Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko

About the Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko

Wahlberg's velvet gecko (Homopholis wahlbergii) is a species of large gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species occurs exclusively in Southern Africa. The specific name, wahlbergii, is in honour of Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg. The spelling walbergii was corrected to wahlbergii by Smith (1849) in an errata within an addenda slip (unpaginated).

H. wahlbergii is endemic to Miombo and Mopane bushveld of Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. The largest part of its range covers Zimbabwe. H. wahlbergii shelters under tree bark, rocks, empty bird nests, and other places in coastal bush and mesic and arid savannas.

Wahlberg's velvet gecko is so called because the skin looks and feels like velvet. The back varies from dark grey to soft grey-brown and may be crossed with paler chevrons or crossbars or have mottled paler areas nestled along the centre of its back and spine. Adults may attain a total length (including tail) of 21 cm (8.3 in), but average total length is 14–18 cm (5.5–7.1 in).

H. wahlbergii is nocturnal; however, it has been observed to occasionally... Wikipedia →