# Shieldhead gecko (*Gonatodes caudiscutatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/shieldhead-gecko  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

The shieldhead gecko (Gonatodes caudiscutatus) is a species in the family Sphaerodactylidae, order Squamata. Recorded adults weigh about 2 g and reach 3.84 cm in length.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2 g |
| Length | 3.84 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 12 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 10 – 12 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 1 country. Introduced: Ecuador. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Squamata
- family: Sphaerodactylidae
- genus: Gonatodes
- species: *Gonatodes caudiscutatus* (Günther, 1859)

Synonyms: *Gonatodes collaris*, *Gymnodactylus caudiscutatus*, *Gymnodactylus panamae*

## Common questions

### How big is the shieldhead gecko?

An adult shieldhead gecko weighs 2 g and measures 3.84 cm long, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Is the shieldhead gecko an invasive species?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the shieldhead gecko as introduced in 1 country: Ecuador, but does not flag it as invasive in any of them.

### What kind of animal is the shieldhead gecko?

The shieldhead gecko (Gonatodes caudiscutatus) belongs to the family Sphaerodactylidae in the order Squamata.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4), CC BY 4.0, v1-2. Oskyrko, O., Mi, C., Meiri, S. et al. (2024) ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles. Scientific Data 11: 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03079-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4
- [SquamBase 1.0 - a dataset of squamate species traits](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.76hdr7t3b), CC0 1.0, 1.0-dryad-v5. Meiri, S. (2024) SquamBase - a database of squamate (Reptilia: Squamata) traits. Global Ecology and Biogeography 33(4): e13812. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13812. Data: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.76hdr7t3b

Cite as: Shieldhead gecko (Gonatodes caudiscutatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/shieldhead-gecko