The Frog Eyed Gecko is a very unique species of Gecko that is native to parts of the Middle East and Asia.
While these ground-dwelling lizards have many features similar to other related Gecko species, they also have some unique characteristics and behaviours that make them stand out.
These lizards are sometimes known as the Common Wonder Gecko and have adapted to thrive in dry desert environments.
Frog Eyed Gecko Taxonomy
The Frog Eyed Gecko belongs to a family of lizards called Sphaerodactylidae. This is a group of lizards that fall under the Infraorder Gekkota, meaning they are a sub-group of Geckos.
This is a large family of lizards that has 11 different genera. There are well over 100 different species belonging to this family.
The types of lizards in this family include lizards such as the Dwarf Geckos and the Rock Geckos.
The genus that the Frog Eyed Gecko belongs to is called Teratoscincus. The species in this genus can be found throughout much of the Arabian Peninsula and Asia.
There are currently 7 recognised species in the Teratoscincus genus including the Bedriaga’s Plate-Tailed Gecko and the Small-Scaled Wonder Gecko.
All of the species in this genus are sometimes referred to as Wonder Geckos which can sometimes cause confusion.
The scientific name for the Frog Eyed Gecko is Teratoscincus scincus and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
The species was first described in 1858 by a German herpetologist named Hermann Schlegel.
Hermann Schlegel was responsible for describing a number of species of reptiles including the Burmese Mountain Tortoise, the Gopher Snake and the Sumatran Short Tailed Python.
Schlegel also described a number of other species with Müller in 1844 including the Painted Terrapin.
Frog Eyed Gecko Description
The Frog Eyed Gecko is a large species of gecko that can grow to a total length of around 16cm, including their tail.
While this is small in comparison to larger lizards such as monitors, it is actually quite large for a Gecko.
They have many gecko-like characteristics such as a broad head and large eyes while their tail is quite short.
The scales on the head of the lizard are small and get larger along its back and tail. This gives the appearance of a smooth head and rougher looking body.
They are typically light brown or tan in color with black stripes running the length of their backs.
These black stripes can be broken and can sometimes appear more like spots than actual stripes.
The belly of the lizard is white and this usually flares up along the sides of the Gecko with black spotting on many of the scales.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Frog Eyed Gecko is native to parts of the Middle East and Central Asia where they like to live in dry desert-like environments.
In the Middle East, these lizards can be found in places such as the Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait.
Their range extends into Central Asia where they can be found in places such as Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
These lizards like to live in hot, dry environments such as deserts, semi-arid scrubland and sand dunes and dry plains.
Frog Eyed Gecko Behaviour
The Frog Eyed Gecko is a nocturnal species meaning they are primarily active during the night and sleep during the day.
These lizards like to dig in the soft sand or loose gravel. They dig deep burrows to escape the heat of the day.
These deep burrows are also much more humid than the arid environment at the surface which helps to keep the hydrated.
They eat a variety of different insects but are also known to occasionally consume other species of small lizard.
The Frog Eyed Gecko adopts a very defensive stance when they feel threatened. They are known to hiss and yelp in an attempt to scare off a potential threat.
They will also stand on their tip-toes and adopt a threatening pose while lashing their tail.
