Strophurus taenicauda

Strophurus taenicauda, also known commonly as the golden spiny-tailed gecko or the golden-tailed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to eastern Australia. Three subspecies are recognized.

Strophurus taenicauda
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Gekkota
Family:	Diplodactylidae
Genus:	Strophurus
Species:	S. taenicauda
Binomial name
Strophurus taenicauda (De Vis, 1886)
Synonyms[2]
Diplodactylus taenicauda De Vis, 1886 Diplodactylus taeniocauda [sic] Boulenger, 1887 (nomen substitutum) Diplodactylus taenicauda — Wermuth, 1965 Strophurus taenicauda — Wells & Wellington, 1984

Geographic range

S. taenicauda is found in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred habitats of S. taenicauda are shrubland and forest, especially areas including the white cypress.^[1][3]

Defense mechanism

The golden-tailed gecko can produce a spray of foul-smelling liquid from its tail as an anti-predator adaptation.

Reproduction

S. taenicauda is oviparous.^[2]

Subspecies

The following three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid.^[2]

• Strophurus taenicauda albiocularis D. Brown, Worthington Wilmer & Macdonald, 2012
• Strophurus taenicauda taenicauda (De Vis, 1886)
• Strophurus taenicauda triaureus D. Brown, Worthington Wilmer & Macdonald, 2012

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Strophurus.