It has a broad, pale fawn/grey vertebral stripe which expands to cover the top of the head and matches the colour and pattern of the tail.

[5] : 728 L. listeri was most abundant in primary rainforest on the plateau, but also occurred in disturbed secondary forest growth.

L. listeri was considered to be generally common in 1979, and was widespread across the island, but population declines were noted by researchers starting in 1998.

[10] However it is believed that predation by introduced species, particularly the wolf snake (Lycodon capucinus), may have played a significant role.

[10] Prior to the extirpation of this species from Christmas Island, 43 individuals were taken into captivity, starting in August 2009, in order to establish a breeding population.

Invasive threats are not yet controlled on Christmas Island, and assisted colonization is not yet feasible due to widespread gecko L. lugubris, which has an unknown conservation status.