Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by Aftab Tariq
Types of geckos include leopard geckos, crested geckos, Tokay geckos, and more. They vary in appearance, behaviour, and habitat preferences, making each type unique and fascinating. Geckos come in many types and are popular pets in the UK.
They’re a lizard found worldwide, with wall geckos being the most common. Dr Mortal Kombat says,
“Leopard geckos are known for their striking spots and docile nature.”
They like warmth, needing a spot between 75 90°F to relax, depending on their type. Geckos are interesting reptiles with different traits, homes, habits, and foods they like. It’s important to know that not all geckos can climb on glass, which might be a bummer for kids.
This article talks about the various types of geckos for pets, Types of geckos in the world and shares fun facts about how they look, act, and where they live.
Gecko Classification
Geckos are lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae and are under the order Squamata. With over 1,000 species worldwide, they show diversity in size, colour, and habitat.
They have unique features, such as adhesive toe pads that allow them to walk up walls and across ceilings. Some species are parthenogenetic, which means females can reproduce without a male. They live in various climates but prefer tropical and subtropical regions.
Moreover, they are adaptable and resilient creatures, and their family tree branches into subfamilies with different genera and diverse species. Many people also keep pet geckos, such as leopard and frog eyed geckos.
However, some gecko species are in danger due to habitat loss and fragmentation. For example, the IUCN has classified 85 as vulnerable, 74 as endangered, 61 as critically endangered, one as extinct in the wild, and three as extinct.
Types Of Gecko Species
Here is the list of the top 15 Types of geckos.
1: Crested Gecko (Correlophus Ciliatus)
The Crested Gecko comes from islands in the South Pacific called New Caledonia. It’s about 7 to 9 inches long, calm, and gentle when it’s all grown up. These geckos like to come out at night. They use their tail to help them balance and move around. They have tiny hair like things above their eyes that look like eyelashes.
Their skin has many different colours and patterns, making them popular with people who like reptiles. Crested geckos eat bugs like grasshoppers, ants, spiders, crickets, worms, and some fruits. Unlike other geckos, they can’t stick to things with their toes.
Instead, they make sounds and use their body to talk to each other. Also, they can change colours and patterns depending on their feelings or what’s happening around them.
2: Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
The Leopard Gecko lives in dry places in Asia and is good at living in deserts and rocky ground. It mostly hunts at night and eats beetles, spiders, centipedes, and sometimes scorpions. Even though it eats bugs, it’s gentle, which is why many people like to have them as pets.
Also, its tail is a special way to protect itself from danger. The gecko can drop its tail and run away if a predator tries to catch it. The tail is also like a storehouse for food and fat, which helps the gecko stay healthy when there isn’t much food around.
3: Madagascar Ground Gecko (Paroedura pictus)
The Madagascar Ground Gecko is a small lizard from Madagascar, an island with many different kinds of plants and animals. It has special colours that help it hide in its surroundings. It’s a little small, only about 4 to 6 inches long.
This gecko likes to come out at night and eat small bugs. Even though it can’t stick to things with its toes, it’s still good at moving around on the ground.
It can drop its tail to distract the animal trying to catch it when it’s in danger, and then it can run away. During the daytime, it hides in holes or under rocks until it’s time to come out and find food at night.
4: Gargoyle Gecko (Rhacodactylus auriculatus)
The Gargoyle Gecko lives in a warm, beautiful New Caledonia in the South Pacific. It looks like the statues you see on old buildings, with horn like things on its head. Its colours can be bright, like red or orange, or more calming, like white or blue, so it can easily hide in the forest.
These geckos are most active when the sun is rising or setting. During the day, they hide in trees or under leaves to stay safe from animals wanting to eat them. They eat bugs, fruits, and sometimes small lizards.
When a predator comes near, they can drop their tail, which keeps moving for a while, so the predator gets confused, and the gecko can get away. The gecko can grow its tail again later, so it’s ready to protect itself if needed.
