Marbled gecko

Thanks for your kind words on yesterday’s blip. It was an extremely tough day to deal with.

Bright Eyes (aka Paladian) spotted this lovely little marbled gecko in our hall.  We haven’t seen any geckos for some time, so it’s nice to know that they are still living in the walls of the house.  They are insectivorous, eating small flying insects, and other undesirables.  They can change the colour of their skin quite readily to match the surroundings, so this one is pale compared to those found under rocks or the dark bark of trees.
 
It was a nice conclusion to an otherwise horrid 24 hour period and the loss of Rani.
 
Christinus marmoratus - Marbled gecko
 
Description
Adults reach an average (snout-vent) length of 50mm, and weigh about 2.5g. C. marmoratus have fat reserves in their tails, which can be disconnected from their body (autotomy) when threatened, to aid in escape. Tails take about eight months to regenerate. Fully regenerated tails are characterized by an abrupt change in dorsal skin colouring and pattern at the level of the original fracture plane. Original tails also have much more developed muscular bands.  C. marmoratus hatchlings do not have any fat in the tail, and they drop it more readily than adults do.
 
Distribution and habitat
C. marmoratus is Australia’s most southerly gecko. It occurs from north eastern New South Wales to south western Western Australia, as well as a number of islands off the coasts of South Australia and Western Australia. They use a variety of habitats including open shrubland, sclerophyll forest, riverine woodland and urban regions.
 
Ecology and behaviour
C. marmoratus is insectivorous and diurnal. During the hot summer months they generally use deep crevices and burrows as their daytime retreat sites, and in cooler weather they aggregate under rocks. Riverine populations generally rest under the thick exfoliating bark of large eucalyptus trees during the daytime.  C. marmoratus may thermoregulate by adjusting its posture, for instance, by raising or flattening the body to contact the rock substrate. They also seem to touch the rock with their snout before doing so, as if testing the temperature.