Description: Snout longer than the distance between the eye and the ear opening, one time and a half the diameter of the orbit; forehead concave; ear-opening small, oval, oblique. Rostral four-sided, not twice as broad as high, with median cleft above; nostril bordered by the rostral, the first labial and three nasals. Nine to eleven upper and seven or eight lower labials; mental large. triangular or pentagonal; two pair of chin-shields, the median pair large, in contact with each other, the posterior pair small, sometimes separated from the labials. Body depressed, covered above with uniform small granules, largest on the snout; a dermal expansion from axilla to groin and another along the posterior side of the hind limb. Ventral scales cycloid, imbricate. Male with an uninterrupted series of 34—36 femoral pores. Tail depressed, flat inferiorly, with sharp denticulated lateral edge, covered above with uniform small granules, below with a median series of transversely dilated plates. Limbs moderate, depressed; digits strongly dilated, about half-webbed, inner well developed; 3 to 6 lamellae under the inner, 7 to 9 under the median digits. Grey above, marbled with darker grey; generally a dark streak from eye to shoulder. Lower parts white.
Habitat: This gecko was first found in a strip mall in downtown Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida. Other possible colonies are known in Gainesville, Homestead, and Ft. Myers, Florida. Despite having been loose in Florida since the 1980's, it has eked out only a tenuous existence. The species has shown no ability to expand into other, less urban habitats or new locations. It is native to tropical Asia from eastern India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
Range: Bangladesh, N India (Darjeeling, Sikkim), Nicobar Islands, Nepal, Bhutan, China (Guangdong, SE Xizang = Tibet),Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia (incl. Pulau Tioman), Burma (= Myanmar), Vietnam, New Guinea, Philippine Islands (Palawan, Calamian Islands, Panay, Luzon), Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores).
They are also introduced in Florida (Pinellas, Alachua, Lee, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties) in the USA
Diet: Almost nothing is known of their biology in the United States. They are nocturnal insectivores.
Reproduction: In Asia, they lay pairs of eggs in crevices above ground.
Status:
Assessed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution extending from east India to China and south to Indonesia. It can tolerate a broad range of habitats and thrives in modified areas, including urban areas. It is abundant throughout much of its range, is not subject to any significant threats and is present in a large number of protected areas.
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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