Reptiles
Sand gecko
Stenodactylus sthenodactylus
The sand gecko is a small desert gecko with large, protruding eyes, adapted to life on sandy soils. Unlike many geckos it has slender toes without adhesive pads, suited to running on sand.
In short
The sand gecko (Stenodactylus sthenodactylus) is a species with IUCN conservation status LC (Least concern). It lives in sandy and gravelly deserts, dunes and arid plains of North Africa and the Middle East. Animals in Black offers a fine-art portrait of it on a black background, available as a print on Hahnemühle paper: request the print.
Habitat & conservation
Where does the sand gecko live?
It lives in sandy and gravelly deserts, dunes and arid plains of North Africa and the Middle East. It is nocturnal: by day it shelters in burrows and under stones, by night it hunts small insects on the sand.
Is the sand gecko endangered?
The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern (LC) with a stable population and a very wide range. It faces no significant threats.
Facts about the sand gecko
- It has slender toes without adhesive pads, suited to sand.
- Its large, bulging eyes aid nocturnal hunting.
- By day it shelters under stones and in burrows.
Data source: IUCN Red List — Stenodactylus sthenodactylus (Least Concern) · IUCN SSC / Reptile Database
RED List
Conservation status codes
- EX Extinct No individuals survive.
- EW Extinct in the wild Survives only in captivity.
- CR Critically endangered Extremely high risk of extinction.
- EN Endangered Very high risk of extinction.
- VU Vulnerable High risk of extinction.
- NT Near threatened Likely to become threatened soon.
- LC Least concern Low risk of extinction.
- DD Data deficient Not enough data to assess.
- NE Not evaluated Not yet assessed by the IUCN.