Oriental leaf-toed gecko

Oriental leaf-toed gecko
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Gekkonidae
Genus:	Hemidactylus
Species:	H. bowringii
Binomial name
	Hemidactylus bowringii; (Gray, 1845)
Synonyms
	Doryura bowringii; Gray, 1845; Hemidactylus bowringii; — Boulenger, 1885;

Last updated March 18, 2023

The Oriental leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus bowringii), also known commonly as the Asian smooth gecko, Bowring's gecko, Bowring's smooth gecko, and the Sikkimese dark-spotted gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to East Asia.

Etymology

The specific name, bowringii, is in honor of either John Charles Bowring, who was a British amateur naturalist and businessman in Hong Kong, or his father John Bowring, who was a British diplomat and a governor of Hong Kong.^[3]

Description

Boulenger (1885) described H. bowringii as follows: "Snout longer than the distance between the eye and the ear-opening, 1.4 times the diameter of the orbit; forehead slightly concave; ear-opening small, roundish. Body and limbs moderate; a slight fold of the skin along the flank. Digits free, moderately dilated, inner well developed; infradigital lamellae obliquely curved, 5 under the thumb, 7 or 8 under the fourth finger, 5 or 6 under the first toe, and 9 or 10 under the fourth toe. Upper surfaces covered with uniform small granular scales, largest on the snout, smallest on the occiput. Rostral four-sided, twice as broad as deep, with median cleft above; nostril pierced between the rostral, the first labial, and three or four nasals; 9 to 11 upper and 7 or 8 lower labials; mental large, triangular, followed by a pair of chin-shields; an outer pair of much smaller chin-shields. Abdominal scales moderate, cycloid, imbricate. Male with a series of preanal pores, interrupted mesially, composed of 13 pores on each side. Tail depressed, rounded, oval in section, covered above with uniform small scales, beneath with a median series of transversely dilated plates. Light brown above, with darker spots, having sometimes a tendency to form four longitudinal bands on the back; frequently small whitish spots on the body and limbs; a dark streak passing through the eye; tail above with small chevron-shaped markings; lower surfaces whitish.

From snout to vent 1.3 in (3.3 cm); tail 2 in (5.1 cm)." ^[4]

Geographic range

Hemidactylus bowringii is found in East Asia, including Bhutan, Nepal, southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam (Ha Noi; Hon Thom Island), and Japan (Ryukyu Islands = Okinawa).^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of H. bowringii is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,250 m (4,100 ft), but it has also been found in plantations and around man-made structures in urban areas.^[1]

Reproduction

Hemidactylus bowringii is oviparous.^[2] Clutch size is 2–3 eggs, which hatch after 30 days of incubation.^[1]

Related Research Articles

Hemidactylus is a genus of the common gecko family, Gekkonidae. It has 191 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical parts of Africa and Europe. They excel in colonizing oceanic islands by rafting on flotsam, and are for example found across most of Polynesia. In some archipelagoes, cryptic species complexes are found. Geckos like to live in and out of houses. They have been introduced to Australia.

Gehyra mutilata, also known commonly as the common four-clawed gecko, Pacific gecko, stump-toed gecko, sugar gecko in Indonesia, tender-skinned house gecko, and butiki in Filipino, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. It has made its way to several areas of the world including Sri Lanka, Indochina, and many of the Pacific Islands. Compared to the common house gecko, the appearance of G. mutilata is somewhat plump, with delicate skin. The skin is usually colored a soft purplish/pinkish gray, with golden spots on younger specimens; these spots eventually fade with age.

Hemidactylus brookii, also known commonly as Brooke's house gecko and the spotted house gecko, is a widespread species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Indian leopard gecko</span> Species of lizard

The East Indian leopard gecko, also known commonly as Hardwicke's gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Eublepharidae. The species is endemic to India and Bangladesh.

The Indo-Pacific gecko also known as Garnot's house gecko, the fox gecko, or the Assam greyish brown gecko, is a species of gecko found in India, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Australia, and throughout Polynesia. Adults are about 4 to 5 in in total length. They are seen as dark gray or brown with light markings in daylight and a pale, translucent colour at night. The belly is orange or yellow. The head has a long, narrow snout, hence the name fox gecko. The flattened tail has a row of spiny scales on the lateral edges. The species is parthenogenic – all individuals are female and lay eggs that hatch without requiring male fertilisation.

The Indian golden gecko or Beddome's golden gecko is a species of gecko known only from the Eastern Ghats of India. It was rediscovered from the hills near present-day Tirupati. The rediscovery was after over 100 years since its description.

Hemidactylus maculatus, also known as the spotted leaf-toed gecko or giant spotted gecko, is a species of large gecko found in the Western Ghats of India and in parts of Sri Lanka.

Leschenault's leaf-toed gecko is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to South Asia and parts of West Asia. It is often found inside homes. Its scientific name commemorates French botanist Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour.

The flat-tailed house gecko, also known as the frilled house gecko or Asian house gecko, is a species of Gekkonidae native to southeastern and southern Asia. The species is sometimes classified under the genus Cosymbotus.

Jerdon's day gecko is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to India and Sri Lanka.

The Kandyan day gecko or Kandyan rock gecko is a species of diurnal gecko found in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayan forest gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Malayan forest gecko or banded bent-toed gecko is a species of gecko found in Southeast Asia.

Lawder's bent-toed gecko is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to northern India. Its type locality is "Kumaon", restricted to Almora by Malcolm Arthur Smith. It is named after Mr. A. Lawder who collected the holotype. His identity is not known for sure, but he is likely to have been A.W. Lawder who was a member of the Geological Society of London, as was Ferdinand Stoliczka who described the species. It is sometimes placed in the genus Cyrtopodion.

Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis, also known as the Jeypore Indian gecko, the Jeypore ground gecko, or the Patinghe Indian gecko, is an endangered species of gecko found in India, which was until recently considered extinct. Described from a single specimen in 1877, it was rediscovered in 2010 in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha state, India.

Hemidactylus giganteus, also known as the giant leaf-toed gecko, the giant southern tree gecko, or the giant gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to India.

Hemidactylus karenorum, commonly known as the Burmese leaf gecko, the Burmese leaf-toed gecko, or the Burmese spotted gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Hemidactylus persicus, also known as the Persian leaf-toed gecko or Persian gecko, is a species of gecko found in West Asia.

The reticulate leaf-toed gecko is a species of terrestrial, nocturnal, insectivorous gecko found in rocky areas of South India. It takes refuge under stones on ground during day time and emerges out at night for its activities.

Hemidactylus subtriedrus, also known as Jerdon's gecko or Madras blotched gecko, is a species of gecko found in India and Sri Lanka.

Hemidactylus triedrus, also known as the termite hill gecko, Dakota's leaf-toed gecko, or blotched house gecko, is a species of gecko found in South Asia. The race lankae of Sri Lanka, is now given species status and known as Hemidactylus lankae

References

1 2 3 Wogan G, Nguyen NS, Golynsky E, Milto K, Thaksintham W, Danaisawat P, Wang Y, Shang G, Yang J, Cai B (2019). "Hemidactylus bowringii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T194106A2299360.en. Downloaded on 13 October 2021.
1 2 3 Species Hemidactylus bowringii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
↑ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Hemidactylus bowringii, p. 36).
↑ Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Hemidactylus bowringii, p. 93).