Common House Gecko

## Description

The common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus ) is a gecko native to South and Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Asian house gecko, Pacific house gecko, wall gecko, house lizard, tayoto, chipkali or moon lizard.

Most geckos are nocturnal, hiding during the day and foraging for insects at night. They can be seen climbing walls of houses and other buildings in search of insects attracted to porch lights, and are immediately recognisable by their characteristic chirping.

They grow to a length of between 7.5–15 cm (3–6 in), and live for about 5 years. These small geckos are non-venomous and not harmful to humans. Most medium-sized to large geckos are docile, but may bite if distressed, which can pierce skin. The common house gecko is tropical, and thrives in warm, humid areas where it can crawl around on rotting wood in search of the insects it eats, as well as within urban landscapes in warm climates. The animal is very adaptable and may prey on insects and spiders, displacing other gecko species which are less robust or behaviourally aggressive. In parts of Australia and Papua New Guinea they are often confused with a similar native lizard, the dubious dtella.

## Appearance

The Common house gecko is a small lizard native of Southeast Asia. They are named so because they are often seen climbing walls of houses and other buildings in search of insects attracted to porch lights and are immediately recognizable by their characteristic chirp. These small geckos are non-venomous and not harmful to humans. Their body is covered with small granules and varies in color from pale yellow to grayish-white.

## Distribution

Common house geckos are native to southeast Asia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Due to the recent introductions, they now occur in many other countries uncluding the United States, countries in South and Central America, Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. These lizards prefer to live in urban environments, in close proximity to city bounds and villages. Without access to the urban landscape, they inhabit eucalypt woodland, rain forests, open fields, savannas, and deserts. They are often seen beneath rocks or rotting logs, on trees, around bushes but most commonly they are found on buildings.

## Behavior

Common house geckos are solitary and territorial creatures. They can be best defined as quinodiurnal. This means they thermoregulate (bask in the sun) during the daytime and forage at night. During colder months they enter a state of brumation. Common house geckos are not dangerous but may bite if distressed; however, their bite is gentle and will not pierce skin. When threatened they will hide in their shelter. These geckos communicate with a series of distinct communication calls. The long chirp is used infrequently, and only during aggressive encounters between males. The single chirp is associated with levels of distress within the animal. It has been detected within males more frequently but has been seen in adults, subadults, and juveniles. The multiple chirp is an agonistic and territorial defense. It is the most common of the sounds and has a broad range of intensities it can occupy. This call is typically given more often by an aggressive male, and less often by a female. After this call females will produce a weak response and move.

## Diet

Common house geckos are carnivores (insectivores). Their diet is made up of cockroaches, termites, some bee and wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, spiders, and several beetle groupings.

## Reproduction

Common house geckos have a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system in which both sexes have multiple partners in a single breeding season. They mate from March to July. Females lay 2 eggs usually in crevices to protect them from predators. The incubation period lasts around 46-62 days. Hatchlings are independent at birth and will become reproductively mature within a year.

## Population

### Population threats

There are no threats to Common house geckos at present.

### Population number

According to IUCN, the Common house gecko is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.