Palawan Bent-toed Gecko

     Cyrtodactylus redimiculus (King, 1962) is a member of the diverse genus of Asian geckos called the bent-toed geckos or bow-fingered geckos. The C. redimiculus is endemic to Palawan where it's commonly known as the Palawan Bent-toed Gecko.

Palawan Bent-toed Gecko

    This attractive gecko has slender digits that lack expanded pads. The fingers and toes are well adapted for gripping on tree bark and rough surfaces. It has large dark brown eyes that have vertical pupils.

Palawan Bent-toed Gecko

    Unlike most geckoes in Palawan, this species is kinda hard to find. I have seen only a few individuals in different locations during my long years of mountain hiking around Palawan. Some sightings were above 500 masl close to a rocky stream, and some in a mossy forest above 1100 masl. This bent-toed gecko likes to hide inside rock crevasses, logs, and tree hallows during the day and hunts for food close to the ground or on the forest floor at night.

A juvenile Palawan Bent-toed Gecko

    This species is listed as Near Threatened in IUCN, but is believed to be almost qualified as Vulnerable because of the restriction of its distribution and the ongoing decline of suitable forest habitat.