Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and humans?

Agamas, geckos, lizards, monitors and skinks exotic to South Africa.

View Gallery

Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and humans?

Postby LCS » Wed Jun 05, 2013 1:10 pm

Hi. Is this Hemidactylus frenatus, the common house gecko?
Is it important to get rid of them as they endanger indigenous geckos?
Is their poop really so dangerous for humans?
I have always thought of them as a natural bug repellent!
Thanks
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
LCS
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 12:59 pm

Re: Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and human

Postby Westley Price » Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:20 pm

Hi LCS, welcome to the forum.

You will have to give us a bit more info if you want the best help advice possible, for instance where the gecko was found.

Personally I would say that is not Hemidactylus, but rather on of the Lygodactylus species. Hemidactylus usually have very prominent toe nails.

The "poop" is not dangerous at all. I have tons of geckos around the outside of my house and only wish I had more! They are a treat and privilege to have around and like you said, they're a natural bug repellent.

Good luck and enjoy your guests.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
User avatar
Westley Price
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 4019
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:25 am
Location: South Africa

Re: Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and human

Postby Fooble » Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:26 pm

Westly is right that's Lygodactylus capensis.

The Hemidactylus you are most likely referring to is Hemidactylus mabouia which is actually native to Sub Saharan African.

They aren't really a threat to the Dwarf Geckos species Lygodactylus as it in it's self has extended it's range well into the Western Cape too.
Organized crime comes in more forms than one.
User avatar
Fooble
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 5319
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:32 am
Location: Umhlanga, Durban - KZN

Re: Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and human

Postby damiensharjah » Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:11 am

Hey there.

You should make you little lygo welcome.

On the subject of house geckos becoming invasive though, it's quite rare as wherever they 'invade', they generally take up occupancy in urban settings and are rarely found in natural areas. The genus Hemidactylus, is massively widespread worldwide, well outside of many species' natural range, but seldom come up as a threat to native species.

In SA, relatively few local species take up residence in and around homes (well vertical living species anyway) and those that do generally have solid populations away from urbanization. Things like Turner's gecko and Bibron's gecko seem to do wuite well alongside tropical house geckos and even snack on the odd baby house gecko (Although this can work both ways).
I guess there is a possibility of them being a threat where introduced into an area where a localised endemic species occurs (especially places like abandoned mines etc that the rare species has colonized), but I can't think of a decent example offhand. We also don't have a huge number of rare geckos that occupy the house gecko niche.

D
User avatar
damiensharjah
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 678
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:27 pm
Location: On the move

Re: Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and human

Postby LCS » Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:47 am

Thank you all !!!
LCS
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 12:59 pm

Re: Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and human

Postby damiensharjah » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:02 pm

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/ ... 775329.htm

An interesting read relating to this subject.
User avatar
damiensharjah
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 678
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:27 pm
Location: On the move

Re: Is common house gecko a threat to other geckos and human

Postby Bushviper » Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:45 pm

Thanks Damien. I am sure our house geckos are the same. I have seen a striped skink eat a fully grown house gecko so I dont think they are a problem. I still have these skinks along with Lygodactylus around the house and even though I have a large number of house geckos, the skinks and dwarf geckos have not become less over the years.
It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Those who are afraid to ask are ashamed of learning.
User avatar
Bushviper
Founder Member
 
Posts: 17358
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:02 am
Location: Pretoria


Return to Exotic Lizards

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron