During a
trip to Costa Rica, a specimen of Hemidactylus frenatus, also known as the
Common House Gecko was spotted during the nighttime climbing a wall. The
surrounding location was tropical, with temperatures from 80-90°F and primarily thick vegetation
with an ocean nearby creating a wet, humid environment. The specimen was 10-12
cm long from mouth to tail. The specimen was identified by its lack of eyelids,
broad toe pads extending the entire length of the toe, uni-coloration, smooth
body and rough tail. To identify sex, hemipenile bulges located behind the hind
legs and at the beginning of the tail are present indicating that this specific
specimen is male. Adult H. frenatus range from 10-14 cm. indicating that this
specimen was a fully-grown adult. Unique characteristics of H. frenatus are
their brush-like toepads bearing microscopic setae, which increase surface are
and friction with the surface. These unique characteristic aides in climbing in
arboreal habitats as well as climbing into small cracks and crevasses.
Once
spotted and approached, the house gecko quickly ran along the wall to the
nearest object/painting in sight for cover. Geckos can perform true tail autotomy,
in which they can release their tail when under sufficient stress. To avoid
this, I captured the specimen by the torso. Once the specimen was captured, he
quickly calmed down and was able to rest on my hand as shown in the image. He
was very comfortable at this point, once he knew he was not being threatened.
This was
one of many house geckos captured during the trip. They are a species thriving
in the hot, humid, jungle environment of Costa Rica.
1 comment:
Is this species native or introduced to Costa Rica?
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