Christinus Marmoratus - Ecology and Behaviour

Ecology and Behaviour

C. marmoratus is insectivorous and diurnal. During the hot summer months they generally use deep crevices and burrows as their daytime retreat sites, and in cooler weather they aggregate under rocks. Riverine populations generally rest under the thick exfoliating bark of large eucalyptus trees during the daytime. C. marmoratus are commonly found in aggregations of up to 10 individuals, and most aggregations contain one male. Given that many geckos have been reported to engage in territorial behaviour, it is surprising that C. marmoratus aggregate so commonly (Kearney et al. reported that one quarter of individuals they found were in aggregations). It has been suggested that this activity may be related to mating success, increased vigilance or simply attraction to high-quality habitat. Angiletta and Werner (1998) found that the preferred body temperature of C. marmoratus was 27.7°C., which is much higher than their average body temperatures during the day or night. Subsequent investigation by Kearney and Predavec (2000) revealed that C. marmoratus may thermoregulate by adjusting it’s posture, such as raising or flattening the body to contact the rock substrate. Interestingly, they seem to touch the rock with their snout before doing so, as if testing the temperature.