Fat-tailed Diplodactylus
Scientific Name: Diplodactylus conspicillatus
Size: Total Length 65 mm
What does it look like?
The Fat-tailed Diplodactylus is stout, with a short, bulbous tail and a pale stripe running from the tip of the snout to the front of the eye. Pale sandy brown to reddish above with varied darker brown spots and streaks; whitish below. Paler spots along the sides and on the legs, and short toes tipped with white. Original tail with large scales and tubercles forming rings.
Where is it found?
Central coast and inland WA, NT, northern SA, western Qld and north-western NSW.
What are its habitats & habits?
The Fat-tailed Diplodactylus inhabits a wide variety of arid to semi-arid habitats across its range, including shrublands, woodlands, stony ranges and sandy spinifex grasslands. Terrestrial and nocturnal, sheltering during the day in small burrows and using its enlarged tail, used to store fat, to seal the hole against intruders and keep in moisture. Feeds almost exclusively on termites. Oviparous, laying 2 parchment-shelled eggs in a clutch.
Alternative names
Fat-tailed Gecko; Variable Fat-tailed Gecko; Burrow-plug Gecko.
This species features in my book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Reptiles of Australia
