Eublepharidae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eublepharidae |
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| Common leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| (unranked): | Gekkomorpha |
| Family: | Eublepharidae Boulenger, 1883 |
| Genera | |
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See text |
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The Eublepharidae are a special group of geckos. They are also known as eyelid geckos. There are 43 different kinds (species) of these geckos, found in six main groups (genera). You can find them in many parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, North America, and Central America.
What makes them special? Unlike most geckos, eyelid geckos have movable eyelids, just like humans! Most other geckos can't blink. Also, they don't have sticky toe pads, so they can't climb smooth walls like some other geckos.
Eyelid geckos can also drop their tails if they feel scared or threatened. This is called tail autotomy. The tail wiggles around for a while, distracting a predator. This gives the gecko time to escape! A new tail will grow back, but it might look a bit different from the original.
Some eyelid geckos, like the famous Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) and African fat-tailed geckos (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus), are very popular pets around the world.
Types of Eyelid Geckos
There are six main groups, or genera, of eyelid geckos. Each group has its own unique features and lives in different places. Here are the main groups:
| Genus | Image | Common name | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeluroscalabotes |  A. felinus |
Cat gecko | 1 |
| Coleonyx |  C. variegatus |
Banded geckos | 9 |
| Eublepharis |  E. macularius |
Leopard geckos | 7 |
| Goniurosaurus |  G. kuroiwae |
Ground and cave geckos | 24 |
| Hemitheconyx |  H. caudicinctus |
Fat-tailed geckos | 2 |
| Holodactylus |  H. africanus |
Clawed geckos | 2 |
See also
In Spanish: Eublefáridos para niños
