About Strophurus intermedius (Ogilby, 1892)
Strophurus intermedius is one of the larger species of gecko native to Australia. Its body is grey with patterning, and it has a pale belly. It gets its two common names, eastern spiny-tailed gecko and southern spiny-tailed gecko, from two longitudinal rows of prominent tubercles running along the full length of its back and tail. These spines are orange-brown in color, and grow more prominent toward the tail. This spiny feature serves as a defense mechanism: the spines on the tail exude a harmless but bad-smelling orange fluid onto attackers. S. intermedius has strong limbs and a strong body. The tips of its digits have adhesive discs, like digits of most Gekkota species. The inside lining of its mouth is blue. The iris of its eye has a bright orange rim. Its head is oviform and convex, with a rounded snout and large eyes, and it has no spines above the eyes. Adult S. intermedius have an average snout-to-vent length of 64 mm (2.5 in). This species is sexually dimorphic: adult females are larger than adult males, and males have large hemipenal bulges that females lack. Geographically, S. intermedius occurs in the southernmost parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and Queensland. It is found throughout the entire states of New South Wales and South Australia, and across the northern half of Victoria. It is most common around Alice Springs, Northern Territory. In terms of ecology and habitat, S. intermedius is nocturnal (active at night) and terrestrial (land-dwelling). It is an ectotherm that inhabits warm semi-arid habitats. During the day it hides under rocks, under tree bark, or inside logs, and can also be found in spinifex grass. It is active hunting for food at night. It generally occurs in vegetation types including shrubland, woodland, and grassland. S. intermedius is oviparous. Both male and female individuals reach sexual maturity at two years of age. Females begin reproducing at two years old, and lay clutches of two eggs during the summer. Eggs take approximately 45 days to hatch. Females are reproductively active over a 6-month period each year.
