The northern spiny-tailed gecko (Strophurus ciliaris ) is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The meaning of the scientific name or binomial, Strophurus ciliaris, comes from strophurus meaning "turning-tail" and ciliaris meaning "eyelashed", referring to the spines above the eyes.
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withS. ciliaris is highly variable in colour. This species can vary from a uniform grey colour, with few black or orange scales, to rich brown, with a mottled pattern of grey, white, and orange scales. Spines are present along the tail, and long spines are generally present above the eyes, giving the impression of being eye-lashed.The average length for a member of this species is 89 mm (3.5 in). Females are known to be significantly larger than males.
The northern spiny-tailed gecko occurs in the interior of Australia, and its range extends from the northwest region of New South Wales and western Queensland through to South Australia and the Northern Territory, and then stretches into Western Australia.
Of the recorded occurrences of this species, 48 percent have been recorded in the Northern Territory, 31.2 percent in Western Australia, 10.9 percent in South Australia, and the remaining across New South Wales and Queensland. There have been no recorded occurrences of this species in Victoria.
Little is known about the diet of this S. ciliaris. However, similar to other members of the gecko families, its diet includes arthropods. It has been observed licking the exudes of wattle sap.
S. ciliaris an oviparous species that has a clutch size of two.
Habitat degradation is a threat to the northern spiny-tailed gecko. A large amount of this species' habitat has been lost or heavily degraded by land clearing and feral invasive species including goats. Habitat degradation and loss should not be considered a major threat at this time due to the wide distribution and a large amount of suitable habitat that remains.
S. ciliaris is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This is due to its large distribution, unrestricted habitat preferences, and the limited number of threats facing this species.
