Palawan Gecko
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| Palawan Gecko |
Palawan Gecko, or Palawan Narrow-disked Gecko (Gekko palawanensis), is a medium size gecko endemic to Palawan. Their favored habitats include forested areas with large rock piles or outcroppings, rocky escarpments or walls, tree hollows, and old hollowed logs on the forest floor. They spend a lot of time outside in the evening and will only retreat to ground hides during the day.
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| Palawan Gecko |
It shares the same type of habitat with the Palawan Bent-toed Gecko, but unlike its slightly bigger cousin, who prefers ambush hunting, this Gekko is more of a stalk-and-pounce hunter. We were lucky to observe them hunting a few times while camping in the mountains at night. It's fun to watch as they slowly stalk moths and other insects attracted to our camp light, leaping the last several inches to make the snag.
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| Palawan Gecko |
This species prefers heavily forested habitats to second growths in urban areas. Lowland habitats are degrading in Palawan, and the Palawan Gecko has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).