History and origin
The European Leaf-toed Gecko was first described by Gené in 1839, the scientific name of this species is Euleptes europaea. Euleptes from Greek meaning 'true' and 'slim'. Europaea from Latin meaning 'from Europe'.

Characteristics
They are characterised by their squared fingers, differing from the other geckos that can be found in the same places who may have distinct claws (Hemidactylus turcicus) or very rounded pads on the fingers (Tarentola mauritanica).

Description
=Size=
The eggs measure about 8 mm in diameter. They measure about 30 mm long at the hatching and can grow up to 80 mm long, their tail being roughly the same size making a total size of around 160 mm to 200 mm long.
=Morphology=
They are small but none the less chunky in appearance, they have short limbs and a large head. They have large eyes and their tail is quite robust, if the tail is regenerated the new tail swells a lot, sometimes being up to 2.5 times thicker then the original. they have disk shaped pads on their feet like the other geckos in France to climb.
=Patterns & colours=
They are usually dark brown, with lighter blotches of gray on their back, otherwise there may be streaks running across the body. Their eyes have vertical pupils.

Geographical range
They are found on Corsica, Sardinia and a limited amount of off shore islands and local populations along parts of the French and Italian coasts.

Subspecies
None described.

Sexual differences
None.

Seasonal variations
None.

Diet
They feed on insects.

Defensive habits
They will run and hide in the cracks of rocks, under stones or other if disturbed.

Reproduction
Breeding occurs when they wake up from hibernation in spring. They usually lay about 2 eggs in the cracks of the stones, they are glued to the stone, they develop for around 8 to 13 weeks. The eggs usually hatch out in August. Females lay up to 3 clutches of eggs sometimes however only 1 clutch in altitude.

Sexual maturity, life span
The average life span for Euleptes europaea is around 20 years. They reach their sexual maturity in their second or third year.

Habits
Active at night. They are found far from human habitations and usually hide under stones or in narrow crevices during the day. During the day this gecko takes advantage or the rocks ability to retain heat and they come out onto the rocks surface and stay warm for long periods. This species at the adult stage almost always have a regenerated tail, this is not because of a large predator threat, but of their own mating rituals in which they bite the tail of the opposing specimen. They are very agile and can make long leaps for its size. Often stalks prey very slowly, like a cat, before making a final sprint to catch it.

Habitat
They are found from sea level up to around 1400 meters in altitude. They are more common near the coast due to the heat. They inhabit stone boulders, rocky land, cliffs. They do not live around people usually. they are more of a wild gecko in that sense compared with the two other species.

Predators
They are hunted by many birds, snakes and other.