Northern Turnip-tailed Gecko

Thecadactylus rapicauda

The turnip-tailed gecko is a species of gecko widely distributed from Mexico southward through Central America and into South America as far south as Brazil, and on many islands in the Lesser Antilles. It was long thought to be the only member of its genus, until "T. solimoensis" was described in 2007.
Northern Turnip-tailed Gecko, San Cipriano Reserve, Colombia Colombia,Colombia 2022,Geotagged,Northern Turnip-tailed Gecko,San Cipriano Reserve,South America,Summer,Thecadactylus rapicauda,World

Appearance

It is a large gecko, reaching a length of 120 mm snout-to-vent. Its color varies from pale to dark gray to deep orange. Individuals can also change color. It can vocalize a series of chirps, which it mainly does while active at night. Its name comes from its swollen tail, which is used to store fat. It also waves its tail as a sign of aggression, and can shed its tail to distract predators. They are nocturnal in nature and are frequently found 5–30 feet up the trunks of palm trees.
Turnip-tailed gecko (Thecadactylus rapicauda) Punta Laguna, Quintana Roo, Mexico. May 1, 2017. Geotagged,Mexico,Spring,Thecadactylus rapicauda,Turnip-tailed gecko

Naming

Synonyms
Gekko rapicauda
Stellio perfoliatus
Gekko laevis
Gekko surinamensis
Platydactylus theconyx
Pachydactylus tristis
Platydactylus theconyx
Thecadactylus rapicaudus

Predators

These include the phyllostomid bat, "Choropterus auritus".

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyPhyllodactylidae
GenusThecadactylus
SpeciesT. rapicauda
Photographed in
Colombia
Mexico