Stenodactylus petrii
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| Stenodactylus petrii |
The Stenodactylus petrii, or dune gecko, is a small, mostly nocturnal gecko of the genus Stenodactylus. It has large, interesting, eyes, which have earned it the nickname "frog-eyed" gecko.
They are found across northern Africa and in Israel in arid regions. From head to base of tail, they are about 2-3 inches long, a very small ‘dwarf’ gecko. The tails are quite long, compared to their size, 1-2 inches. If a tail is dropped, it will grow back, only shorter and stubbier. Unlike other geckos, these can not climb up smooth surfaces. Instead, they prefer to dig. During the day, they usually hide in burrows or in caves, though often these are out and about in the day. They sometimes appear slow, but they can be extremely fast. Camouflage in the sand helps them remain inconspicuous, especially when hunting. They eat mainly crickets and mealworms.
[edit] As pets
They are kept as pets, but are relatively hard to obtain. Local pet stores most likely do not have them. The best places to find them are at reptile shows or try looking up the nearest dealer of them to you. These geckos prefer live, moving food to hunt for themselves. In captivity, they are very active, often attempting to climb the walls of their cage or walking around, appearing very interested in something unknown. They never close their eyes and always appear to be awake. They are territorial, and it is best not to put them in a cage with leopard geckos. These small geckos will not bite or scratch unless they are much stressed. If they refuse to eat, this is a sign of stress. Once they eat, it is a sign they are comfortable with their environment. They are hardy but because of their size, they are best not being touched or moved to often. They can survive a large temperature range but are best with between 75-85 degrees in the day and 65-75 degrees at night. These temperatures can be maintained best with a heat lamp depending on where you live. Heat rocks and heating from underneath are not good for them. They will not need a humidity chamber. They also need a good size water bowl and somewhere to hide. Because of their digging, loose rocks are not good because the rocks can fall on the geckos while they dig.
