Chondrodactylus turneri
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
Turner's thick-toed gecko (Chondrodactylus turneri) is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa. C. turneri is large and robust, with a snout-vent length (SVL) of 10 cm (3.9 in).
The specific name, turneri, is in honor of British entomologist James Aspinall Turner. C. turneri is found in Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Turner's thick-toed gecko is nocturnal and lives on rocks and buildings. C. turneri is an ambush predator and feeds on invertebrates and whatever else it can catch and overpower. C. turneri is oviparous. Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Pachydactylus turneri, pp. 254–255 + Plate 84).
Eifler MA, Marchand R, Eifler DA, Malela K (2017). "Habitat Use and Activity Patterns in the Nocturnal Gecko, Chondrodactylus turneri ". Herpetologica 73... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Turner's Thick-toed Gecko sighting in Gonarezhou National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 13 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Turner's Thick-toed Gecko in Gonarezhou National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and October, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Turner's Thick-toed Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Turner's Thick-toed Gecko sightings, Gonarezhou National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 20%).
Same family: Gekkonidae
The closest relatives of the Turner's Thick-toed Gecko that you can see in Gonarezhou National Park (family Gekkonidae, Typical Geckos) are Tropical House Gecko (about 50%), Cape Dwarf Gecko (about 40%) and Flathead Leaf-toed Gecko (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Turner's Thick-toed Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Gonarezhou National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
