Harmless · Native to Southeast Asia

Cat gecko

Aeluroscalabotes felinus (Günther, 1864)

Also called cat-eyed gecko
Data updated October 2026

Cat gecko climbing a thin branch among ferns and leaves at night
Fig. 1 — Adult climbing a thin branch among ferns at night.
Close view of a cat gecko’s head on a leaf, showing a pale lip stripe and a partly closed eye
Fig. 2 — Head detail: the pale lip stripe and the eyelid over the large eye.

At a glance

A slender, slow-moving gecko of humid forest in southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. It climbs low plants at night, grips with a prehensile tail, and, unlike most geckos, has eyelids.

01

Identification

A thin-bodied gecko with a long, flattened head, very large eyes, slender limbs and a prehensile tail. It has true eyelids and lacks adhesive toe pads. The skin is thin, with small scales that do not overlap. Color is reddish to dark brown, often with orange or pale markings on the head and along the spine, and pale lips and throat.

  1. 01Eyelids. Large eyes that can close, a trait shared with leopard geckos.
  2. 02Pale lips. A light stripe along the jaw contrasts with the brown head.
  3. 03Prehensile tail. Used to grip stems; often curled when the gecko rests.

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Adult · about 7.5 in (19 cm)

Adults reach about 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) from snout to vent and about 7.5 inches (19 cm) in total length.

03

Range & habitat

Cat gecko resting in brown leaf litter with its tail coiled beside its body
Fig. 3 — An adult in leaf litter with its tail coiled beside the body.

The cat gecko lives in southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, and may also occur in Sumatra. It was first described from Singapore, but there have been no confirmed records there since the early 1900s apart from one unconfirmed sighting in 2003.

It lives in mature lowland and hill forest, usually on shrubs and low vegetation, often near forest streams.

04

Diet

The cat gecko feeds mainly on insects, which it hunts slowly through low vegetation at night.

Feeds on

  • Insects
  • Other small invertebrates

05

Behavior & seasons

Cat geckos are nocturnal and live in shrubs and low trees. They move slowly and rely on camouflage: the brown body and slender shape resemble dead leaves and twigs.

Like many geckos, a stressed cat gecko can shed its tail, which then regrows.

06

Reproduction

The cat gecko lays eggs. Little has been published about its breeding in the wild.

07

Conservation

In Singapore, where the species was first described, it is listed nationally as Critically Endangered. Threats include the loss and degradation of mature forest and collection for the exotic pet trade, in which it is sought after.

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages