What's the difference

[bromide]

What is the difference between a leopard gecko and a lizard? Leopard geckos don't have toe pads, but nails just like lizards. They have eyelids just like lizards, too. What makes a leo a gecko???

 

[Tony C]

Lizard is a VERY broad classification, and geckos are a part of that group. In other words, all geckos are lizards, but not all lizards are geckos.

 

[BrilliantEraser]

What Tony said. But since I'm a sucker for phylogeny, I'm using this as an excuse to ramble.

"Lizards" are more properly referred to as the order of Squamata (class: Reptilia; phylum: Chordata; Kingdom: Animalia), which is further divided into the three suborders of Lacertilia, Serpentes, and Amphisbaenia.
For the purpose of this post, we'll focuse on the suborder Lacertilia, since it includes the general "lizards." Lacertilia are defined as extant reptiles who possess overlapping snakes, but which do not belong to either the sphenodont (tuatara) or snake classification. This leaves about 3,800 species, ALL of which are considered "lizards." They are linked solely by their external characteristic of scales. That's your definition of "lizard."
So let's break this down even more. There are sub-orders within the sub-order of Lacertilia, which are called infra-orders. These are the ones that break up the main categories of "lizards." These infra-orders are:
Iguania: contains iguanas, chameleons, agamids, and "New World Lizards"
Gekkota: contains all geckos and legless lizards*
Scincomorpha: contains skinks, tegus, plated lizards, and "True Lizards"**
Platynota: contains monitors, beaded lizards, and Gila monsters

*Gekkota contains the family Gekkonidae, which is the single largest family of lizards. Gekkota also contains Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularis), which you mentioned for your original question.

**If your original question was asking for the comparison of "True Lizards" to Leopard Geckos, then read on!!

::Ahem:: (Sorry, need a brief coffee break, will return shortly)

 

[BrilliantEraser]

Okay, I have returned. Here's your comparison of Leopard Geckos to "True Lizards" (using general information for the Lacertid family as a point of comparison)

Leopard Gecko
Binomial name: Eublepharis macularis
Family: Gekkonidae (sub-family Eublepharinae)
Order: Squamata (sub-order Lacertilia, infra-order Gekkota)
Habitat: Dry grassland, desert
Countries of origin: Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Iran
Diet: Insectivorous
Active?: Nocturnal
Size (SVL): 14-16 cm
Defining characteristics: true eyelids, spotted body pattern
Items of interest: capable of caudal autotomy, poikilothermic

Wall Lizards
Binomial name: Podarcis sp.
Family: Lacertidae (sub-family Lacertinae)
Order: Squamata (sub-order Lacertilia, infra-order Scincomorpha)
Habitat: Forest and scrub areas
Countries of origin: All of Europe, northern Africa
Diet: Primarily insectivorous
Active?: Diurnal
Size (SVL): >9 cm (tail makes up a large portion of body size)
Defining characteristics: Long slender bodies, large scales and osteoderms on head
Items of interest: sexual dimorphism present in form of varying colors/patterns between the sexes

Okay, that was a LOT of fun. Come up with more questions, and I'll be sure to find answers that you weren't even looking for!

 

[bromide]

._.
words....

 

[Natus]

Read the words, they answer your question.

 

[Jordan]

Been answered, but since i think you didnt read it, Gecko's are a species OF lizard. Geckos and lizards arent two different species. geckos are lizards. but there also lots of other types of lizards besides geckos.

 

[bromide]

yeah, i read it lol.