Thick-tail gecko

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=95 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="21a8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>index</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="index"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Thick-tail gecko</B>   |   <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Northern LeafTail Gecko"><U>Northern Leaf-Tail Gecko</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Southern Angleheaded Dragon"><U>Southern Angle-headed Dragon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Water Skink"><U>Eastern Water Skink</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id151.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Northern Blue Tongue Skink"><U>Northern Blue Tongue Skink</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id153.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Bluetongue skink"><U>Eastern Blue-tongue skink</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Water Dragons"><U>Eastern Water Dragons</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id139.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Bearded Dragon"><U>Eastern Bearded Dragon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id176.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shingleback lizard"><U>Shingleback lizard</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id177.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Central Bearded Dragon"><U>Central Bearded Dragon</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="21a8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Thick-tail gecko</I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="1066" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#003300" BORDERCOLORDARK="#006633" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Common Name:</B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT>Thick-tail gecko or Barking gecko.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=6><NOBR><bR> <div> <IMG SRC="359cd5a0.jpg" border=0 width="461" height="346" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>     </div> <div>                                                                 P<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >hoto's by Robyn Gentle</FONT></div> <bR> <div>                                                      (Thank you Robyn it is much appreciated)</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="35b05c40.jpg" border=0 width="261" height="196" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>        Hatchling 4 weeks old<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Scientific Name: </B></I>Underwoodisaurus milii</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 1 WIDTH="382"><div> <I><B>General characteristics: </B></I>The thick-tailed or barking gecko grows to a total length of around 12-14 cm long.  It has a white belly and a dark brown to nearly purplish on top with scattered white or yellow spots. The eyes are large and prominent and indicate that the lizard is active at night rather than during the day.  It the lizard is threatened<B> </B>it raises itself up on its skinny legs, waves its tail from side to side and lunges at the threat producing a croaky barking sound at the same time, this is the reason it also gets called the barking gecko.  They mate in spring and early summer and females lay a clutch of two parchment-shelled eggs in a nest dug in soil beneath a rock or in a deep crevice, sometimes using the same nest as other females.  The hatchlings are about 5 cm in length.  Several clutches may be produced during good seasons, with about a month's interval between each.  The eggs incubate for approximately two and a half months before they hatch. </div> <div> <I><B>Diet:</B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT>Small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, scorpions, crawling insects and small lizards..</div> <div> <I><B>Habitat: </B></I>The thick-tail gecko inhabits many environments including wet and dry sclerophyll forest, open grasslands, scrubland and even desert, particularly those areas associated with rock outcrops. It occurs over much of southern Australia except the far Southeast and Southwest. </div> <div> <I><B>Status:</B></I> Secure</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Updated 7 July 2007</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>