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Desert wood gecko

desert wood gecko (Diplodactylus wiru)
Queen Victoria Spring, Western Australia
Photo © Brad Maryan
Diplodactylus wiru - Hutchinson, Doughty & Oliver, 2009
Pronunciation  DIP-low-DAK-till-us  
Etymology  Diplodactylus: 'double-toe'.1
wiru: The specific epithet is an adjective from the western desert languages (e.g., Pitjantjatjara, Ngaatjatjarra), wiru meaning 'beautiful' or 'fine'; chosen to highlight the bold markings of this species.2
Other names   
 
Snout-to-vent length
Species avg: 5.4 cm
Species max: 5.9 cm
Reproduction
Oviparous
Clutch size
Average: 2
Description Distribution Natural history Conservation Further information More photos

Range

'Southern Great Victoria Desert and adjacent sandy habitat blocks. Records extend southwest to Norseman, Western Australia, and east to the Lake Acraman area, Gawler Ranges, South Australia. Northern limits appear to be at about the level of the Serpentine Lakes, South Australia. Absent from the Nullarbor Plain. The absence of this species from the area immediately west of the WA border likely represents a gap in collecting effort.'2

Found in the following Australian states/territories

Western Australia, South Australia

Habitat

'Specimens pit-trapped or observed at night have been associated with large mallee eucalypts with extensive ground litter of fallen bark, branches and leaves. Unlike syntopic species of Lucasium (beaded gecko (Lucasium damaeum); Southern sandplain gecko (Lucasium bungabinna)) which were generally found in open sandy patches, specimens of Diplodactylus wiru appeared to stay close to woody debris and ‘cluttered’ understorey cover. The distributional pattern of D. wiru is highly congruent with those of a number of species that occur in a narrow band of sandy mallee vegetation communities that lie between the semiarid south coast and hinterland and the Great Victoria Desert'.2

Notes and disclaimer
This information may not be complete. While all care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this page, primary sources should always be consulted for definitive information. Animals have an endearing habit of disobeying the rules, so the information on this page should be interpreted with a degree of flexibility.
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This page may be cited as:
  Diplodactylus wiru at the Australian Reptile Online Database. Last updated 2017-06-13 14:05:13.
  Retrieved from http://arod.com.au/arod/?species=Diplodactylus+wiru on the 19th of March, 2024.
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This page, its content and layout are copyright © 2007-2024 Stewart Macdonald / Ug Media, unless otherwise stated.
All photographs in The Australian Reptile Online Database are © the photographer and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the photographer.
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