5: Gold Dust Day Gecko (Phelsuma Laticauda)
The Gold Dust Day Gecko is a lizard species indigenous to Madagascar and the Comoros islands. The Hawaiian Islands have also become a part of its defined domain.
In its natural environment, it can blend in with its surroundings thanks to its emerald colouration with gold dots, making it stand out. It lives in trees and feeds on insects, invertebrates, fruits, and nectar. Despite its size, which ranges from four to five inches, it is agile and actively engaged.
Chirping and body language are just two of the many ways that the Gold Dust Day Gecko can communicate with it. Gold Dust Day Gecko is the best gecko pets for beginners.
6: Mediterranean House Gecko (Hemidactylus Turcicus)
The Mediterranean House Gecko is a little lizard that’s found in many places beyond where it originally the region from whence it originated, such as Southern Europe, North Africa, and some regions of the Middle East.
They’ve gotten used to living near people, even in houses. Their skin can change colour to match where they are, and they have tiny bumps all over their bodies.
Their special toes let them climb walls and even ceilings, which help them, catch bugs. These geckos like to come out at night and eat insects and spiders. They’re helpful to have around because they help keep the number of pests down in homes.
7: Tokay Gecko (Gekko Gecko)
The Tokay Gecko lives in the rainforests of Asia and some islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is bluish or greyish with bright red or light yellow spots and can grow up to 15 inches long.
Their big eyes help them see well at night, and their skin has small, bumpy scales. These geckos are comfortable living in the wild or near people, eating bugs attracted to lights.
They mostly eat insects and catch small animals like birds and other reptiles. You can often hear their unique sound, “To kay, To kay,” echoing in the night.
8: Fan Fingered Gecko (Ptyodactylus Hasselquistii)
The Fan Fingered Gecko is a lizard that comes out at night and lives in the rocky areas of North Africa and the Middle East. Its fingers look like fans, which help it climb rocks easily. Its brown colour helps it hide against the rocky background.
Every night, this gecko goes out to find food under the big sky of the desert. Even though it’s small, it’s good at catching beetles, spiders, and moths. If it feels scared, it makes a high pitched sound to protect itself. And if it needs to get away, it can drop its tail and grow a new one later.
9: Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus Frenatus)
The Common House Gecko is a reptile that lives in Southeast Asia and is active at night. Because these geckos have only partially opaque skin, their internal organs may be seen through their skin. They range in size from four to six inches, with males slightly larger than females.
The chirps and clicks that these nocturnal animals make are their signals. They also do not have a particular preference for food, as they consume insects, small invertebrates, lost skin, and eggs that have yet to be fertilized. By eliminating mosquitoes, spiders, and other unpleasant insects, they contribute to the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem.
10: Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus)
The Satanic Leaf tailed Gecko is a special kind of gecko native to the tropical highlands of Madagascar. It’s mostly active at night. This gecko is good at blending in with its surroundings.
It looks like dead leaves, and its tail resembles fallen leaves. During the day, it hides from predators using its camouflage. But it becomes a quiet hunter at night, eating small bugs and invertebrates. It has horn like projections above its eyes that make it look a bit like a devil, which is why it’s called “satanic.”
But don’t worry, it’s not harmful to people. Sadly, these geckos are facing some problems because people are cutting down their homes in the forests, and some are capturing them to sell as pets because they look so cool.
11: African Fat Tailed Gecko (Hemitheconyx Caudicinctus)
The African Fat Tailed Gecko is a gecko that lives in the savannas and scrublands of West Africa. It has a big, thick tail that holds fat in case there isn’t much food around. Their skin has stripes of brown and tan, which help them hide from animals that might want to eat them.
They can drop and grow their tail later if they’re in danger. These geckos like to eat crickets, mealworms, and waxworms.
