Common name: Arabian Web-footed Sand Gecko

Scientific name: Trigonodactylus arabicus

Family: Gekkonidae

Size:

SVL: about 38 mm

Tail: about 0.8–1.1 times the SVL

Identification:

The smallest gecko of the family Gekkonidae in the UAE. Head and body strongly flattened, with a narrow head, pointed snout, prominent nostrils and very large eyes with vertical pupils. Limbs relatively long and slender. The upper body is covered in small, uniform scales without tubercles. The back is very pale and almost translucent with faint dark mottling, and a dark bar crosses the snout between the eyes, sometimes continuing along the sides of the head and body. White underneath; tail round, with several dark bands. Webbing between the fingers of the forelimbs and fringes of pointed scales on the hind toes.

Habitat:

Soft, windblown sandy areas with dunes and scattered vegetation, from sea level to about 400 m.

Status in the UAE:

Native. Widely distributed across the country in suitable sandy habitat; also found through most of Arabia and into Jordan.

Diet:

Insectivorous — feeds on insects and other arthropods.

Behavior:

Strictly nocturnal and ground-dwelling. When disturbed, it hides in bushes, or runs fast for a few metres, stops suddenly and lies flat on the sand, relying on camouflage. Its webbed and fringed feet help it move easily on soft sand. Females lay a single hard-shelled egg.

Conservation status:

UAE National Red List: Not listed

Global: Least Concern (LC)