The Indo-Pacific gecko (''Hemidactylus garnotii)'', also known as Garnot's house gecko, fox gecko, or the Assam greyish-brown gecko, is a species of
gecko
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from .
Geckos are unique among lizards ...
native to
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
,
Polynesia
Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...
, and the east coast of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
Adults grow to about 10–13 cm (4–5 in) in length. Similar to ''H. frenatus'', they exhibit the ability to change the colour of their skin, from dark gray or brown with light markings in daylight, to a pale, translucent colour at night. Often mistaken for a
common house gecko, the species can be distinguished by its rows of large, spiny scales on the lateral edges of the tail.
Etymology
The species epithet, ''garnotii'', is named in honor of the
French naturalist
Prosper Garnot
Prosper Garnot (13 January 1794 – 8 October 1838) was a French surgeon and naturalist.
Garnot was born at Brest. He was an assistant surgeon under Louis Isidore Duperrey on ''La Coquille'' during its circumnavigation of the globe (1822–182 ...
. The name gecko is onomatopoeic, in reference to the chirp of ''H. frenatus'', one of three extant relatives of ''H. garnotii'', which has historically been interpreted as a "gecko, gecko" sound. The common name fox gecko relates to the species' long, narrow snout, similar to that of a
fox.
Description
The Indo-Pacific gecko bears a striking resemblance to its extant cousin ''H. frenatus'', its closest relative. However, individuals of ''H. garnotii'' tend to be much larger than ''H. frenatus'', with more prevalent markings on the back. The belly of ''H. garnotii'' is usually a pale yellow or orange. It also bears two large, spiky rows of scales, one along each side of its tail. These scales are soft, and are the same colour as the tail. Their purpose is unknown.
Reproduction
''H. garnotii'' reproduces solely through
parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek + ) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which the embryo develops directly from an egg without need for fertilization. In animals, parthenogenesis means the development of an embryo from an unfertiliz ...
,
[Pascatore, Linda (2008). "Birds and Plants of Kauai: The Gecko"](_blank)
. accessed 6 February 2011 with all individuals being female. Like all reptiles, ''H. garnotii'' lays eggs, but because it is parthenogenetic, the eggs can hatch without the need for male fertilization.
Geographic range
The Indo-Pacific gecko is native to South and Southeast Asia, Polynesia, and Australia's east coast. It can also be found in
Remote Oceania (particularly
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
, and
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
),
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
, the
Bahamas
The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...
, and tropical
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. In the U.S. states of Hawaii,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, and
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, it is considered an invasive species.
Georgia Invasive Species Task Force website, "Other Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia"
accessed 6 February 2011 In Australia, the Indo-Pacific gecko has only a few populations, though they are well-established. They can particularly be found in Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
and Fraser Coast.
Gallery
File:Hemidactylus garnoti, Garnot’s house gecko.jpg, ''Hemidactylus garnotii'', Garnot’s house gecko – Nam Nao National Park
References
Further reading
* Behler JL, King FW (1979). ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. . ("''Hemidactylus garnoti'' ic, pp. 492–493 + Plate 401).
* Boulenger GA (1885). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume I. Geckonidæ ....'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I-XXXII. (''Hemidactylus garnotii'', pp. 141–142).
* Conant R (1975). ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1–48. (hardcover), (paperback). ("''Hemidactylus garnoti'' ic, p. 84 + Plate 17 + Map 43).
*Crawford, Daniel M.; Somma, Louis A. (1993). "''Hemidactylus garnotii'' (Indo-Pacific gecko)". ''Herpetological Review'' 24 (3): 108–109.
* Das I (2002). ''A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of India''. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. . ("''Hemidactylus garnoti'' ic, p. 98).
* Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1836). ''Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles, Tome troisième'' Volume 3 Volume Three, Volume 3 or Volume III may refer to:
Music Albums
* Volume 3 (She & Him album), ''Volume 3'' (She & Him album), 2013
* ''Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter'', a 1999 album by Jay-Z
* ''Volume 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil'', ...
Paris: Roret. iv + 517 pp. (''Hemidactylus garnotii'', new species, pp. 368–369). (in French).
* Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR (1978). ''Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition''. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. xi + 378 pp. . ("''Hemidactylus garnoti'' ic, pp. 148, 285).
* Gray JE (1845). ''Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (''Doryura garnotii'', p. 157).
*Meshaka, Walter E. Jr. (1995). "''Hemidactylus garnotii'' ". ''Herpetological Review'' 26 (2): 108.
* Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. . ("''Hemidactylus garnoti'' ic, pp. 68–69).
* Smith MA (1935). ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria.'' London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. ("''Hemidactylus garnoti'' ic, pp. 100–101).
* Stoliczka F (1871). "Notes on new or little-known Indian lizards". ''Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal'' (Calcutta) 1871: 192–195.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2664812
Hemidactylus
Geckos of Thailand
Reptiles described in 1836
Taxa named by André Marie Constant Duméril
Taxa named by Gabriel Bibron
Unisexual animals