Fun Texas Banded Gecko Facts For Kids

The Texas Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis) also known as the Texas Gold Banded Gecko or the Texas Lizard is one of the species of small gecko which resembles a lizard. This tiny fella is native to North American regions of Western Texas, Southwestern New Mexico in the United States, in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Durango in Mexico. These are the smallest among their kind which includes other popular species like a gargoyle gecko and a crested gecko. The Texas Banded Gecko is docile in nature and has a delicate slender body conditioned with a tail that contributes to nearly half of its weight. Their tiny bodies are covered with alternating bands of yellowish-golden and brown bands that run across their pink body. The gecko has large eyes with vertical pupils which help them find prey and also protect themselves from predators. These are nocturnal by nature, which means they are most active at night when there's no light. The gecko has one of the most brilliant survival instincts. When it feels a predator approaching, the gecko will generally point its tail in the direction of the predator and wiggle in an up and down manner to threaten the enemy.

If you found these facts interesting so far, do read on to know more about this little fella.

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What type of animal is a Texas Banded Gecko?

The Texas Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis) belongs to the species of Squamata, which belongs to the family of eyelid geckos.

What class of animal does a Texas Banded Gecko belong to?

The Texas Banded Gecko belongs to the family of reptiles of the animal kingdom.

How many Texas Banded Geckos are there in the world?

There is no substantial data that exists that can account for an accurate number of Texas Banded Geckos that are present in the world. However, factors like climate change, habitat degeneration, and several other adverse environmental factors are leading to a decline in the species that inhabit North American regions.

Where does a Texas Banded Gecko live? 

The Texas Banded Gecko can be located in regions of Texas, Southern New Mexico, the USA to Northeastern Mexico. They are popularly found in Texas, in the Trans-Pecos region in the southwest as well as western parts of the South Texas thorn scrub.

What is a Texas Banded Gecko's habitat?

The Texas Banded Gecko lives in semi-arid regions which consist of dry and rocky areas. These geckos are primarily found in dry and rocky areas, in burrows, dens, and places underneath rocks. They are rarely seen climbing branches or rocks. They prefer to stay on the ground and under and, in between the cracks and crevices of rocks. These animals are native. They are nocturnal and are most active and alive after dusk, and at night when the sun has set and the daylight has died out. There exist six gecko species among which the Texas Banded Gecko is the smallest one.

Who do Texas Banded Geckos live with?

The Texas Banded Gecko are solitary animals that live alone and are usually not found in groups. They are swift in nature and love to hide away from the daylight. They live among several insects like spiders and other lizards which are smaller in size compared to them.

How long does a Texas Banded Gecko live?

These geckos can live up to the age of 25 years. But most often, they fail to live this long as they are usually preyed upon by larger carnivores like lizards and snakes.

How do they reproduce?

The process of reproductions with the Texas Banded Gecko occurs in the months of March and April. They are oviparous in nature which means the eggs hatch after a period of time following the laying process. They usually produce in clutches and the average clutches produced annually are two or three clutches and each clutch has one or two eggs. Eggs hatch after a period of two months following the laying process which is in an underground nest. The dime-sized baby geckos quickly mature into adults. Another interesting pattern observed in the process of egg formation is how the female uses fat that she stores in her tail to enlargen the egg yolk. This ensures quick hatching and healthy growth of the egg. The Texas Banded Gecko  release the stored fat once the eggs are fully grown

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of this Gecko is Least Concern.

What do Texas Banded Geckos look like?

The Texas Banded Gecko is a reptile that is one among the six of its kind. This reptile grows only 4 in (10 cm) in length and weighs just about 0.004 lb (2 g). The banded geckos' body has patterns of alternating bands of dark brown and yellow that cover its entire body which is affixed with a tail. The tail contributes to half of its total length and body mass. They have a large head with large eyes and vertical pupils and mobile eyelids. Similar to the body of the gecko, the toes too are slender in nature. During the period of maturity, the banded geckos' appearance becomes more vivid. Tiny blotchy and patchy patterns of light and dark colors start to appear which helps them camouflage. This small fella, like many other lizards, has scales that resemble the texture of sandpaper. Its vertical pupils along with the moveable eyelids add to its appearance.

How cute are they?

Some people may find this gecko adorable and friendly as they are harmless little creatures while others might be afraid of their texture and size. Another beautiful species of a similar kind is the blue Texas Banded Gecko.

How do they communicate?

The Coleonyx brevis squeak or squeal to indicate their territory or breeding. During the time of gathering or hunting food and feeding it uses visual cues before it can attack the prey.

How big is a Texas Banded Gecko?

The Texas Banded Gecko can grow up to a length of 4 in (10 cm) and can weigh up to 0.04 lb (2 g). These geckos are almost as big as the Western Banded Gecko. They are about half the size of an African bullfrog.

How fast can a Texas Banded Gecko move?

These Banded Geckos are swift walkers. They are excellent at climbing trees and rocks. Despite spending most of their time on the ground and under rocks and barely moving any higher than this, they are masters at patrolling the cracks of canyons and gullies.

How much does a Texas Banded Gecko weigh?

Since these animals are very tiny and super lightweight they weigh nothing more than 0.004 lb (2 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Similar to most reptiles, the Texas Banded Gecko does not have any specific names that have been allotted for the male or female. They're both called Texas Banded Geckos.

What would you call a baby Texas Banded Gecko?

The Texas Banded Gecko baby is usually referred to as a hatchling.

What do they eat?

These reptiles are mainly insectivorous and have a very wide variety of options to prey on. They relish spiders, crickets, and garden moths. They prefer to hunt when the temperatures are lower than the day.

Are they poisonous?

These reptiles are harmless little creatures. They are very shy in nature and are not poisonous in any way.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, the Texas Banded Gecko would make great pets as they do not adversely affect humans in any way.  In fact, several online pet stores have the Texas Banded Gecko for sale and these websites have started several blogs for Texas Banded Gecko care.

Did you know...

The female is larger than the male gecko.

The Texas Banded Gecko tail is the most important feature in their body.

What's unique about a Texas Banded Gecko?

The Texas Banded Gecko has hues of brown and yellow in an alternating pattern that runs all through its scales.

What's the difference between a Texas Banded Gecko and Leopard Gecko?

The Leopard Gecko is native to the Middle East, endemic to regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq, and Iran. They are commonly found in rocky, dry grassland and sandy deserts. On the other hand, the Texas Banded Gecko is found in semi-arid habitats, rocky areas, or canyon crevices, and in regions of Western Texas, Southeastern New Mexico in the United States, in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Durango in Mexico. The Leopard Gecko has a yellowish pink body with spots that resemble those of a leopard, hence its name leopard gecko. Whereas the Texas Banded Gecko has brownish-yellow bands that alternate and run through its body. The Leopard Gecko requires moisture in order to incubate its eggs and hence is found in hot and arid regions. On the other hand, the Texas Banded Gecko only requires the fat produced by the mother in order to incubate the eggs.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other animals from our  Texas Horned Lizard facts and Frilled Lizard facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Texas Banded Gecko coloring pages.

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