Arabian Web-footed Sand Gecko \ Trigonodactylus arabicus

The Arabian Web-footed Sand Gecko (Trigonodactylus arabicus) is the smallest member of the gecko family Gekkonidae in the United Arab Emirates. Its snout–vent length is around 38 mm. It is widespread across the country and through most of Arabia, reaching as far as Jordan. It lives on soft, windblown sand with dunes and scattered plants, from sea level up to about 400 m. Its head and body are strongly flattened. It has a narrow head, a pointed snout, prominent nostrils and very large eyes with vertical pupils. The back is pale and almost translucent, with faint dark mottling and a dark bar that crosses the snout between the eyes. The underside is white, and the tail carries several dark bands. The feature behind its name is the webbing between the fingers of the forelimbs. Together with fringes of pointed scales on the hind toes, it lets the gecko move easily over loose sand. This is a strictly nocturnal, ground-dwelling gecko that feeds on insects and other arthropods. When disturbed, it either slips into a bush or dashes a few metres, then stops dead and presses flat against the sand, trusting its camouflage. That habit makes it a rewarding but challenging subject for night photography in the UAE dunes. Females lay a single hard-shelled egg.