From Wikipedia - Reading time: 4 min
| Hemidactylus parvimaculatus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Hemidactylus |
| Species: | H. parvimaculatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hemidactylus parvimaculatus Deraniyagala, 1953
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Hemidactylus parvimaculatus, also known as the spotted house gecko[2] or the Sri Lankan house gecko,[3] is a species of gecko from South Asia and Indian Ocean.[2]
Hemidactylus parvimaculatus can grow to 13 cm (5 in) in length. The body has many tubercles and the tail has rings of small spines. Coloration is light grey to tan; there are dark blotches that form three rows along the back. The belly is pinkish-cream.[3]
This gecko is found in Sri Lanka, southern India, Reunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues, Moheli (Comoro Islands), Maldives, and Mascarene Islands.[2] There are also introduced populations in Bangkok, Thailand,[3] and in the southern United States.[2]
In Sri Lanka, Hemidactylus parvimaculatus has been recorded to prey upon Ramanella variegata frogs[4] and insects. It can also be cannibalistic.[5]