Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) is a species of reptile in the family Gekkonidae. These small lizards, measuring 7.5–15 cm in length, are nocturnal and often coexist with other gecko species in trees, wooden structures of houses, and garden shrubs.

H. Frenatus has a relatively short snout. Its dorsal (upper) surface is grayish-white with dark or blackish spots, while the ventral (lower) surface is white or slightly yellowish. There are no skin fringes along the sides of the body or on the limbs. The tail is rounded and features six rows of soft, spine-like skin projections.



The dorsal scales appear as fine, rounded, non-uniform granules. Small tubercles are arranged in sparse rows: two rows along each side of the body—extending from the waist to the hips—and one row above the hips. These continue onto the tail as three rows of soft, spine-like tubercles on each side. A pair of anal pores is located at the base of the tail, posterior to the vent. The underside of the tail, toward the tip, exhibits a reddish-orange hue. The subcaudal shields (broad scales on the underside of the tail) are approximately half the width of the tail.

In the "black phase," the dorsal surface is dark, featuring a whitish, bridle-like stripe along each lateral side. This stripe begins at the tip of the snout (around the nostrils), passes behind the eyes, over the tympanum (eardrum) and shoulders, widens along the body, and terminates near the hips. There are paired whitish spots on the back, with the vertebral spots being elongated. The limbs and tail are patterned with bands.

This species is most frequently encountered on wooden structures within homes, or among trees and shrubs in gardens. It is more commonly found on the exterior of buildings or in open environments. Their primary prey consists of small insects, and they are active hunters at night. During the day, they hide in crevices within wood or the walls of houses. Males produce a loud, repetitive call: "cak... cak... cak... cak."

Once their body length exceeds 40 mm, distinct gonadal differences usually become apparent. These differences are most easily identified by a swelling near the cloacal opening, caused by the male's copulatory organ. Females produce two hard-shelled eggs, each originating from one of the two oviducts. Within the ovaries, up to four eggs can be found at various stages of development. In each cycle, a female produces one egg per ovary.

In males, mature sperm are present in the testes year-round, and they can be stored within the female's oviduct for up to 36 weeks. Prolonged sperm storage within the female's body is associated with a decline in survival rates and hatching success. The sperm are stored specifically in the region between the uterus and the infundibulum of the oviduct.

The ability to store sperm allows for asynchrony between ovulation, copulation, and egg-laying. Females can continue to reproduce even when isolated from males for extended periods. A single mating event can result in up to seven clutches of viable, hatchable eggs.

TAXON

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Infraorder: Gekkota
Family: Gekkonidae
Genus: Hemidactylus Oken (1817)
Species: Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron (1836)

SYNONYMS

Gecko caracal Tytler (1865)
Gecko chaus Tytler (1865)
Hemidactylus auritus Poeppig
Hemidactylus fraenatus Bleeker (1857)
Hemidactylus frenatus Boie In Schlegel
Hemi-Dactylus frenatus Kuhl & Van Hasselt In Schlegel
Hemidactylus hexaspis Cope (1869)
Hemidactylus inornatus Hallowell (1861)
Hemidactylus javanicus Fitzinger (1826)
Hemidactylus longiceps Cope (1869)
Hemidactylus nigriventris Lidth De Jeude (1905)
Hemidactylus okinawensis Okada (1936)

VERNACULAR NAME

Betawi: Cicek
Catalan: Dragó Domèstic Asiàtic
Chinese (simplified): 疣尾蜥虎 - 横斑蜥虎
Chinese (traditional): 疣尾蜥虎 - 疣尾蝎虎
Czech: Gekon východní
Danish: Asiatisk Halvfingergekko
Dutch: Tjiktjak, Aziatische huisgekko
English: Asian house gecko, Chichak, Common house gecko, House gecko, Pacific gecko, South asian house gecko, Spiny-tailed house gecko, Pacific house gecko, Wall gecko, House lizard, Tiktiki, Chipkali, Moon lizard
French: Tjicjac, Tjictjac, Gecko des maisons à queue épineuse, Hémidactyle bridé
German: Asiatischer Hausgecko, Gewöhnlicher Halbfingergecko
Hong Kong: 疣尾蜥虎
Hungarian: Ázsiai házigekkó
Indonesian: Cicak kayu, Cicak pohon
Italian: Geco delle case asiatico
Japanese: ホオグロヤモリ
Java: Cecak, Cecak kayu, Cecak wit
Korean: 집도마뱀부치
Macao: 疣尾蜥虎
Malayalam: Palli
Norwegian: Asiatisk Husgekko
Polish: Gekon cziczak
Portuguese: Lagartixa-doméstica
Russian: Азиатский полупалый геккон
Spanish: Geco casero asiático, Besucona asiática, Cuija besucona asiática, Lagartija
Sunda: Cakcak
Taiwan: 疣尾蝎虎
Thai: จิ้งจกบ้านหางหนาม

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium