''Hemidactylus acanthopholis'' is a species of

house gecko ''Hemidactylus'' is a genus of the common gecko family, Gekkonidae. It has 194 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical parts ...

s from the

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (), also known as Nellai and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the fourth-largest munici ...

in southern

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. Bearing a superficial resemblance to '' Hemidactylus maculatus'', the species is usually found on large rocks or boulders. Growing in length, the species is an overall brown color, but has dark stripes on its back. It takes its name from the warty protuberances running along its dorsal surface. In the 1800s, Colonel R. H. Beddome had a collection of these specimens. Due to new agricultural practices, the preferred habitat of Hemidactylus acanthopholis has been destroyed. This species can be found during the dry season in the Kalakkad Mundanthirai Tiger Reserve and Tirunelveli. Mirza, Z. A., & Sanap, R. V. (2014). A NEW CRYPTIC SPECIES OF GECKO OF THE GENUS Hemidactylus Oken, 1817 (REPTILIA: GEKKONIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN INDIA. Taprobanica. The Journal of Nature Conservation, 6(1), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.47605/tapro.v6i1.122

References

Hemidactylus Reptiles of Tamil Nadu Endemic reptiles of India Reptiles described in 2014 {{Hemidactylus-stub