Gekko japonicus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 Tokyo, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Schlegel's Japanese Gecko sighting in Tokyo on a given day, based on 550 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 4th most-seen of the 15 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.
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Schlegel's Japanese Gecko in Tokyo on a given day, against about 10% in November to March, the lowest months.
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.
6th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Schlegel's Japanese Gecko sightings, Tokyo ranks 6th at about 20%. The best odds are in Nagoya (Japan, about 40%), Hefei (China, about 30%) and Osaka (Japan, 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 Tokyo (550 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.
