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Rocky, dry grasslands and desert scrub. habitat
Leopard Gecko
Reptile Fact Sheet

Leopard Gecko

LC

Eublepharis macularius

Rocky, dry grasslands and desert scrub.

Fact Sheet

About this animal

Key facts about the leopard gecko.

Common Name
Leopard Gecko
Scientific Name
Eublepharis macularius
Classification
Reptilia • Squamata • Eublepharidae
Distribution
Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwest India and parts of Iran.
Habitat
Rocky, dry grasslands and desert scrub.
Range map · red pin marks a typical locationView larger map
Diet
Insectivore: crickets, mealworms, beetles and other invertebrates.
Size
About 18–25 cm (7–10 in).
Lifespan
15–20 years, sometimes more.
Conservation Status
LC
Least Concern.
Behaviour
Crepuscular — most active at dawn and dusk. Ground-dwelling and non-climbing.
Adaptations
Unlike most geckos, it has eyelids it can blink and close. Stores fat in its thick tail for lean times.
Predators
Snakes, foxes and larger lizards.
Interesting Facts
  • One of the first lizard species ever kept as a pet.
  • Babies start out banded and develop spots as they grow — like a leopard.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Habitat: Rocky desert (Desert National Park) — Wikimedia Commons