Group Editor: John F. Taylor (The Herp Father) Managing Editor: Dr. Robert G. Sprackland Exec. Director & Design: Rebecca Billard-Taylor

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2 Group Editor: John F. Taylor (The Herp Father) Managing Editor: Dr. Robert G. Sprackland Exec. Director & Design: Rebecca Billard-Taylor This ezine article is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ezine article may not be resold or given away to other people for free. If you would like to share this ezine article with another person, please buy an additional copy for each person. If you re reading this magazine & did not buy it, or it was not bought for your use only, then please return to herphousemag.com & buy your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors. Herpetoculture House Magazine 2014 All content ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This magazine contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written consent from the author / publisher.

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4 Nephrurus By Jordan Russell The endearing Knob Tailed Geckos are some of the most recognizable and memorable squamates. Although there is substantial variation between the 9 species; a unifying theme is a diminutive knobbed tail. All species belong to the genus Nephrurus (pronounced Neff-RU-russ), which means kidney tail. All species are restricted to Australia exclusively. As an aside, the genus Underwoodisaurus was monotypic, until the addition of Underwoodisaurus seorsus. In some literature you will find Underwoodisaurus milii included as Nephrurus milii as they were re-classified as Nephrurus from 2007 until in 2011 it was reclassified back as Underwoodisaurus. We will not be discussing either species, instead focusing on true Nephrurus. Smooth Knob Tailed Geckos (Nephrurus levis); De Vis 1886 Nephrurus levis levis; SVL 102 mm females larger than males. Smooth knob tailed geckos are native to arid sandy areas of Central and Western Australia. They are a stout gecko with a smooth skin riddled with small tubercles on their body and limbs. The Tail is large and heart shaped with white tubercles. Each individual is different, and the amount of white varies tremendously (partially due to selective breeding). Generally 3 bands transcend across the base of the head, neck and back. (*Native Range Map: statemapwithcoords.php?speciesid=145) Nephrurus levis pilbarensis Albino Patternless Nephrurus levis pilbarensis; differs from the nominate subspecies by a patchwork of large and small granule scales across the throat. The pattern is often more defined with less white. There are two mutations of this subspecies; albino & patternless. Both

5 mutations are simple recessive. The patternless variety has actually become the most common variant of Nephrurus levis pilbarensis in the U.S. both in normal and albino Nephrurus levis pilbarensis patternless forms. Nephrurus levis occidentalis; sometimes debated as being a valid taxon. This subspecies is identified by being slightly larger than the nominate form with the rostral scale being smaller than the mental scale. The tail is often broader and the over-all coloration is generally paler. Pernatty Knob Tailed Gecko (Nephrurus deleani); Harvey 1983 SVL 100 mm, found around Pernatty Lagoon, north of Port Augusta restricted to arid sandyridges South Australia. The tail is very slender, with large white tubercles. The pattern has tremendous variation and no two are alike. Juveniles often have a narrow white vertebral line. IUCN Red Listed as rare. Starred Knob Tailed Gecko (Nephrurus stellatus); Storr 1968 SVL 90 mm, found in two isolated sand-arid locations vegetated with heath or spinifex. Primary literature puts them north west of Adelaide in South Australia, although they have also been sighted between Kalgoorlie and Perth in Western Australia. This is one of the most colorful Nephrurus species. It is pale yellowish brown to deep reddish brown adorned with three white lines transversing between the head and forelimb. The body and tail are marked with conical tubercles and rosettes. The head is often touched with a blue over the eyes and pastel yellows. Mid-line Knob Tailed Gecko (Nephrurus vertebralis); Storr 1963 SVL 93 mm. This species Nephrurus vertebralis has a relatively slender tail with enlarged white tubercles. The body color is reddish brown with a very prominent narrow white vertebral stripe from the base of the head to the tail tip. There are many pale spots each centered on a tubercle. The natural range is arid with stony soil heavily covered by acacia woodlands, in the arid southern interior of Western Australia. Pale Knob Tailed Geckos (Nephrurus laevissimus); Mertens 1958 SVL 93 mm, the Pale Knob Tailed Gecko is nearly identical in build and size to the Midline Knob Tail Gecko. The body is nearly devoid of tubercles and pattern, the tail is littered with enlarged white tubercles. The flanks are smooth and only a few tubercles are restricted to the vertebral region. The base coloration is pink to pinkish brown, with or without many small white spots. Three dark brown lines on the head and forebody break the uniformity with the hips marked similarly. This species has a large natural range

