Teratoscincus roborowskii
Teratoscincus roborowskii, commonly known as the Tibetan wonder gecko or Turpan wonder gecko, is a species of gecko in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to the Turpan Depression in Xinjiang, northwestern China, where it occurs in arid shrubland and desert habitats. It reaches a snout-vent length of , and adult males tend to have wider heads than adult females. This lizard is a nocturnal and ground-dwelling species, emerging from its burrow to forage at night. Its diet shifts seasonally, feeding mainly on insects in spring and fruit in summer and autumn. The fruit of the caper bush is a particularly notable food item, and the gecko is also a seed disperser for this plant. During the winter, this reptile hibernates in its burrow. Juveniles of this species are known to curl their tails forwards when threatened, most likely to mimic venomous scorpions and avoid predation. They are also similar in size, color and running patterns to Mesobuthus scorpions, strengthening the idea that they exhibit Batesian mimicry. Taxonomy This species was first described in 1906 by Jacques von Bedriaga, and the specific name, roborowskii, honors Russian explorer Vladimir Ivanovich Roborovski. It was formerly synonymized with Teratoscincus scincus and Teratoscincus