Rough-tailed bowfoot gecko  (Cyrtopodion scabrum)

This species has been provisionally assessed as Least Concern (LC) using the IUCN Red List criteria (3).

Belonging to one of the most diverse families of lizards, the rough-tailed bowfoot gecko is a small, nocturnal ground gecko, with exceptionally long, angular toes and two pairs of enlarged scales under the chin (4) (5). It is sandy in colour and whiter underneath, marked with regular brown spots on the body, and brown bands on the tail (6). The head is flattened downwards, and the eyes are large, lacking eyelids, with vertical pupils that can be contracted during the day to prevent light from damaging the retina. The tail is longer than the head and body and is relatively flat and tapered, with rows of prominent keeled scales. The rough-tailed bowfoot gecko also has a series of ridged, wart-like bumps, called tubercles, which are arranged regularly along the length of the back, and are separated by small scales, while the underside has around twenty large scales across the middle of the belly (2) (5) (6).

The rough-tailed bowfoot gecko is distributed throughout southwest Asia, including south east Turkey, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This species has also become naturalised in Israel, and has been introduced and become established in Texas, USA (7).

In its native range, the rough-tailed gecko is primarily found in disturbed habitats such as towns, oil camps and desert farms, while in Texas it is known only from the Port of Galveston, where it is found along the commercial fishing docks (2) (5).

The rough-tailed bowfoot gecko is active during the night, hunting for small insects such as ants, termites, beetles, moths, and grasshoppers. It often forages in artificially lit areas, often associated with human habitation, where it picks off insects that are attracted to the light (4) (5). On capturing prey, the rough-tailed bowfoot gecko thrashes it around in order to break the exoskeleton, before crushing it between its jaws and eating it whole (4). It is a remarkable climber, and like many other gecko species, it is capable of climbing up walls and ceilings using specialised toe pads. The underside of each toe is covered in small scales called scansors, which have up to 150,000 microscopic, highly branched and hair-like structures known as setae. The setae form hundreds of saucer-shaped end plates, which give the gecko an enormous surface area in relation to its body size, enabling it to grip all kinds of surfaces (5).

Breeding occurs from March to August. During the mating ritual, the male gecko emits low coughing sounds and makes side-to-side tail movements, before lunging forward and biting the side of the females’ neck. The pairing lasts several minutes, and following mating, the female retreats to a secluded place to lay a clutch of one or two rounded, hard-shelled eggs. Juvenile rough-tailed bowfoot geckos hatch within 30 to 40 days. During a breeding season, a female rough-tailed bowfoot gecko may lay up to three separate clutches (4).

While there currently appear to be no major threats to this species, it is relatively understudied, and a full assessment of potential threats has yet to be carried out.

There are currently no known specific conservation actions targeted at this species.

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi is a principal sponsor of ARKive. EAD is working to protect and conserve the environment as well as promoting sustainable development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

To find out more about other reptiles in the range of the rough-tailed bowfoot gecko, see:

• Hellyer, P. and Aspinall, S. (Eds). (2005) The Emirates: A Natural History. Trident Press Limited, London. Available at:
  http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaeint_misc/teanh/019trep.pdf