Garnot's House Gecko

Garnot's House Gecko

Hemidactylus garnotii

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

6 Verified sightings at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary From 2019 to 2026
45 In all 5 parks
March 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 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Garnot's House Gecko sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 24th most-seen of the 25 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Garnot's House Gecko in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

March to May

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Garnot's House Gecko in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, against under 5% in June and August–February, the lowest months.

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 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary the best place to see a Garnot's House Gecko?

Yes

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Garnot's House Gecko sightings, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Kinabalu Park (Malaysia, about 10%) and Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Garnot's House Gecko live in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

Same genus: Hemidactylus

The closest relatives of the Garnot's House Gecko that you can see in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (genus Hemidactylus, House Geckos) are Flat-tailed House Gecko (about 40%) and Common House Gecko (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

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 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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