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ReptileTerrestrialEasy
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Common House Gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
The common house gecko is a small, highly adaptable, and widely distributed nocturnal reptile known for its loud chirping calls and ability to live alongside humans.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Gekkonidae
Subfamily:Gekkoninae
Genus:Hemidactylus
Species:Hemidactylus frenatus
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
50 - 75 %
Day temperature
26 - 30 °C
Ambient temperature
22 °C
Night temperature
20 - 22 °C
Basking spot
32 °C
Adult size
6.7 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Basso
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to tropical Southeast Asia, but has become a cosmopolitan invasive species across tropical, subtropical, and warm coastal regions worldwide. They are highly synanthropic, frequently inhabiting human structures, ceilings, and walls where artificial light attracts insects.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Gekkonidae family, scientifically classified as Hemidactylus frenatus. Widely appreciated in tropical regions as a natural pest control agent due to its voracious appetite for flies, mosquitoes, and other household pests.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal, highly territorial, and vocal. Males produce a distinctive chirping call (sounding like 'tchik-tchik-tchik') to defend their territory. They are excellent climbers, utilizing specialized adhesive toe pads to navigate smooth vertical surfaces and ceilings.
Morphology: A small gecko reaching 11-15 cm in length. Coloration is highly variable, ranging from pale translucent grey or pinkish-tan at night to dark mottled grey during the day. Males are distinguished by visible preanal pores and swelling at the base of the tail.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a vertically oriented terrarium (minimum 30x30x45 cm) with secure ventilation. Provide plenty of climbing branches, fake or real plants, and artificial rock or bark backgrounds where they can hide and feel secure.
Lighting and Heating: Keep daytime temperatures between 26 and 30°C, with a localized basking spot up to 32°C. Night temperatures should drop to 20-22°C. A low-intensity UVB source (2-5% UVB) is beneficial for active calcium absorption.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain relative humidity between 60% and 75%. Mist the enclosure daily to allow the gecko to drink water droplets from the leaves. A small, shallow water dish should also be provided.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. Feed on a variety of small live insects such as crickets, fruit flies, and small roaches. Dust prey items with calcium and D3 supplements twice a week to support their active metabolism.
Compatibility: Can be housed in small groups of one male and multiple females. Never house two males together, as they are extremely aggressive and will fight, leading to severe injuries or tail loss.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly prone to tail loss (autotomy) if caught or stressed. Watch for metabolic bone disease (MBD) due to calcium deficiency. Stagnant air or poor hygiene can lead to respiratory or skin infections.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to tropical Southeast Asia, but has become a cosmopolitan invasive species across tropical, subtropical, and warm coastal regions worldwide. They are highly synanthropic, frequently inhabiting human structures, ceilings, and walls where artificial light attracts insects.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsExtra-Amazon South AmericaCentral America and CaribbeanNorth AmericaAfrica and MadagascarSouth and Southeast AsiaEast AsiaAustralia, New Guinea, and OceaniaTropical oceans and reefsCosmopolitan or introduced
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 6.7 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 6.7 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 6.7 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
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