The spines on the tail exude a harmless yet smelly, orange fluid at the attacker.

All of the species in this genus have the same unique defence mechanism of squirting harmless but smelly liquid from the spines of the tail.

[7] S. intermedius is found in the southernmost parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland.

These include species of spiders, centipedes, scorpions, cockroaches, crickets, beetles and their larvae.

[6] The anti-predator liquid which S. intermedius sprays at attackers from its tail has been observed to be aimed for birds.

However, the southern spiny-tailed gecko might also encounter some introduced species of predators such as feral cats.

In central Australia, feral cats have been known to feed on a wide range diet, including reptiles.

It seems that during the summer, feral cats frequently feed on reptiles, including geckos:.