About Homopholis walbergii (Smith, 1849)
This species is commonly known as Wahlberg's velvet gecko, a name that comes from its skin having the look and feel of velvet. The back of this gecko ranges in color from dark grey to a soft grey-brown. It may be marked with paler chevron-shaped patterns or crossbars, or have mottled pale regions along the center of its back and spine. Adult Wahlberg's velvet geckos can reach a total length of 21 cm (8.3 in) when including the tail, though their average total length falls between 14–18 cm (5.5–7.1 in). H. wahlbergii is endemic to the Miombo and Mopane bushveld of Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. The largest portion of its geographic range is located within Zimbabwe. This gecko shelters under tree bark, rocks, in empty bird nests, and other similar sites, and lives in coastal bush as well as both mesic and arid savannas.
