Meet the Banded Knob-tailed Gecko, N. wheeleri cinctus.
Earlier we discussed the 2 most distinctive Knob-tailed Geckos, the Centralian and the Queensland Rough-skinned species. Today we’ll take a look at two species, the Three-banded and the Banded Knob-tails, respectively known as Nephrurus levis (three subspecies, N.l. levis, N.l. occidentalis and N.l. pibarenis) and N.wheeleri cinctus. As with other members of this genus, these 2 are capable of “barking” vocalizations.

The Three-banded Knob-tailed Gecko, Nephrurus levis, is the most widespread member of this genus on the Australian Continent. Two of the 3 subspecies of this species occur in westernmost Western Australia. The third, has a vast range throughout most of interior Australia. The reference of 3 bands refers to the three narrow light bands, often dark bordered, that cross the dorsum between the back of the head and the shoulders. If taken literally, the reference to smooth in a second common name is erroneous. It is meant only as a comparison to differentiate the relative skin texture of this species from the very roughened dorsal and lateral skin of other members of this genus.

This species has a rather long, somewhat flattened, knob-tipped tail. Counting tail, the length of this species would be about 5 inches. It, like other members of the genus is oviparous.

The more commonly seen of the 2 subspecies of Wheeler’s Knob-tail, is the northernmore form, N. wheeleri cinctus. It has been elevated to full species status, N. cinctus, by some researchers. It is also known as the Banded Knob tail Gecko. It is restricted to Western Australia.

It is a rough-skinned species with the dorsum being much rougher than the sides. Dorsal and lateral coloration is purplish with wide brownish bands.

This species seems to prefer vegetated rocky areas as habitat.

The Banded Knob-tailed Gecko has a rather long, flattened tail tipped with a small knob. Counting the tail, the length of this species would be about 4 ½ inches. It, like other members of the genus is oviparous.

Both the Banded and the Three-banded Knob-tailed Geckos have proven hardy captives and have been bred numerous times by hobbyists. Aridland terrariums are preferred, and several inches of clean sand is a suitable substrate. Watering is a bit of a chore. Besides not recognizing water dishes as moisture sources, their normal activities usually have dishes rapidly sand filled. It has been found that spraying the terrarium sides in the evenings when these lizards are active is the best solution to the watering question.

This is N. asper, recognized by name rather than appearance
Australia! A veritable land of geckos! But from among this plethora of hobbyist favorites, one group, those of the genus Nephrurus, stands out, or at least once stood out, by the presence of knobs tipping the shortened and/or fattened tails. But now, with its inclusion to the genus by Aaron Bauer, the old Underwoodisaurus millii, a species with a comparatively fat but long tail that bears no visible tipping knob, has become a member of the knobbed cluster. It is N. millii. All are capable of vocalizations.

But this blog post is about only 2 members of the genus whose tails differ from the rest but that are themselves of confusingly similar appearance. These two, the Queensland Rough Knob-tail, Nephrurus asper and the Centralian Rough Knob-tail, N. amyae have, by far, the shortest tails in the genus. The former inhabits much of Queensland, from the Cape York Peninsula southward and the latter ranges over much of central Australia including Northern Territory and extreme eastern Western Australia. Both are associated with ledges, rocks, and arid soils.but in eastern Queensland N. asper may be found to range into areas a little moister than the norm. There it seems associated with creviced, rocky, ledges.

These 2 species are so similar that unless their geographic range is known you will have difficulty determining which is which. The species name asper relates to the rough-skin of these geckos, while amyae is a patronym. Although both are “sand” colored, of the 2, N. amyae, beings associated with red sand areas in Australia, is often the redder while N. asper tends to vary from sand tan to pale brown. Both have faint darker crossbands with the nuchal (neck) band being the most prominent. Dorsally and laterally these two geckos have spiny scales encircled by somewhat enlarged smoother scales.


Both species are hardy captives, feeding well on insects and pill-bugs. They will drink water droplets from the sides of the terrarium or from their own scales when gently sprayed. They may not recognize a shallow dish as a water source. Both species are adult at a svl of 4 ½ to just over 5 inches with the Centralian being slightly the larger and the very short tail adding a few fractions of an inch. They are, like many geckos, terrestrial, lack expanded digital laminae, fully capable of burrowing in suitable soils, and are oviparous.