or dead prey is disregarded, prey movements provoke the gecko to attack.

Social life:

The composition of an eublepharine colony differs throughout the activity period of the gecko: a pre-breeding colony mostly consists of several subadults and adults, soon fights among males ensue to scatter them, leaving a dominant male with several females constituting a breeding colony, while a post breeding colony is dominated by juveniles. The dominant male, in the breeding colony, reacts to the presence of a rival male, by intimidating him by raising body on stiffened legs; smearing ground with waxy secretion from precloacal glands by lowering its hind quarters; licking the secretion and smearing it all over its body; rubbing smeared body against stones and other objects to mark its territory. It defends territory by lunging, snarling and hissing, arching body and lashing tail. If the rival is still not intimidated, it is run down and bitten and lashed with the tail, the bitten rival sheds its tail, pieces of skin are torn from its body vice versa, the weakened party runs away, leaving behind writhing and wriggling tail and torn off pieces of its skin to the wining adversary as a treat. The leopard gecko is rather docile, sluggish in movements, has deliberate slow walking style. It allows manipulation, needs repeated provocation to intimidate it. When threatened the gecko does not try to escape, rather it stands and faces the threat by raising and arching out its body, curls up tail, flicking and twisting it sideways. Snarls and hisses and threatens with wide opened mouth, staring right into the eyes of the adversary. Gecko has a weak bite, just like a moderate pinch as its teeth are small. When gecko is handled it mostly defecates and voids foul smelling liquid."











www.academia.edu/10702382/morphology_and_ecology_of_leopard_gecko_E._macularious_from_pakistan