6 throughout Northern, Western and Southern Australia in desert sand-ridges vegetated with spinifex. Banded Knob Tailed Gecko (Nephrurus wheeleri); Loveridge 1932 Nephrurus wheeleri wheeleri; SVL 100 mm, with a large wide depressed tail. This species is covered with rosettes on the body and limbs which protrude from the skin in the form of dense tubercles. The body color is variable; being cream, pink or light brown. The body and tail are trimmed with 4 distinct chocolate bands. Both subspecies are restricted to the arid mid-western interior or Western Australia, inhabiting acacia woodlands in dense stone rich soil. Nephrurus wheeleri cinctus; this subspecies is what we find in the pet trade. The over-all color and description is the same. The defining difference is that cinctus is trimmed in 5 bands rather than 4. This subspecies is found in rock outcroppings amongst spinifex in the Pilbara region. Centralian Knob Tailed Gecko (Nephrurus amyae); Couper & Gregson 1994 SVL 135 mm, the Centralian Knob Tail Gecko has an extremely short tail. This species was named after Amy Couper. The body color varies from a light cream to a rich sandy red, and is adorned with rosettes, the largest and most spinose of which are on the rump and hind limbs. The dramatically large head is trimmed in a beautifully defined reticulation. This is the most massive species of Australian Gecko. N. amyae are native to rock outcroppings of Central Australia. Northern Knob Tailed Gecko (Nephrurus sheai); Couper SVL 120 mm, the Northern Knob Tailed Gecko is very similar to both N. amyae & N. asper. The body is brown with fine dark transverse lines alternating with rows of paler spots, each centered on a tubercle. The limbs and digits are strongly banded. The head has a dark fine reticulum. N. sheai is native to the rocky ranges from the Kimberly region of Western Australia to the Arnhem Escarpment of the Northern Territory. Prickly Knob Tailed Gecko (Nephrurus asper); Günther SVL 115 mm, the Prickly Knob Tailed Gecko formerly included sheai & amyae. It is remarkably similar to N. amyae although somewhat smaller, and often times a rich dark gray color trimmed in subtle paler banding. This species can also be reddish brown and many fine dark transverse lines alternating with rows of paler spots. As with the other two aforementioned species the head is trimmed in a dark reticulum. N. asper is native to the rocky hills and outcroppings of arid to dry tropical Queensland, inland to Windorah.

7 Behavior: Knob Tailed Geckos are incredibly vocal. I have noticed that the Rough species tend to be more vocal than the smooth species, although all will make any objection heard. Their amusing merr merr noise is the basic limit to their vocal abilities. Knob Tailed Geckos wag their tail! Believe it or not that little knob at the end of their tail wags when hunting prey. It is not unusual to place a dubia or cricket in front of a Nephrurus only to watch them track the prey, eyes front fixed, face serious, body moving ever so carefully and catlike, each foot moving only when necessary All the while each granule of anticipation and excitement is visible in the tail tip, pulsating back and forth as fast as geckoly possible! Husbandry: Our Nephrurus are housed individually in 32 qt Tubs. They are heated via 3" flexwatt "belly heat," this is set at 90*F. The cool end ranges between the mid 70's to low 80s. I keep the warm end dry, and the cool end moist by pouring water into the sand every few days and churning it. I also spray the entire cage once or twice a week depending on the species. Females eat more and digest faster than males in my experience. I rotate between crickets and dubia. Most females will eat 2-5 large crickets every other day and males will eat around half of that. Watch your animals, if you have crickets in the cage the next day remove them and cut back on your feeding. Eggs are incubated in a S.I.M. Chamber from Squamata Concepts, at 82*F with near 100% hatch rates. The greatest threat to these wonderfully adapted little creatures we are fortunate enough to share our spinning biosphere with is us. In the 2 short years between it is estimated 89 million reptiles were killed for land clearing in Queensland alone (Cogger et al. 2003). There is a disregard for the fragility of life; those of us who find this to be a grave offense are burdened with exposing those around us to the majesty of our earth s flora and fauna.

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