# Spotted House Gecko (*Hemidactylus parvimaculatus*) The Spotted House Gecko is a small lizard that loves to live in homes and gardens. With its cute spots and quick movements, it helps keep bugs away, making it a helpful friend in your house! - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Spotted House Gecko](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hemidactylus_parvimaculatus_from_Sri_Lanka.jpg&width=800) Photo: Gihan Jayaweera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hemidactylus_parvimaculatus_from_Sri_Lanka.jpg) ## Appearance The Spotted House Gecko is a small lizard, typically light brown or grey, covered in tiny dark spots and sometimes faint bands. It has large eyes with vertical pupils and often a translucent belly, making it appear somewhat see-through. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Lacertilia - **Family:** Gekkonidae - **Genus:** Hemidactylus ## Interesting facts - Geckos don't have eyelids; they lick their own eyes to keep them clean and moist! - Their skin has tiny, soft scales, giving them a surprisingly velvety feel! - They can survive for weeks without food, thanks to their incredibly slow metabolism! - They eat their own shed skin, full of nutrients, so nothing goes to waste! ## Special abilities - **Sticky Feet:** Spotted House Gecko can walk on almost any surface, including glass, because of millions of microscopic hairs on its toe pads. - **Tail Dropper:** Spotted House Gecko can drop its tail if caught, allowing it to escape from predators while the wiggling tail distracts them. - **Night Hunter:** Spotted House Gecko has large, sensitive eyes with vertical pupils that help it see tiny insects in very low light conditions. - **Color Changer:** Spotted House Gecko can lighten or darken its skin tone slightly to better blend in with its surroundings, making it harder to spot. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 8-12 cm - **Weight:** 0.003-0.008 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-5 years - **Speed:** 5 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 60-90 days ## Diet & Feeding Tiny hunters, these geckos eat small bugs and spiders to keep your house tidy! - **Primary Foods:** crickets, spiders, moths, beetles, cockroaches, ants - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Oriental Rat Snake (*Ptyas mucosa*) — a common snake predator found in their habitat. - **Eaten by:** German Cockroach (*Blattella germanica*) — a frequent insect meal, especially in human dwellings. - **Eaten by:** [Yellow Fever Mosquito](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-fever-mosquito) (*Aedes aegypti*) — helps control populations of these flying insects. - **Eats:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — an introduced predator in many of its urban habitats. ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low It's best to watch geckos from a distance and not try to catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Spotted House Gecko? Compare toes, scales, head shape, crests and tail proportions. Many lizards can drop and regrow their tails, so a short tail isn't always a species trait. Lizard Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Spotted House Gecko? 8-12 cm ### How much does Spotted House Gecko weigh? 0.003-0.008 kg ### How long does Spotted House Gecko live? 3-5 years ### How fast can Spotted House Gecko move? 5 km/h ### What does Spotted House Gecko eat? Tiny hunters, these geckos eat small bugs and spiders to keep your house tidy! ### Where is Spotted House Gecko usually found? Urban areas ### How does Spotted House Gecko hunt? Ambush ## Where to spot - [Fort Brown](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-brown) — US · Historic Site - [Carrollton](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carrollton) — Louisiana, US · Neighborhood - [Uptown New Orleans](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/uptown-new-orleans) — Louisiana, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Spotted House Gecko](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spotted-house-gecko) ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Spotted House Gecko: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-house-gecko)