Carphodactylus laevis (Australian Chameleon Gecko): facts and information

The Carphodactylus laevis, more commonly known as the Australian Chameleon Gecko, is a species of Squamata found in Australasia. These reptiles are nocturnal, and rely on their running movement to get around.

Carphodactylus laevis belongs to the genus Carphodactylus which is a monotypic genus of geckos in the family Carphodactylidae.

The australian chameleon gecko (C. laevis) is the only species in the Carphodactylus laevis genus. It lives in the rainforest in northeastern Australia. It is not endangered because it is common and lives in protected areas. The biggest threat to this gecko is long-term climate change, which could reduce its range.

Carphodactylus laevis facts

Carphodactylus laevis is a lizard that typically has a snout-to-vent length of 13 cm (5.1 in). It has large labial scales on its head, relatively small postmental scales behind the chin, and rounded rostral and mental shields at the tip of its snout.

The body and tail of Australian chameleon geckos are slender and flattened from the side. They have a thin ridge that goes down their back to their tapered tail.

Image of a Carphodactylus laevis (Australian chameleon gecko) with a regenerated tail.
Carphodactylus laevis (Australian chameleon gecko) with regenerated tail, by Kym Nicolson, under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence BY 4.0 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carphodactylus

This gecko has long and thin limbs. Its five-toed feet have thin and narrow digits with distinct claws. The feet look angular from the side.

The claws of Carphodactylus laevis have five enlarged scales at their base. The underside of each digit has a row of small lamellae which are slightly broadened sideways. The genus also possesses preanal pores.

Australian chameleon gecko colors

The Australian chameleon gecko (C. laevis) has black streaks on its face. The biggest one goes from its nose to its eye. There are also two other, thinner streaks – one is black and the other is pale.

The head and body of Carphodactylus laevis are brown, speckled with small paler brown spots and black specks concentrated around the vertebral line. The original tail is dark brown or black with four to five complete whitish vertical crossbands.

Australian chameleon gecko (C. laevis) original habitat

The Australian chameleon gecko (C. laevis) is found in cool rainforests of northeastern Queensland. It lives at altitudes of 400-1,400 meters. This gecko is nocturnal and forages on leaves or low shrubs at night.

C. laevis lays eggs. Some scientists have used mitochondrial DNA to argue that different populations of C. laevis experienced big genetic isolation during dry periods in the past, but this did not result in big differences between the populations in how they look.

Australian chameleon gecko (Carphodactylus laevis) images

Drawing of Carphodactylus laevis, illustration from original description, 1897.
Carphodactylus laevis, illustration from original description, 1897 by J. Green, under a Public Domain license at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carphodactylus
Australian Chameleon Gecko (Carphodactylus laevis) head image.
Australian Chameleon Gecko (Carphodactylus laevis) by botanygirl, under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence BY 4.0 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carphodactylus

Summary

The Carphodactylus laevis, more commonly known as the Australian Chameleon Gecko, is a species of Squamata found in Australasia. These reptiles are nocturnal, and rely on their running movement to get around. Carphodactylus laevis belongs to the genus Carphodactylus which is a monotypic genus of geckos in the family Carphodactylidae. The australian chameleon gecko (C. laevis) is the only species in the Carphodactylus laevis genus. It lives in the rainforest in northeastern Australia. Carphodactylus laevis is a lizard that typically has a snout-to-vent length of 13 cm (in). It has large labial scales on its head, relatively small postmental scales behind the chin, and rounded rostral and mental shields at the tip of its snout.