Gecko
There are many different species
of Gecko in Botswana such as: Giant Ground
Gecko, Kalahari Ground Gecko, Moreau's Tropical House Gecko, Wahlberg's
Velvet Gecko, Cape Dwarf Gecko, Chobe Dwarf Gecko Bibron's Gecko,
Cape Gecko, Speckled Gecko and Common Barking Gecko. All geckos
are characterized by a large pair of adhesive scansors beneath the
dilated toe-tip, separated by a small gap from 1 -2 pairs of smaller
scansors. Claws that are retractile between the scansors are present
in both sexes. The head and body are flattened, and the eyes are
large, with vertical pupils. The back is covered with small, flat,
smooth, granular scales. Pre-anal pores are present in males, and
the tail is usually segmented at the base and slightly longer than
the body.
They are nocturnal, usually sheltering
under exfoliating flakes on hard rock outcrops (e.g. granite, gneiss
and some sandstones) from low ground to the mountain tops. Some
species are communal, and may be found in large aggregations (10-20
individuals) in a suitable crack. Geckos lay two hard-shelled eggs,
often in a communal egg-laying site.
The eggs are slightly soft and sticky when first laid, but harden
later and adhere together and to the rock.
Generally their habitats differ from species to species. Geckos
are widely spread throughout Botswana; Giant Ground Gecko can be
found in the southern parts of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park;
Kalahari Gecko is present only in the Kalahari desert; Cape Dwarf
Gecko is present mainly in the Okavango delta and Chobe regions;
Birbon's and Cape Gecko are widely spread across the whole Botswana.
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