Gekko japonicus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Schlegel's Japanese gecko (Gekko japonicus), also known as yamori in Japanese, is a species of gecko. G. japonicus was classified by Hermann Schlegel in 1836. The specific epithet, japonicus, is Modern Latin for Japan. Gekko japonicus occurs across the main islands of Japan, ranging from northern Honshu in the north and east to Kyushu in the south and west. It can also be found in eastern China and in South Korea.
Like other species of gecko, individuals of G. japonicus primarily eat insects. The species is capable of autotomy, and will separate its tail from its body to escape predators. While this process avoids bleeding, as blood vessels at the base of the tail close to prevent blood loss, the gecko does lose a supply of fat tissue, which it can use during periods where food is scarce.
In Japanese culture, seeing a gecko on one's home is associated with good luck. The animal's name, yamori, translates to home-protector. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden) | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Port Moresby Nature Park | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea |
No species of the same family or order lives in Osaka, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Schlegel's Japanese Gecko sighting in Osaka on a given day, based on 118 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 12 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Schlegel's Japanese Gecko in Osaka on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month. Those are among Osaka's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain a month against 55 mm in January.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Schlegel's Japanese Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
3rd of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Schlegel's Japanese Gecko sightings, Osaka ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Nagoya (Japan, about 40%) and Hefei (China, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Schlegel's Japanese Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Osaka (118 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.
.jpg/330px-Pelodiscus_maackii_55532827_(cropped).jpg)
