Namib Sand Gecko

Pachydactylus rangei grows to a length of about 13 cm (5 in) including a 6-centimetre (2.4 in) tail. The head is quite distinct from the slender body and both are flattened dorsally. The eyes are large, dark-coloured and protuberant and have vertical pupils. The web-footed gecko is very pale, nearly translucent. It has a salmon-colored undertone and some have light brown stripes or patterns. Their skin coloration allows for very good camouflage among the sand of the Namib Desert. The skin is covered in fine, smooth scales and is translucent, and some of the internal organs can be seen through it. The legs are thin but the feet are broad, with fully webbed toes, enabling this gecko to burrow easily and to run on loose sand. The gecko developed the webbed feet as an adaptation to help them stay on top of the Namib Desert sand or bury underneath the sand. They have developed this adaptation due to being nocturnal and needing to spend the days in burrows which are self dug and then spend the night on top of the sand feeding. Their feet also have adhesive pads on the bottom to help them climb. The males have thicker tails than the females. The female's mass can reach around 10 grams (0.35 oz) and the male is about 6 grams (0.21 oz). …

Pachydactylus rangei is endemic (only found in) to the Namib Desert where it is found near the coast and up to 130 kilometres (80 miles) inland at altitudes of up to 300 metres (1,000 feet). The Namibia Desert is located in the Southern part of Africa. The type locality is Lüderitz in Namibia. Its habitat is among rocks and stunted vegetation and on the dry loose sand of sand dunes. The geckos prefer the sandy desert regions and are only found on the coastal part of Namibia and the Richtersveld in the extreme north of Namaqualand in the Cape.

In the wild the geckos eat crickets, grasshoppers and small spiders. They also will eat beetles, and other small insects they can find among the sand. In captivity they will eat crickets and worms. It is suggested to feed them crickets in captivity to keep the geckos active. The gecko's large eyes allows it to see its prey while hunting at night.