Garnot's House Gecko

Garnot's House Gecko

Hemidactylus garnotii

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Hong Kong

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

155 Verified sightings at Hong Kong
45 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Garnot's House Gecko

The Indo-Pacific gecko (Hemidactylus garnotii), also known as Garnot's house gecko, fox gecko, or the Assam greyish-brown gecko, is a species of gecko native to South and Southeast Asia, Polynesia, and the east coast of Australia.

Adults grow to about 10–13 cm (4–5 in) in length. Similar to H. frenatus, they exhibit the ability to change the colour of their skin, from dark gray or brown with light markings in daylight, to a pale, translucent colour at night. Often mistaken for a common house gecko, the species can be distinguished by its rows of large, spiny scales on the lateral edges of the tail.

The species epithet, garnotii, is named in honor of the French naturalist Prosper Garnot. The name gecko is onomatopoeic, in reference to the chirp of H. frenatus, one of three extant relatives of H. garnotii, which has historically been interpreted as a "gecko, gecko" sound. The common name fox gecko relates to the species' long, narrow snout, similar to that of a fox.

The Indo-Pacific gecko bears a striking resemblance to its extant cousin H. frenatus, its closest relative. However, individuals of H. garnotii tend to be much larger than H. frenatus, with... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
2 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
3 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
4 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
~20%
2 Guatemala City 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
3 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
4 Tuen Mun 🇨🇳 China
~10%
5 Medellín 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
6 Guangzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%
7 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Garnot's House Gecko in Hong Kong?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Garnot's House Gecko sighting in Hong Kong on a given day, based on 155 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 43 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Garnot's House Gecko in Hong Kong?

July to September

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Garnot's House Gecko in Hong Kong on a given day, against about 10% in May and November–February, the lowest months. Those are among Hong Kong's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain a month against 25 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Garnot's House Gecko?

Between 8 and 11 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Garnot's House Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Hong Kong the best place to see a Garnot's House Gecko?

Yes

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Garnot's House Gecko sightings, Hong Kong has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Guatemala City (Guatemala, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, about 10%).

Where does the Garnot's House Gecko sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Garnot's House Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Hong Kong (155 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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