12: Mourning Gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris)
The Mourning Gecko comes from the Indo Pacific area and makes a sad sounding chirp. It’s able to live well in many different places around the world. These geckos are small, usually about 4 inches long, but they can live for up to 10 years if taken care of properly.
They like eating fruits, insects, and even their old skin! They’re most active at night when they’re looking for food. Something interesting about them is that the females can have babies without needing a male gecko around.
13: White Lined Gecko (Gekko Vittatus)
The White Lined Gecko is a unique species that can be found in the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia. Because it has a white stripe along its body, one of the most prevalent names for this animal is the Skunk Gecko.
Most of this lonely creature’s diet consists of insects such as crickets and roaches. It will likely hunt and consume smaller lizards.
Similarly, the White Lined Gecko makes a high pitched squeal whenever it feels threatened. Male geckos can become hostile during the breeding season.
14: Flying Gecko (Gekko Kuhli)
The Flying Gecko is a special kind of gecko found in Southeast Asia. It has extra skin flaps on its body, tail, and feet that help it glide through the air. It looks like tree bark in the daytime, so it’s hard to see. Because of the sun, its insides have dark colours.
But it starts moving around at night to catch bugs and small animals. When it’s time to have babies, the female gecko lays eggs in safe places like cracks in tree bark or under loose bark.
15: New Caledonian Giant Gecko (Rhacodactylus Leachianus)
The New Caledonian Giant Gecko is the biggest gecko you can find, growing up to 17 inches long. They have strong bodies and big heads, covered in bumpy skin that feels like sandpaper.
They come in different colours, like green and brown, with patterns that help them hide on trees and leaves. These geckos like to come out at night to hunt for food. They eat bugs, fruits, small animals, and sometimes other geckos! During mating season, they make sounds like growling, barking, and hissing when talking.
Is Gecko A Type Of Lizard?
Yes, indeed! Geckos are a type of lizard. What sets them apart from other lizards is that they do not lay enormous clutches of eggs but rather pair up and lay their eggs. They can also produce distinctive vocalizations, such as chirps and barks.
Most geckos have no eyelids and sticky toes that allow them to scale walls. Approximately 1,500 geckos are found among the approximately 6,000 species of lizards.
What Do Geckos Eat?
All continents, except Antarctica, are home to gecko species, including India, Africa, the Amazon, and New Caledonia. They can flourish in various environments and temperatures, including deserts, rainforests, woodlands, and areas close to riverbanks.
As a result of this diversity, wild geckos consume a wide variety of foods, which allows them to obtain many different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Several geckos are primarily insectivores, meaning they consume any small insect or arachnid that moves. These geckos include:
- Arachnids
- Enzymes
- Creepers of grass
- The Scorpions
- The caterpillars
- There are crickets.
As geckos mature, they may become carnivorous, consuming other animals such as snakes, small mice, young birds, and smaller geckos. Certain species of geckos, such as crested geckos, are more omnivorous than others and consume flowers and fruits.
Rewrite it up.
Types Of Geckos For Sale
Geckos are among the most well liked reptiles that people keep as pets. In most cases, they are submissive and simple to train. In addition, they are creatures that require quite modest upkeep and only demand a little effort from their owners. They have a wonderful personality, are easy to care for, and have a respectful temperament to authority.
For the benefit of everyone interested in purchasing geckos, we offer a large selection of exotic gecko species available for purchase online. A wide variety of infant gecko species are available for purchase, including day geckos, leopard geckos, leaf tail geckos, and a great deal more, which are some of the most popular items among our customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Gecko Is The Friendliest?
The Crested Gecko is known for its friendly nature. It has become one of the most popular pet geckos in captivity. Their playful behaviour and easy care make them a favourite choice among pet owners.
What Is The Most Popular Type Of Gecko?
The most popular type of gecko for pets is the Leopard Gecko. They have been widely favoured among pet owners for a long time.
Sources
Types of Geckos to Keep as Pets
Common Pet Gecko Types for Beginners
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