Description: Adults grow up to 7-8 inches total length with a maximum head-body size of 5.5 inches. A robust-bodied lizard with rows of large rough tubercular scales covering the back, raised scales covering the limbs and tail, and elongated toes. Color is gray or tan. Usually with 4 distinctive white spots with dark borders on the shoulders. (These spots are often not present on juveniles.) (These are the white spots which give this species its name. It has no other "ringed" markings.) Males are larger than females, with a broader head. The spots are sometimes not present or not easily visible on juveniles.
Habitat: This species inhabits rocky formations with little vegetation, and is often found on cliffs or in association with large boulder piles. It is also occasionally found on trees, the walls of houses, and wells, although it is apparently not strongly associated with anthropogenic habitats. The species forms loose colonies in suitable rocky outcrops, which can contain very large numbers of individuals.
Range: Egypt (Ismailia: [HR 31: 185]), S Morocco, Western Sahara, SE Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Sudan (Jumhuriyyat), Republic of South Sudan (RSS), Ethiopia (Abyssinia), Eritrea, N Somalia, N Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sinai, Senegal, Niger, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Djibouti. USA (introduced to Florida & California)
Diet: Prey includes invertebrates and small lizards.
Reproduction: oviparous. Exhibits temperature-dependent sex determination. The female lays between two and eight clutches of one to two eggs per year.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because there is no indication that the species is declining.
Taxonomy: also known as the white-spotted wall gecko
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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