Bibron's thick-toed gecko

Chondrodactylus bibronii, commonly known as Bibron's thick-toed gecko, Bibron's sand gecko,^[3] or simply Bibron's gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southern Africa. C. bibronii has been used as an animal model in bioastronautic research examining the effects of spaceflight on the morphology and physiology of vertebrates.^[4]

Bibron's thick-toed gecko
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Infraorder:	Gekkota
Family:	Gekkonidae
Genus:	Chondrodactylus
Species:	C. bibronii
Binomial name
Chondrodactylus bibronii (A. Smith, 1846)
Synonyms[2]
Tarentola bibronii A. Smith, 1846 Pachydactylus bibronii — Boulenger, 1885 Chondrodactylus bibronii — Bauer & Lamb, 2005

Etymology

The specific name, bibronii, is in honor of French herpetologist Gabriel Bibron, as are several common names.^[5]

Geographic range

Bibron's gecko is distributed across the southern part of the African continent in Namibia, South Africa, and Eswatini.^[2] It is common in South Africa, where it is one of the largest gecko species.^{[citation needed]}

C. bibronii has been introduced in the southeastern United States. Populations have been found in Manatee County, Florida.^[3]

Description

A moderate-sized gecko, C. bibronii reaches a total length (including tail) of 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm). It has a stockier build than most other geckos. The female is generally smaller than the male. Its base color is brown, and it has a beaded pattern dorsally, with black crossbars. The male has white dots; the female may, as well. The belly is white or very light brown. The newly hatched Bibron's gecko has solid line and color patterns, while the adult's patterns are more broken.^{[citation needed]}

Behavior

Bibron's thick-toed gecko is arboreal and ground-dwelling. It is territorial, and males are very aggressive toward each other. Individuals can commonly be found missing appendages in the wild.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction

An adult female C. bibronii usually lays two clutches per year, with two eggs per clutch.^{[citation needed]}