Western clawless gecko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western clawless gecko |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Crenadactylus
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| Species: |
occidentalis
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The Crenadactylus occidentalis, also known as the western clawless gecko, is a small gecko found only along the western coast of Australia. It's called "clawless" because it doesn't have claws on its toes, which is pretty unique for a gecko!
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Discovering the Western Clawless Gecko
Scientists first officially described the western clawless gecko in 2016. They were studying a group of rare geckos called Crenadactylus. Before this, many thought these geckos were all the same species or just slightly different types of one species.
But new studies, looking at their DNA, showed that there were actually many different species! These geckos had been living separately for a very long time, about 20 to 30 million years. That's even before dinosaurs disappeared! The first example of this gecko, called the holotype, was collected in 1992 on Dirk Hartog Island.
Another gecko, Crenadactylus ocellatus, which lives in Southwest Australia, was also sometimes called the western clawless gecko. But now we know they are different species.
What Does It Look Like?
The western clawless gecko is a medium-sized gecko. Its head is a bit wide compared to its body. It measures about 32.6 millimetres from its snout to its tail base.
Its body is mostly tan and light brown. It has clear stripes, which are common for geckos in this group. Sometimes, these stripes are broken up by small yellow or white spots. Even though many geckos in the Crenadactylus group look similar, their DNA is very different. This shows they have been separated for millions of years.
Where Does It Live?
The western clawless gecko lives in coastal areas of Western Australia. You can find it from a town called Carnarvon all the way south past the Northwest Cape to Yardie Creek. It also lives on islands near Carnarvon and in Shark Bay, like Dorre and Bernier islands.
These geckos prefer to live in areas with grass mounds, especially a type of grass called spinifex. They also like low coastal shrub-lands, which are areas with small bushes like banksia and acacia plants. Sometimes, they are even found near places where people have lived, in piles of discarded materials. They usually live at low altitudes, less than 100 metres asl above sea level.
Protecting the Western Clawless Gecko
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the western clawless gecko as a species of "least concern". This means that, for now, scientists don't think it's in immediate danger of disappearing. It lives in a large coastal area, and some of that area is protected.
However, even though it's "least concern," scientists note that the quality and size of its habitat are shrinking. We don't know exactly how many western clawless geckos there are. More research is needed to understand their population and make sure they stay safe for the future.
