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Animal Profile

Desert Banded Gecko

Coleonyx variegatus

Amphibians Desert
Desert Banded Gecko

About Desert Banded Gecko

This beautiful, delicate-looking lizard has pale pink and brown-banded translucent skin. It is medium-sized, growing 4 to 6 inches long. The bands, which are most evident in juveniles, change into blotches and spots with age. It has supple skin, uniformly granular back scales and slender toes with no pads. The western banded gecko has movable eyelids and its pupils are vertical, distinguisng it from all other lizards in the area.

Habitat

Rocky areas with sparse vegetation, creosote-covered deserts and arid areas of the southwest. Also found around human dwellings, even in densely populated urban areas.

Fun Fact

When protecting its territory against other males, or when captured, they emit a squeak or chirp.