Description:Lepidodactylus lugubris measure 8.5-10 cm in length including tail (4-4.4 cm snout-to-vent). L. lugubris is cryptically coloured, typically light to dark tan with dark spots down the length of its back and a brown strip from the ear to the tip of the nose. This species is capable of changing color, and so the same individual may appear light or dark at different times during the day.
Habitat: This species inhabits a wide range of habitats including lowland rainforest, coastal and magrove forest. It also thrives in modified habitats such as urban areas, rural gardens and plantations. It has also been found in banana tree leaves, and in crevices beneath tree bark. In Malaysia and Singapore, on the larger islands such as Tioman where there are many other species of geckos, this species is restricted to or is most common in coastal areas. It is most often observed in crowns of palms, mangoes and other low trees and buildings. During the day, it has been found on vegetation and rocks along the coast, and beneath exfoliating bark, in rock cracks, and beneath boards and rocks during the night. On very small islands, individuals have been found at night clumped together around freshwater-filled depressions in the granite boulders and taking refuge in cracks and fissures during the day. It is a nocturnal, arboreal gecko with a diet consisting of arthropods, nectar, and plant juice. It is a parthenogenic species in which very few males have ever been recorded. In Malaysia, its reproductive season last throughout much of the dry season from approximately May through September. In many parts of its range, the species is comprised of only all-female parthenogenic subpopulations, but in the Seribuat Archipelago, Mariana Islands, Hawaiian Islands and the Ryukyu Archipelago, males are also present. Females lay two unfertilized eggs under exfoliating bark or in rock cracks and leaves, and also in the ceilings of houses, which develop into reproductive females. This species lays its eggs in communities. It has been recorded from sea level up to 1,100 m asl.
Range: This species is widespread in coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Hawai'i, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Australia (Cocos Island), Western Samoa, Guam, the Society Islands, Pitcairn, and the Mascarene Islands.
It has been introduced widely in the Neotropics, including in Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador (including the Galapagos), Colombia and Chile, as well as to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
Diet: L. lugubris are omnivorous. In the wild, they eat a varied diet of insects, spiders, amphipods, pill bugs, fruit, nectar, pollen, and even their own eggs. They will also feed on jam, sugar, sweetened drinks, and milk, if given the opportunity.
Reproduction: This species is nearly all female, and reproduces via parthenogenesis. While males occasionally occur, they are very rare and often sterile. Females lay 1-2 eggs at a time, and glue them to surfaces in protected locations. Clutches are laid every 4-6 weeks.
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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