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Gecko
There are many different species of Gecko
in Botswana such as: Giant Ground
Gecko, Kalahari Ground Gecko, Moreau's Tropical House Gecko, Wahlberg's
Velvet Gecko, Cape Dwarf Gecko, Chobe Dwarf Gecko Bibron's Gecko, Cape
Gecko, Speckled Gecko and Common Barking Gecko. All geckos are characterized
by a large pair of adhesive scansors beneath the
dilated toe-tip, separated by a small gap from 1 -2 pairs of smaller scansors.
Claws that are retractile between the scansors are present in both sexes.
The head and body are flattened, and the eyes are large, with vertical
pupils. The back is covered with small, flat, smooth, granular scales.
Pre-anal pores are present in males, and the tail is usually segmented
at the base and slightly longer than the body.
They are nocturnal, usually sheltering under
exfoliating flakes on hard rock outcrops (e.g. granite, gneiss and some
sandstones) from low ground to the mountain tops. Some species are communal,
and may be found in large aggregations (10-20 individuals) in a suitable
crack. Geckos lay two hard-shelled eggs, often in a communal egg-laying
site.
The eggs are slightly soft and sticky when first laid, but harden later
and adhere together and to the rock.
Generally their habitats differ from species to species. Geckos are widely
spread throughout Botswana; Giant Ground Gecko can be found in the southern
parts of the Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park; Kalahari Gecko is present only in the Kalahari desert;
Cape Dwarf Gecko is present mainly in the Okavango delta and Chobe regions;
Birbon's and Cape Gecko are widely spread across the whole Botswana.
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