Reptiles
Fat-Tailed Gecko
Hemitheconyx caudicinctus · also called African fat-tailed gecko
After a run of good hunting nights, a fat-tailed gecko’s tail visibly thickens, a stored reserve the animal can draw on later during leaner stretches when insects become harder to find across the West African savanna.
Overview
The fat-tailed gecko, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, is a nocturnal, ground-dwelling gecko native to savanna and scrubland habitat across parts of West Africa. Its unique fat-storing tail and functional eyelids, shared with the leopard gecko and other eyelid gecko relatives, make it one of the more physiologically distinctive geckos found anywhere.
A tail that doubles as a pantry
Rather than relying entirely on finding food consistently, the fat-tailed gecko builds a visible energy reserve directly into its own body, a built-in buffer against the inevitable lean stretches of desert and savanna life.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable savanna and scrubland habitat throughout its West African range.
Fat-Tailed Gecko: common questions
Why does the fat-tailed gecko have such a thick tail?
A fat-tailed gecko stores energy reserves as fat directly within its tail, causing it to visibly swell and thicken, a built-in food reserve the gecko can draw on during periods when insect prey is scarce, an adaptation that gives the species its common name.
Does the fat-tailed gecko have eyelids like most reptiles?
Yes, the fat-tailed gecko belongs to the eyelid gecko family, possessing functional, movable eyelids, an unusual trait among geckos generally, most of which lack eyelids entirely and instead keep their eyes clean by licking them directly with their tongue.
What happens if a fat-tailed gecko drops its tail?
A fat-tailed gecko can voluntarily detach its tail to escape a predator, but doing so costs the animal its stored fat reserves along with the tail itself, meaning tail loss is a genuinely costly last resort rather than a consequence-free escape option, since the gecko must then rebuild those reserves in a new, regenerated tail.
Where does the fat-tailed gecko live?
The fat-tailed gecko is native to savanna and scrubland habitat across parts of West Africa, spending daylight hours hidden in burrows or beneath surface debris and becoming active mainly at night.