Range in California: Green
Red: Desert Banded Gecko
Listen to this Species squeak.
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Adult, Riverside County |
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Adult, Riverside County |
Desert Banded Gecko on left with San Diego Banded Gecko on right for comparison. © Bruce Edley |
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Adult, Riverside County |
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Sub-adult, Riverside County |
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Adult, Baja California |
Habitat, Riverside County |
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Habitat, Riverside County
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Habitat, Riverside County |
Habitat, San Diego County |
Short Video |
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Watch a short video of this gecko crawling along a boulder.
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| Description |
| Size |
| 2 - 3 inches long from snout to vent (5.1 - 7.6 cm). |
| Appearance |
A small, slender lizard with movable eyelids and vertical pupils. The head is triangular in shape and wider than the neck, and is usually not spotted, but dark in color. There is a narrow, light collar mark, extending from the eyes to the collar. The skin is soft with fine granular scales (without tubercles). Toes are long and slender. Tail is constricted at the base.
Color pattern is variable, with a pale yellow, pink, or light gray background, and tan or brown bands on the body and tail. These bands typically are uniform in color and do not break up into blotches as they do on adult C. v. variegatus. The width of the dark bands is equal to or narrower than the width of the light areas. Juveniles tend to have more prominent unbroken bands.
Males have spurs on each side of the base of the tail. |
| Behavior |
Active at night, hiding in burrows or under surface objects during daylight. Hibernates through the winter (generally November to February).
Curls the tail up and waves it back and forth off the ground when stalking prey.
When grasped, this gecko may emit a short squeak. Listen.
When threatened, it may drop its tail to distract a predator. The tail will grow back, typically without the banding pattern matching the rest of the lizard's body. |
| Diet |
| A variety of small invertebrates. |
| Reproduction |
| Breeding occurs during April and May. Females lay 1 or two eggs from May to September, which hatch in 45 days. |
| Range |
In California, this gecko is found in the interior southern coastal region, generally west of the Peninsular ranges and south of the Transverse ranges, and north up the coast to Ventura County.
Ranges beyond California south into Baja California to north of the Viscaino Desert, where it intergrades with the Mexican subspecies, C. v. peninsularis. |
| Habitat |
| Prefers rocky areas in coastal sage and chaparral. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| The species Coleonyx variegatus consists of four supspecies in the US, (two in California) with two more in Mexico. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| This subspecies has dissappeared from much of its former habitat as the region has been heavily developed. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Gekkonidae (Eublepharidae) |
Geckos |
| Genus |
Coleonyx |
Banded Geckos |
| Species |
variegatus |
Western Banded Gecko |
Subspecies
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abbotti |
San Diego Banded Gecko |
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Original Description |
Coleonyx variegatus - (Baird, 1858) - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 10, p. 254
Coleonyx variegatus abbotti - Klauber, 1945 - Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 10, No. 11, p. 154
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Coleonyx - Greek: koleos - sheath and onyx - nail, talon or claw- refers to sheathed claws
variegatus - Latin - of different colors - refers to contrasting elements of color pattern
abbotti - honors Abbott, Clinton G.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
None
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Related or Similar California Lizards |
Desert Banded Gecko - C. v. variegatus
Peninsular Banded Gecko - C. switaki
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Lemm, Jeffrey. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of the San Diego Region (California Natural History Guides). University of California Press, 2006.
Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Lizards, Lizards of the United States and of Canada. Cornell University Press, 1946.
Grismer, L. Lee. Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California, Including Its Pacific Islands and the Islands in the Sea of Cortés. The University of California Press, 2002.
McPeak, Ron H. Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California. Sea Challengers, 2000.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
None |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
None |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
None |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
None |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G5 |
Secure |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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None |
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