''Pachydactylus rangei'', the Namib sand gecko or Namib web-footed gecko, is a species of small lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It inhabits the arid areas of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, and was first described in 1908 by Swedish zoologist Lars Gabriel Andersson, who named it after its finder, German geologist Dr. Paul Range.
Similar species: Snakes And Lizards
By Barry
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Uploaded Mar 11, 2017. Captured Nov 22, 2012 10:10 in D1983, Rooibank, Namibia.
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The Namib Sand Gecko (Pachydactylus rangei) has several awesome adaptations for living in the harsh Namib Desert, where rainfall doesn’t usually exceed 1 cm (0.4 in) per year! First, it has webbed feet, which act like tiny shovels. These shovel-feet come in handy (footy?) for digging into the sand where the geckos spend the scorching daytime hours up to a meter (3.3 ft) underground, thus protected from the heat. They only emerge at night to feed. Their webbed feet also act as sandshoes that help them run across the sand quickly and with ease. Another awesome feature involves their eyes. They do not have eyelids! Instead, their eyes are covered with a transparent scale that they keep clean by licking. Incidentally, droplets of water condense on their eyes, which are easily slurped up by their thirsty tongues. {Spotted in Namibia by JungleDragon user, Barry} #JungleDragon Posted 6 years ago