Whether you’re living in Australia or visiting for a short time, you would certainly have come across different geckos.
These reptiles are in the deserts, mountains, woods, and even our homes. In this article, we shall discuss the different types of geckos in Australia.
Geckos are easy to tame and are fast becoming popular as pets. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and habitats.
Moreover, they do not eat daily, making them easy to care for. Let’s get started on the different types you can find in Australia.
1. Knob-tailed gecko
This gecko has one of the strangest tails in the animal kingdom. The tail is round with something that resembles a knob sticking out of it.
These geckos are quite new to the pet industry so that they can be quite expensive. They require only basic care, so even a novice can take care of them with a little extra research.
2. Common House Geckos
These geckos can be any shade from a light grey-white to a yellowish tan with dark patches. This species is so common and easy to get.
Although common house geckos are capable of living in the wild, they are more frequently seen close to human habitation.
Many enjoy their presence in their houses since they are helping visitors who are effective at controlling bug infestations.
They usually consume insects that are attracted to light sources in and near homes.
These geckos adapt well to life in captivity with an attentive caretaker because homes are already their natural habitat.
However, if you wish to have one of these geckos, they need a warm and humid environment.
In addition, they are too fast to handle as pets, although it’s fascinating to watch them climb.
3. Barking Gecko
This is among the different types of geckos in Australia. They got their name due to their vocalizations, especially when disturbed.
The top of the body and the head is covered in colors ranging from dark maroon to reddish-brown to tan and even orange.
Although this specie is aggressive, it can also become a gentle and docile pet.
They are terrestrial animals and live in dry woodlands, wet coastal areas, and leaf-covered forests. You can also find them in arid scrublands with sandy soil.
They also stay in rock crevices and bases of trees. Due to their nocturnal nature, barking geckos are less active during the day and only forage for food at night.
Furthermore, barking geckos can handle moderate handling. If you must handle your gecko, it is best to offer your hand slowly, palm up, and keep low.
They can feel alarmed and assume you’re a predator coming down to attack them if you reach down over their head to grasp them.
4. Wood Gecko
This is among the species of geckos in Australia. They occur in shrublands, forests, and arid regions. You can find them in the zoo and also in homes as pets.
The wood gecko is a terrestrial and nocturnal reptile. They heavily depend on vegetation, rocks, and debris for survival.
These environments are their primary food source, so you’ll always find them there.
In addition, they communicate by making noises such as barking, chirping, and also body language. Males may use this communication to entice females or to protect their territories.
5. Marbled Gecko
This reptile is widespread in Australia and parts of Africa. They have a light brown color with dark spots on the body.
This gecko is a relatively small reptile in comparison to some other pet species, reaching a maximum length of about 4 inches.
Marbled geckos mostly feed on small insects. These consist of anything that can fit in their mouth, such as silkworms and crickets.
This kind of gecko can also consume fruit if there are no insects around.
If you want to own one of these geckos, ensure to always provide them with a continuous supply of crickets and other small insects.
Their food should also be small enough for them to eat without problems.
Marbled geckos are naturally shy creatures, so they dislike being handled. They can become agitated and shed their tails when handled carelessly.
Some geckos become docile when touched, but this is unusual. If the gecko does not bite if held, it will often jump into the air to avoid being handled.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to locate and recapture such a small lizard once it has escaped captivity. This is harder if it happens inside the house.
6. Bynoe’s Geckos
These geckos are among the different types of geckos in Australia. They come in beige, cream, white, black, and yellow colors. They can be spotted, blotchy, or banded.
Bynoe’s geckos have different colors and patterns, blending well with the environment. They actually look scaly but are soft to the touch.
You can look for these geckos at night because they’re nocturnal and hunt at night. Moreover, you’ll quickly identify them by their clawed feet.
This gecko’s diet is as diverse as its appearance, as it consumes a wide variety of insects and their larvae. It also consumes grass, arthropods, and certain other lizards.
Brynoe’s geckos move fast, so it might be hard to look closely at them. If you find one, approach it slowly and with extreme gentleness so that they won’t run away.
You can attract them by leaving a bowl of water out for them to drink from. Also, don’t forget to put some stones in the bowl so they can easily get out again.
Finally, these geckos are parthenogenetic – they don’t need males to reproduce. Females can create a genetic copy of themselves. As a result, most of their population are females.
7. Mourning Gecko
This is among the species of geckos in Australia. They’re found in coastal regions of the Pacific and Indian oceans, including Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Mounting geckos are social animals. They are cathemeral and constantly chirping and chasing one another, whether day or night.
Also, they have specialized toe pads that allow them to easily climb smooth and vertical surfaces as well as interior ceilings, making them agile climbers.
Furthermore, they retreat and hide under nearby surface objects or cracks whenever they feel threatened. If caught, they will lose their tails in defense – this process is known as autotomy.
Mourning geckos are capable of changing their colors, so they can appear light or dark at different times of the day. They feed on fruit, pollen, and insects.
8. Beaded Gecko
These reptiles are also among the different geckos in Australia. This gecko has a reddish brown color. Their snout is round, and has white or cream upper eyelid.
They’re terrestrial animals, and you can find them in arid and semi-arid parts of Australia.
Also, they feed on insects like other small lizards. They hide in insect holes during the day before coming out to hunt at night.
9. Northern Spiny-tailed Gecko
This gecko comes in different colors, such as gray, brown, and white. Females are usually bigger than males.
They’re nocturnal and stay in arid, semi-arid, and subtropical regions. These geckos are on the IUCN list as species of the least concern.
Conclusion
There you have it – the different types of geckos in Australia. Most of the geckos are rare, and some have gone into extinction.
Nevertheless, the available ones make good pets for gecko lovers. Thanks for reading!
