South Western Spiney Tailed Gecko

There are two subspecies;

Strophurus spinigerus which is found on the coastal dunes and heathlands including Rottnest Island.

These photographs were taken outside the Port Kennedy Scientific Park in Port Kennedy south of Perth in January. As you can see this gecko was on the road. If you have to pick up a gecko to save it from being run over, try to let it walk onto your hand rather than grabbing them as they have delicate skin.

Port Kennedy Scintific Park south of Perth near Rockingham

This is the gecko that apparently squirts a harmless liquid from the top of its tail when threatened. I don't hassle wildlife so all I saw this gecko do was to slink down to the ground as flat as it could in an attempt to be invisible. Unfortunately for them they do this when a vehicle approaches and then can get run over, rather than running off the road.

These photographs were taken on Rottnest Island in March. As no vehicles are permitted on the Island except for service vehicles and buses I enjoyed a ride on my bicycle at night in search of quokka's. Rottnest Island Authority require you to gain filming permission to photograph.

Here you can see the spiny tail.

I saw three of these gecko's on the roads. Most geckos are mostly active in the first few hours after sunset.

These gecko's like to climb trees and rest in shrubs during the day.

Gecko's have a short tongue.

This gecko lays two soft shelled eggs. All geckos are egg layers.

Go Here to see our video of this gecko at Rottnest Island.

What do they eat? They are hunters like all gecko's feeding on insects such as cockroaches, crickets and grasshoppers, bugs, moths etc probably anything that they can catch at night. This beetle was seen at Port Kennedy Scientific Park in January.
	This Banded centipede was found on the same road as the gecko photographed at Rottnest Island on the same night.
This photograph was taken at Perth Zoo and is probably a young S.spinigerus. These geckos can climb up glass.
Strophurus *spinigerus* inornatus Is found more in the Darling Range. Text "Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region" by Brian Bush, Brad Maryan, Robert Browne-Cooper and David Robinson. "Australian Reptiles A Photographic Reference to the Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia" by Stephen K Wilson, CD Rom "Australian Reptiles and Frogs" by Herald Ehnann and Micheal Tyler.

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