Leopard gecko
| Leopard gecko | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Eublepharidae |
| Genus: | Eublepharis |
| Species: | E. macularius |
| Binomial name | |
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Eublepharis macularius (Blyth, 1854) |
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The leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is a crepuscular ground-dwelling lizard naturally found in the highlands of Asia and throughout Afghanistan, to parts of northern India. Unlike most geckos, leopard geckos possess movable eyelids, and cannot climb up smooth surfaces. It has become a well-established and popular pet in captivity. They were bred in 1970.
Leopard geckos were first described as a species by zoologist Edward Blyth in 1854 as Eublepharis macularius. The generic name Eublepharis is a combination of the Greek words Eu (good), and blephar (eyelid), as having eyelids is the primary characteristic that distinguishes members of this subfamily from other geckos, along with a lack of lamellae, bumpy skin, and nocturnal behavior. The specific name, macularius, derives from the Latin word macula meaning "spot" or "blemish", referring to the animal's natural spotted markings. Leopard geckos are related to many different geckos including the African fat-tailed gecko. There are four species however that are exceptionally closely related to the leopard gecko, one of which was previously included as a subspecies of leopard gecko: In addition, there are five subspecies of leopard gecko;
The native habitat of the leopard gecko is the rocky, dry grassland and desert regions of south-Asian Afghanistan, Pakistan, north-west India, and some parts of Iran. Winter temperatures in these areas can be quite low, below 10 °C (50 °F), forcing the animals underground into semi-hibernation, called brumation, living on fat reserves. Leopard geckos are crepuscular reptiles; they are limited to the burrows during the day but become active at dawn and dusk when the temperature is favorable. These geckos are solitary, and do not usually live with other animals.
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Wikipedia