The Eggs of Geckos

Ever aiming to republish my squamate-themed articles from years back (specifically, from Tet Zoo ver 2), I here reproduce part of the multi-part series I released on geckos. This section is from part II, an archived version of which is here. It’s devoted to gecko eggs and eggshell, here we go… Caption: a set of geckos, represent several (but no means all) of the lineages within Gekkota. I’ve drawn a lot of geckos, and a lot of squamates overall. Image: Darren Naish. Most gekkotan species produce just one or two white, round or oval eggs. In contrast to many other lizards, they don't exhibit parental care of any sort. The eggshell is soft and parchment-like in eublepharids, diplodactylines and pygopodids, but (once dry) hard, highly mineralised and impermeable in most gekkonids (and in the diplodactyline Eurydactyloides). While carphodactyline, diplodactyline and pygopodid eggs are elongate (including those of Eurydactyloides), those of some gekkonids (particularly larger species) are…