Giant wall gecko

The giant wall gecko is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae.

Taxonomy

The species was named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.
There are two subspecies:

Tarentola gigas brancoensis
''Tarentola gigas gigas''
Description

The giant wall gecko reaches maximum 15.5 cm snout–vent length and its dorsal skin has a grey color. They are one of the largest geckos in the world.

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of São Nicolau and on the nearby islets of Branco and Raso.
Before human settlement to Cape Verde, giant wall geckos also inhabited São Vicente and Santa Luzia.

Diet and Habits

Giant wall geckos are nocturnal.
Both subspecies of the Cape Verdean T. gigas have a generalist diet, feeding on a variety of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates available within their trophic environment.

Conservation

The giant wall gecko is listed as threatened because of the reduction and its range, and the decrease in the species it preys on.