The ocelot gecko (Paroedura picta ) is a crepuscular ground-dwelling gecko found in leaf litter in Madagascar forests and is also a popular pet. It is sometimes known as the Madagascar ground gecko, Malagasy fat-tailed gecko, fat-headed gecko, or panther gecko.
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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starts withP. picta naturally occurs as a brown lizard with black markings. Some individuals may also have a white dorsal stripe. In captivity, there are several color phases available including hypo, orange, anerythristic, and amelanistic (yellow).
They usually reach a size of 4–6 inches (10–15 cm), with some well-cared-for males reaching 8 inches (20 cm). Overall, they are smaller than the average gecko.
The ocelot gecko is not a true climbing gecko, but does have the capability to climb a few surfaces. In captivity, it has been known to scale the sides of glass terrariums if startled.
They are exclusively insectivorous.
They are best observed during their preferred hunting time, between dusk and dawn.