Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko

Afrogecko porphyreus

A nocturnal gecko that is endemic to South Africa and occurs only in pockets of our Eastern and Western Cape Provinces, the Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko is commonly found in rocky areas, fallen trees and in and around houses within the fynbos biome. It would appear that they’re not territorial and are often found in close proximity to several other individuals of the same species where food is plentiful. Females lay two small eggs under bark or in a crack in a rock, but several females may lay their eggs in the same spot. The baby geckos emerge about two months later and grow quickly. Fully grown Marbled Leaf-toed Geckos measure about 5cm long excluding their tails.

11 thoughts on “Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko

  1. Birder's Journey's avatarBirder's Journey

    Great photos and such incredible camouflage. And how interesting that females lay their eggs in the same location as other females. I wonder how many other species do the same thing?

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    1. DeWetsWild's avatarDeWetsWild Post author

      I think it may be more common with reptiles than we might know, Carol. The majority of them don’t care for their eggs like birds do, and therefore if a female find a spot that looks like it ticks the right boxes it is likely that other females might agree and leave their eggs there too.

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