Belize Biodiversity Information System

Taxonomy

Species ID	030025
Name	House gecko
Other Common Names	Escorpion, besucona
Category	03 Reptiles
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Reptilia
Subclass
Suborder	Sauria
Family	Gekkonidae
Genus	Hemidactylus
Species	frenatus
Subspecies
References	3, 4

Status

Status Code	Status Translation	References
66	Introduced/Exotic Bze. Not part of range.	4

Distribution

DISTRICT	References
Cayo	4
Corozal	4
Belize	4
Orange Walk	5
Stann Creek	4

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
Gallon Jug	Sighting	Common	Permanent Resident (Year-round)	5
Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data		4
Private land, see comments				2

ELEVATION Association	References
0-100 m	5
0-100 m	4
Sealevel 0 meters	4
1-200 m	4

QUAD Distribution	References
17 30' to 17 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'	5
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	4
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 15' to 88 30'	4
18 15' to 18 30'; 88 15' to 88 30'	4
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 00' to 88 15'	4
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 00' to 88 15'	4, 2

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Subtropical moist	5
Subtropical moist	4
Marine	4
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical	4

Comments on Distribution

2 * Dangriga

Habitat Associations

Forest Type Associations	Seral Stage	Canopy Closure	References
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Bullhoof Forest			4
Riparian seasonal swamp forests			4
Transitional Low Broadleaf Forest and Shrubland			4
Agriculture, no native vegetation.			4
Broadleaf Forest Moderately Rich in Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Quamwood Forest			4
			4
Off shore habitats, includes islands			4
URBAN, human settlement.			4
Coastal Formations			4

Life History

Life History Narrative

As its common English name suggests, this species is closely tied to human habitations. It is currently expanding its range in the Yucat n Peninsula, where it is abundant at several localities. These nocturnal lizards often congregate on the walls of buildings near lights to capture their insect prey. During the day specimens have been found beneath surface debris and under loose bark on trees. Hemidactylus frenatus is oviparous, with two eggs produced per clutch. In Java, Church (1962:262) found house geckos reproductively active throughout the year, although other herpetologists have found that there is some suggestion of seasonality in reproductive activity farther to the north (Fukada, 1965:75). Church (1962:262) suggested the possibility of sperm storage in this species, and Murphy-Walker (1993) confirmed it by showing that females in Hawaii stored sperm for up to eight months, and that females isolated from males could produce as many as ten viable clutches. Like many other geckos, these lizards are capable of vocalization. Marcellini (1974) studied acoustic behavior in San Luis Potos¡ and identified three functionally and bioacoustically distinct calls. The multiple chirp call, a gack-gack-gack suggestive of the barking of a small dog, was by far the most frequent. The call was given by both sexes, but most commonly by males and only by animals 45 mm or longer in snout-vent length. The call was usually given in aggressive interactions, and the number of chirps given increased as the air temperature increased. My analyses of recordings from Uxmal, Yucat n, indicate that acoustic energy is spread broadly across the frequency spectrum from about 2,000 to 5,000 Hz, with little harmonic structure.

Life History References

3

References

1  Meerman, J., 1994. Summary of Herpetofauna Distributions in Belize.
   Report to National Protected Areas Management Project.

2  Meerman, J.C. 1995.  First record of the Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus in
   Belize (Reptilia, Gekkonidae). Occasional Papers of the Belize Natural
   History Society.

3  Lee, Julian C. 1996.  The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucat n
   Peninsula.  Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca, New York.

4  Stafford, P. J., and J. R. Meyer.  2000. A guide to the reptiles
   of Belize.  Academic Press, London. pp. 95-96.  All data georeferenced and
   Imported on 09/17/00.

5  Miller, B.W. and C. M. Miller. 2001.  Observations of the fauna of
   Gallon Jug.  Unpublished sightings of this gecko.  Lives in and around
   the WCS office and buildings in central area of the farm.