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With prolonged road construction happening on Wells Street, we recommend beginning your Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo adventure on Sherman Boulevard until construction is finished.

Knob-tailed Gecko

NEPHRURUS WHEELERI CINCTUS

Quick Facts

Scientific name: Nephrurus wheeleri cinctus
Length: 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 centimeters)
Tail length: 0.8 inches (2 centimeters)
Weight: 0.7 to 1.0 ounces (20 to 28 grams)
Life span: 15 years
Incubation: 4 to 6 weeks
Number of eggs: 1 or 2 eggs
Conservation status: Least concern

About

Shed some skin

Knob-tailed geckos need to shed all of their skin every two to four weeks to prevent infection. Common places for their old skins to stay connected and cause infections are the toe joints. Infections could cause them to lose a toe or two!

Don’t see the shed skin? That’s normal. Knob-tailed geckos eat their old skins for nutrients and habitat sanitation.


Was that a dog?

Another name for the knob-tailed gecko is the “barking gecko.” When geckos feel threatened, they wiggle their bodies, swing their tails, and bark loudly at their predators.


Everything’s better at night

Knob-tailed geckos prefer to be active during the cool nighttime weather. Their adaption to the cold allows them to hunt better at night. They chase their slow, cold, tired prey into open areas before consuming them. Even though their bodies can withstand colder temperatures than most lizards, on extremely cold nights knob-tailed geckos use their sharp claws to dig holes and bury themselves for warmth. During the day, these geckos seal themselves in abandoned or self-made burrows to sleep.

Conservation

Learn more about our efforts, our conservation partners around the world, and the simple steps you can take to contribute.

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