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Giant Ground Gecko
Chondrodactylus angulifer
The Giant Ground Gecko of the Namib Desert. A nocturnal, terrestrial reptile that digs elaborate burrows in dry sand, featuring webbed feet for walking on shifting dunes.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Gekkonidae
Genus:Chondrodactylus
Species:Chondrodactylus angulifer
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
30 - 40 %
Day temperature
32 - 35 °C
Ambient temperature
28 °C
Night temperature
20 - 22 °C
Basking spot
35 °C
Adult size
11.3 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 80 L
UVB
Moderato
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the arid regions of southwestern Africa, primarily the Namib Desert, Kalahari Desert, and dry scrublands of South Africa and Namibia. A terrestrial species that inhabits coastal dunes and sandy flats, hiding in deep burrows during the day.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A robust, large gecko reaching 14–18 cm in length. It has a broad, triangular head, large cat-like eyes without eyelids, and a thick, cylindrical tail. Its feet are webbed, an adaptation that acts like snowshoes on shifting desert sand. Coloration features a sandy-orange or brown base with white-edged chevron markings.
Behavior and Habits: Nocturnal and strictly terrestrial. During the day, it retreats into deep burrows to escape the scorching heat. At night, it emerges to hunt insects and small lizards. They are vocal and will hiss, growl, or stand on tip-toe to defend themselves when threatened.
Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is visible in adult specimens: males are slightly smaller, have more prominent hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail, and feature a white patch or spot on the shoulder area that is absent in females.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Require a dry desert terrarium of at least 80x45x30 cm. Provide a deep substrate (15–20 cm) of fine, slightly damp red desert clay sand to allow stable burrowing. Include flat sandstones and caves at the warm side. A shallow water bowl must be provided.
Lighting and Heating: Require hot desert conditions. Maintain a thermal gradient with a daytime basking area of 32–35°C and a cool zone of 24–26°C. Use overhead ceramic heat emitters or deep heat projectors. Provide a night drop to 20–22°C. Low-level UVB (5%) is highly recommended.
Humidity and Hydration: Keep ambient humidity low (30–40%) with excellent ventilation. However, a moist burrow or humid hide filled with damp moss is mandatory on the cool side to ensure successful molting and prevent dehydration.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Feed appropriate-sized live crickets, roaches (Dubia/Lateralis), and mealworms at night. Dust prey with high-quality calcium and vitamin D3 supplements at every feeding, and a multivitamin once a week.
Compatibility: Territorial and aggressive. Males must never be housed together. Can be kept individually or in stable male-female pairs in very large enclosures. Do not mix with other species.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to respiratory infections if kept in high humidity or poorly ventilated setups. Incomplete sheds (especially on toes and eyes) can occur if a humid hide is not provided, leading to necrosis. Dusting with calcium is vital to prevent metabolic bone disease.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the arid regions of southwestern Africa, primarily the Namib Desert, Kalahari Desert, and dry scrublands of South Africa and Namibia. A terrestrial species that inhabits coastal dunes and sandy flats, hiding in deep burrows during the day.
Origin
Africa and Madagascar
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 11.3 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 11.3 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 11.3 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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