Lesueur's Velvet Gecko

Fascinating facts about the Lesueur's Velvet Gecko

• It is found near the eastern coastline of New South Wales and Queensland.
• Although it may be the most common gecko in the Sydney area, it stays hidden under snug rocks by day and only emerges at night to hunt insects, proving that abundance doesn't always mean easy spotting.
• Male geckos become sexually mature at two years, but females wait double that time, four years, highlighting a gender gap in growth that shapes their population dynamics.

At a glance

About the Lesueur's Velvet Gecko

Lesueur's velvet gecko, Amalosia lesueurii, is a small member of the Diplodactylidae family, rarely exceeding an 8 cm snout-to-vent length. It is mottled grey and is named for the French naturalist Charles Alexandre Lesueur. This nocturnal gecko spends daylight hours hidden under close-fitting rocks along the eastern coast of New South Wales and Queensland, emerging at night to hunt insects. It is perhaps the most common gecko in the Sydney region but is seldom seen unless disturbed. Males reach sexual maturity at two years, females at four years, and the species is oviparous with a clutch size of two eggs, which are laid in rock crevices.

More reptiles to discover

Browse Feravox